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Chaiwat Keratisuthisathorn

Partner

Biography

Chaiwat Keratisuthisathorn is a partner in Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group and head of the firm’s real estate practice in Thailand. He advises on the full spectrum of real estate transactions—including acquisitions, disposals, leases, and development—covering property law, legal and land due diligence, title searches and transfers, transaction documentation, and registration of property rights at the land office. He is ranked as a leading real estate lawyer in Thailand by Chambers Asia-Pacific, Asialaw Profiles, and The Legal 500 Asia Pacific.

Chaiwat is also active in M&A, regularly leading legal due diligence for major transactions, including supporting global clients in the acquisition of large land plots for industrial and manufacturing projects, and advising on cross-border investments and joint ventures. His corporate work includes advising on establishing and operating businesses in Thailand—such as limited companies, representative offices, and branch offices—obtaining foreign business licenses and certificates, providing corporate secretarial services, and advising on immigration and work permits. He is regularly sought after by multinational clients for his expertise in structuring complex real estate and commercial transactions, and is recognized for his practical, business-oriented approach.

He holds an LLB from Thammasat University and an LLM from Case Western Reserve University. Chaiwat is a member of the Lawyers Council of Thailand and the Thai Bar Association, and previously served on the Board of Directors of the Australian-Thai Chamber of Commerce.

Experience

  • Successfully assisted BTicino (Thailand) Limited, the Thai subsidiary of an Italian metalworking company, in obtaining a factory expansion license from Thailand’s Ministry of Industry.
  • Assisted the Thai subsidiary of one of the world’s leading container transportation and shipping companies in the negotiation and review of a 20-year sublease agreement and related securities agreements/documents for a 36,700 sq.m. plot of land that the client will use as a container yard/depot. Notably, the agreed upon rental fee for the land was THB 600 million (approx. USD 18.7 million).
  • Advised a global diversified media and entertainment company on property lease agreements (valued at approx. USD 1 million total) for three separate filming sites in Bangkok, including careful drafting of lease agreements to include demolition and construction rights.
  • Worked with a major international law firm to advise a leading Japanese multinational conglomerate on tenancy termination issues stemming from lease agreements between the client and an American commercial real estate company that specializes in shared workspaces for tech start-ups.
  • Represented a Thai real estate company in the procurement of THB 390 million (approx. USD 12.23 million) in financing from a multinational investment bank in order to refinance a major real estate project.
  • Advised a major American manufacturer on its THB 220.3 million (approx. USD 7.34 million) land acquisition, transaction documents, and THB 4 billion (approx. USD 133.3 million) construction contract for a mega-factory in Thailand.
  • Assisted a global vehicle manufacturing conglomerate with land acquisition and the construction of a factory in an export processing zone, including extensive advice on construction contracts, obtaining licenses from the Thai Board of Investment and other government agencies, and related tax matters.
  • Assisted a subsidiary of a Korean manufacturing conglomerate in establishing a branch office in Thailand to operate a service business for a project of an international energy company.
  • Assisted a successful Malaysian trading company in establishing a representative office in Thailand to source consumable and non-consumable products, verify the quality of the products, and report to its head office.
  • Assisted a leader in branded lifestyle apparel on all aspects of establishing a Regional Operating Headquarters (ROH) in Thailand, including legal assistance on leasing approximately 1,000 square meters of office space.
  • Registered and documented the replacement of the board of directors of a foundation.
  • Assisted a medical center with company formation in a short period of time to facilitate the timely commencement of business operations.
  • Helped a global pharmaceutical client close a large commercial deal in Thailand and obtain an Alien Business License in a short period of time in order for the client to commence business operations per the client’s schedule.
  • Advised on a mixed development of an entire island, including land acquisition, development and construction permits, joint venture agreements, financing, customer and supplier contracts, and the legal and tax structure.
  • Represented a group of investors in their acquisition of beachfront properties for resort development.
  • Helped a U.S. enterprise that successfully bid for a large IT project to commence and continue operations in Thailand, including securing long-term visas and work permits for a number of IT specialists of various nationalities and providing general legal counsel.
  • Represented a group investing in various high-end villa projects targeting the European market in Hua Hin and Phuket.
  • Assisted a leading Korean cosmetics manufacturer to acquire shares from the Thai majority shareholder in its joint venture company, and eventually restructure and convert it into a wholly owned subsidiary. From reviewing relevant agreements, conducting a full due diligence, and correcting discrepancies found, to post-completion registration, the Tilleke & Gibbins team provided a complete range of services.
ABOUT Chaiwat

Location

Languages

    Thai

    English

Education

    LLM, Case Western Reserve University School of Law

    LLB, Thammasat University

Insights

July 3, 2026
Thailand will keep its reduced government fees for property sale and mortgage registration in place for another year. Two Ministry of Interior notifications, issued following a cabinet resolution on June 30, 2026, and published in the Government Gazette on July 1, 2026, extend the previously reduced fee levels through June 30, 2027. The reduced registration fees apply to the sale and mortgage of the same property types covered in prior versions of the scheme: detached houses, semidetached houses, row houses, commercial buildings, land transferred together with such buildings, and condominium units. To be eligible for the reduced fees, the purchase price, the officially assessed value, and the mortgage amount must each not exceed THB 7 million, and the buyer must be a Thai individual. The reduced registration fees for eligible sales and mortgages are calculated as follows: Sale: 0.01% of the official assessed value (reduced from standard rate of 2%) Mortgage: 0.01% of the mortgage amount (reduced from standard rate of 1%) The reduced mortgage registration fee applies only if the mortgage is registered at the same time as the sale of the property.
April 30, 2026
Thailand’s Long-Term Resident (LTR) Visa regime offers an attractive immigration pathway for qualifying foreign nationals, providing a 10-year renewable permission to stay in Thailand. Following amendments under Board of Investment (BOI) Announcement No. Por. 3/2568 dated February 4, 2025, the regime now more explicitly accommodates property investment as a qualifying vehicle—a development of particular relevance to foreign nationals already considering real estate acquisitions in Thailand. The LTR Visa is available to several categories of applicants, including wealthy global citizens with global assets of at least USD 1 million, and wealthy pensioners aged 50 or older with an annual pension or fixed income of at least USD 40,000. Property as a Qualifying Investment For both categories, property investment is recognized as one of three eligible investment types alongside Thai government bonds (with at least five years remaining to maturity) and direct investments in Thai companies or approved venture capital or private equity vehicles. The minimum qualifying property investment is USD 500,000 for wealthy global citizens and USD 250,000 for wealthy pensioners. Eligible property types include freehold condominiums, buildings, or villas, as well as leasehold properties with a remaining lease term of at least 10 years. Health Coverage Requirement Beyond the investment threshold, applicants must demonstrate adequate health coverage. This requirement can be satisfied through a health insurance policy covering at least USD 50,000 in Thai medical expenses with at least 10 months of remaining coverage, evidence of social security benefits covering Thai medical costs, or a bank deposit of at least USD 100,000 retained for 12 months. Practical Considerations For foreign nationals already considering property acquisitions in prime residential markets—where investment values commonly meet or exceed the USD 500,000 threshold—the visa pathway effectively transforms a real estate purchase into a dual-purpose investment, combining asset ownership with long-term residence rights that
January 20, 2026
Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) has imposed new restrictions on foreign-majority shareholding and land ownership for companies in certain promoted activities. The changes took effect on September 1, 2025, but were not published in the Government Gazette until December 30, 2025, under Notification of the Board of Investment No. Sor. 7/2568 on the Amendment to List of Activities Eligible for Investment Promotion under Notification of the Board of Investment No. 9/2565, dated July 22, 2025. Foreign Land Ownership Restrictions Generally, foreign land ownership is one of the privileges granted to BOI-promoted companies, allowing them to own land to engage in the promoted activities. However, with these new restrictions, the BOI will no longer grant land-ownership privileges to foreign-majority-owned companies that conduct business activities in the following categories: Rolling, drawing, casting, or forging of nonferrous metals (category 5.4.9) Manufacturing of ferrous metal products or ferrous metal parts (category 5.4.11.2) Manufacturing of nonferrous metal products and/or nonferrous metal parts for industrial use (category 5.4.11.4) Manufacturing of other metal products, including other metal parts for industrial use (category 5.4.11.5) Manufacture of chemical products for industry (category 6.2) Manufacture of plastic products for industrial goods and parts (category 6.4.1) These restrictions do not apply to existing BOI-promoted companies that have at least three projects granted promotion under the same juristic person during the past 15 years (2011–2025) with total investment of at least THB 5 billion, excluding the cost of land and working capital. Foreign Shareholding Restrictions For companies to be eligible for BOI promotion in three other categories of business activities, at least 51% of the company’s registered capital must be held by Thai individual shareholders, unless the BOI-promoted activity is located within a special border economic zone as designated by the BOI. These three categories are: Manufacture of bags made of
January 8, 2026
Thailand’s Board of Investment (BOI) has tightened criteria for BOI-promoted companies to own land for residential use and introduced new procedures for land ownership applications under a new notification. Officially titled Notification of the Office of the Board of Investment No. Por. 9/2568 Re: Amended Criteria and Conditions for Permitting Foreign Juristic Persons Receiving Investment Promotion to Own Land for Office and Residence for Operational-Level Workers to Operate Business Granted Investment Promotion, dated July 18, 2025, the new notification was published in the Government Gazette on January 6, 2026, and is applicable to all applications submitted since the date of the notification (July 18, 2025). The new notification introduces an online application process for BOI-promoted companies seeking to own land for office use or residential purposes via the e-Land system, the BOI’s electronic system for land rights and benefits. Applications are reviewed virtually, and any requested amendments or additional documents must be submitted within seven business days. Failure to amend the application or submit any additional requested documents within this period will result in automatic rejection and removal of the application from the system. The new notification builds on the requirements specified in the previous notification on land ownership allowances for foreign companies, issued in 2024, by introducing additional qualification requirements for residences for operational-level workers (i.e., unskilled laborers). In this regard, such a residence must not be: Part of a land development project (housing estate), A condominium unit, or Classified as a house or commercial building.

Awards & Rankings

April 3, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has been shortlisted in two categories at the Financial Times (FT) Innovative Lawyers APAC 2026 awards: Innovative Lawyers in Cyber and Data Privacy – “Digital Identity & Cryptocurrency Compliance” Innovative Practitioner – Athistha (Nop) Chitranukroh The FT Innovative Lawyers APAC Awards recognize law firms and practitioners who are driving innovation in legal services and delivering innovative client solutions across the Asia-Pacific region. This recognition marks our third acknowledgment in the Innovative Lawyers category and, notably, our first-ever nomination in the Innovative Practitioner category at the FT Innovative Lawyers APAC awards. It reflects our team’s continued ability to support clients on groundbreaking, forward-looking projects across the region. The awards ceremony will take place on May 14, 2026, in Hong Kong. To learn more about the FT Innovative Lawyers APAC 2026 awards and to view the full list of shortlisted organizations, please visit the FT website.
March 19, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has been recognized in 17 categories at the 2026 Thailand Law Firm Awards from Asia Business Law Journal (ABLJ), up from 10 categories in 2025. The awards highlight leading law firms in Thailand across a broad range of practice areas, as well as overall firm performance. This year, Tilleke & Gibbins was named a co-winner in the Best Overall Law Firm category as well as in the following practice-specific categories: Artificial Intelligence Aviation Blockchain & Digital Assets Competition & Antitrust Data Compliance & Cyber Security E-Commerce, Digital Trade & Platform Regulation ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) Fintech Healthcare & Life Sciences Insurance & Reinsurance IP Litigation IP Prosecution Labour & Employment Private Equity & Venture Capital Shipping & Maritime Technology, Media & Telecommunications The awards are determined through ABLJ’s independent research, which considers recent work, client feedback, and market standing. The annual Thailand Law Firm Awards recognize firms demonstrating strong performance and breadth of expertise across key practice areas. For more details and the full list of winners, please visit the ABLJ website.
March 9, 2026
Tilleke & Gibbins has been shortlisted in multiple firmwide and individual categories at the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2026, including Regional Firm of the Year, reflecting the firm’s work across Southeast Asia and the continued development of its regional practices. In the individual categories, Aye Thuzar Hlaing has been shortlisted for Myanmar Associate of the Year (Corporate and M&A), and Linh Duy Mai has been shortlisted for Vietnam Associate of the Year (Intellectual Property). Tilleke & Gibbins has also been shortlisted in the following firm categories: Regional Firm of the Year Thailand – Law Firm of the Year Thailand – Law Firm of the Year (Litigation) Myanmar – Law Firm of the Year Vietnam – Law Firm of the Year Vietnam – Law Firm of the Year (Labor and Employment) Laos – Law Firm of the Year The winners will be announced on April 30, 2026, at the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards ceremony in Singapore. To browse the full shortlist for the Legal 500 Southeast Asia Awards 2026, please see the Legal 500 website.

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