Pongpalin Chantrapirom

Go Back

Senior Associate

Biography

Pongpalin Chantrapirom is a senior associate in Tilleke & Gibbins’ dispute resolution department, based in Bangkok. His core area of expertise is financial litigation, which includes banking, securities, insurance, payment systems, and other financial products. He also has extensive experience in litigating consumer protection, labor and employment, breach of contract, tort, bankruptcy, administrative, and criminal lawsuits. Pongpalin is a proficient litigator in both court and arbitration proceedings. He is also familiar with overseas litigation, especially those commenced in the United States and the United Kingdom.

Pongpalin is committed to providing business-driven legal solutions to his clients, and blends practical and proactive commerciality with an in-depth understanding of contract negotiations and drafting, the genesis of most legal transactions, to provide well-rounded and practicable advice when it comes to dispute resolution.

Pongpalin holds an LLB and an LLM from Thammasat University, as well as an LLM from the University of Pennsylvania, where he also completed the Wharton Business and Law Certificate program. He has also completed the constitutional and administrative law training program organized by Tilleke & Gibbins and led by esteemed academics, former judges, and other accomplished legal practitioners in Thailand. Pongpalin has fulfilled the barrister-at-law requirements of the Thai Bar under the Royal Patronage, and is a member of the Lawyers Council of Thailand.

Experience

Represented a financial conglomerate in a THB 1.5 billion dispute against an educational institution. The case involved numerous complex and well-planned fraudulent acts partially committed by the client’s own staff members. The client was eventually cleared of all alleged liabilities and was able to charge the wrongdoers afterward.
Won a Court of Appeal judgment for a renowned life-insurance public company in a lawsuit where a group of its minority shareholders claimed that the process of delisting from the Stock Exchange of Thailand, and the share evaluation methods, were conducted illegally.
Obtained a favorable judgment for a stock brokerage in a lawsuit brought by a high-value customer who claimed for THB 83 million due to the breach of a Securities Brokerage Agreement.
Advised and assisted a leading Thai bank in defending against a USD 2 billion lawsuit in the UK. The dispute related to an alleged conspiracy by a group of former shareholders in a major renewable energy company in Southeast Asia that was one of the bank’s customers.
Secured satisfactory outcomes in many labor disputes wherein clients’ managerial-level executives claimed severance pay and other monetary remedies due to alleged unfair dismissal resulting from fraudulent activity, work rule and policy violations, low performance, or organizational restructuring.

ABOUT Pongpalin

Languages

Thai

English

Education

LLM, University of Pennsylvania

LLM, Thammasat University

LLB, Thammasat University

Insights

December 4, 2024

Thailand Legal Basics

Thailand Legal Basics, a valuable primer for foreign investors, explores all aspects of living and doing business in Thailand. Written by specialists at Tilleke & Gibbins in Bangkok, it is the only comprehensive English-language guide to the Thai legal system with a focus on the concerns of foreign business and investment.

May 30, 2024

Bank Guarantee Disputes in Thai Construction and Procurement Agreements

A bank guarantee or bond is a powerful tool that provides contractual parties with security and assurance. Bank guarantees are commitments made by a bank (as a guarantor) on behalf of a customer (as an obligor) to a beneficiary to ensure that certain contractual obligations will be fulfilled. If the customer fails to comply with these obligations, the bank can compensate the beneficiary up to the amount specified in the bank guarantee. Bank guarantees are widely used in Thailand as a form of security and are common in construction agreements and government procurement contracts, among others. If the beneficiary (e.g., a project owner) concludes that the counterparty in the agreement (e.g., a contractor) has breached the underlying contract in some way, the beneficiary will demand payment from the bank pursuant to the guarantee. Collecting on a Guarantee and Preventing Payment In the context of construction and procurement agreements, there are two types of bank guarantees—conditional and unconditional. A conditional bank guarantee means that the project owner must satisfy certain agreed-upon conditions (e.g., provision of proof of the breach, proof of damages, or even consent from the contractor) to demand payment. An unconditional bank guarantee means that the bank must compensate the project owner for the demanded amount (up to the limit specified in the bank guarantee) without any conditions. When a project owner concludes that a contractor has breached the underlying contract (often for nonperformance or failure to comply with a representation or warranty), the project owner will demand payment from the bank holding the guarantee. Upon receiving such a demand, Thai banks will usually inform the contractor and ask if it has any objections. Even if the bank guarantee is unconditional, in practice, a bank may be reluctant to make payment if the contractor, as the bank’s customer,

December 15, 2023

Lex Mundi Guide to Doing Business in Thailand 2023

As part of its membership in Lex Mundi, Tilleke & Gibbins has published an updated edition of its Guide to Doing Business in Thailand for 2023. This guide outlines the key factors for starting and operating a business in the Thai market. Issues covered include: Investment incentives Financial facilities Exchange controls Import and export regulations Structures for doing business Requirements for the Establishment of a Business Operation of the Business Cessation or Termination of the Business Labor legislation, relations, and supply Tax Immigration requirements This publication is part of Lex Mundi’s Country Guides series prepared by member firms in more than 100 jurisdictions worldwide. The guides serve as a useful resource for planning international business strategy and researching new markets. The full Guide to Doing Business in Thailand is available through the button below.

August 23, 2023

Retail in the Metaverse: A Thai Legal Perspective

Introduction The idea of the metaverse rose to prominence in the public discourse in 2021, most notably when Facebook renamed itself Meta and announced a new focus on launching a virtual, immersive world. The initial excitement around the metaverse has since faded, with worsening economic conditions having a particularly acute effect on companies in the technology sector. When Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced in March 2023 that artificial intelligence (AI) was the company’s “single largest investment,” many took this as a sign of the company shifting focus away from the metaverse. However, there remains significant interest in the metaverse from both businesses and consumers. Zuckerberg himself reaffirmed Meta’s focus on the metaverse, highlighting how developments in AI will improve virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) technology. Meanwhile, Roblox, a metaverse gaming platform, announced that in Q1 2023, its number of daily active users had increased to 66 million. Most recently, the announcement by Apple of its new ‘Vision Pro’ AR headset is reported to have renewed interest in the metaverse among developers. A particular area of interest in the developing metaverse is digital fashion and retail. In its Metaverse Fashion Trends Report 2022, Roblox found that nearly three in four users aged 14 to 24 spend money on digital fashion items. Roblox itself has partnered with fashion brands Burberry, Gucci, Tommy Hilfiger, and others, to offer experiences and items for use on the platform. In March 2023, Decentraland, a metaverse platform with a decentralized governance structure, hosted the Metaverse Fashion Week, featuring brands such as Adidas, Coach, and DKNY. As businesses continue to invest and look for opportunities to expand into the metaverse, whether through traditional e-commerce or more innovative digital asset offerings, it is important that they consider the ways in which new and existing laws apply

Awards & Rankings

December 13, 2024

Chambers Asia-Pacific 2025: Tilleke & Gibbins Extends Streak of Exceptional Rankings

The recently released 2025 edition of Chambers Asia-Pacific gives Tilleke & Gibbins high marks across all the firm’s jurisdictions in Southeast Asia. In addition to the exceptional practice-area rankings, individual practitioners from the firm’s offices across the region received a total of 34 individual rankings.

November 26, 2024

Tilleke & Gibbins Recognized Among Asia’s Fastest-Growing Firms

Tilleke & Gibbins has been named to the Asian Legal Business (ALB) Fast 30: Asia’s Fastest Growing Firms 2024. The ranking highlights law firms across Asia that have demonstrated significant growth and leadership in a competitive and evolving legal landscape. Selection for the ALB Fast 30 is based on metrics such as growth in fee-earners, new office openings, the addition of key partners and clients, revenue increases, and other measures of expansion. This is the second time Tilleke & Gibbins has been included on the list, having previously earned recognition in 2022. The Fast 30 ranking complements ALB’s annual Top 50 Largest Law Firms feature, which evaluates firms by total lawyer headcount. While not included among the region’s largest firms, Tilleke & Gibbins continues to be prominently ranked by ALB for its presence in Thailand and Vietnam. For more about the ALB Fast 30 and to see a full list of the Asia’s fastest growing law firms, please see the November 2024 issue of ALB.

November 11, 2024

Tilleke & Gibbins Wins Thailand Country Award at 2024 Lexology Index Awards

Tilleke & Gibbins is pleased to announce that the firm has been honored with the Thailand Country Award at the 2024 Lexology Index Awards in London. This marks the ninth consecutive year that the firm has received this prestigious recognition, underscoring its consistent excellence and leadership in the Thai legal market.

September 13, 2024

Tilleke & Gibbins Retains Strong Rankings in IFLR1000 Asia-Pacific 2024

The 2024 edition of the IFLR1000 Asia-Pacific rankings, released by International Financial Law Review (IFLR), highlights Tilleke & Gibbins’ continued excellence in financial and corporate transactional work. The firm has retained its strong rankings across multiple jurisdictions and practice areas, reaffirming its position as a leading firm in the Asia-Pacific region. This year, Tilleke & Gibbins received firmwide rankings in key jurisdictions, including: Thailand Banking & Finance – Tier 3 Capital Markets: Debt – Tier 3 Capital Markets: Equity – Tier 3 M&A – Tier 2 Project Development – Tier 2 Restructuring & Insolvency – Tier 3 Vietnam Banking & Finance – Other Notable M&A – Tier 3 Project Development – Tier 3 Cambodia Financial & Corporate – Tier 2 Project Development – Tier 2 Laos Financial & Corporate – Tier 2 In addition to these firmwide rankings, Tilleke & Gibbins had several standout individual recognitions, with 10 lawyers honored in the 2024 individual rankings, including new entries for John Frangos, Niti Muangkote, Santhapat Periera, and Tram Ngoc Bich Nguyen. The full list is as follows: Charunun Sathitsuksomboon – Highly Regarded, M&A, Thailand Charuwan Charoonchitsathian – Rising Star, M&A, Thailand David Mol – Rising Star, Corporate and M&A, Cambodia Jay Cohen – Highly Regarded, Banking, Cambodia John Frangos – Notable Practitioner, Restructuring & Insolvency, Thailand (new ranking) Niti Muangkote – Rising Star, Financial & Corporate, Laos; Highly Regarded, Banking & Finance, Thailand (new ranking) Saithong Rattana – Notable Practitioner, Project Development and M&A, Laos Santhapat Periera – Highly Regarded, Banking, M&A, Laos; Highly Regarded, Banking & Finance, Thailand (new ranking) Supasit Boonsanong – Highly Regarded, Project Development, Thailand Tram Ngoc Bich Nguyen – Highly Regarded, M&A, Vietnam (new ranking) To see the full set of IFLR1000 rankings for Tilleke & Gibbins’ jurisdictions, please see the Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and

Other Professionals

You are using an outdated browser and your browsing experience will not be optimal. Please update to the latest version of Microsoft Edge, Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox. Install Microsoft Edge

Industries

Practices