Partners

Kobkit Thienpreecha

Partner and Director, Corporate & Commercial

Key Practices

Qualifications

  • LLM, University of Minnesota School of Law
  • LLM, American University, Washington College of Law
  • LLB, Chulalongkorn University

Kobkit Thienpreecha, a partner and director of Tilleke & Gibbins’ corporate and commercial group, has been a leading corporate lawyer with the firm for over a decade. Having been selected as counsel by numerous foreign clients that wish to do business in Thailand—ranging from private entrepreneurs to multinational industrial manufacturers, traders, and service providers from various industries—Kobkit excels at designing targeted, legitimate, and practical solutions for foreign business start-up structures.

Kobkit also specialises in offering diverse legal support services at the highest standard, including antitrust and trade competition, company incorporation, joint ventures, M&A, investment promotion, Foreign Business License, capital markets and IPOs, specific business permits and licenses, immigration, regulatory compliance, and all foreign clients’ affairs. With support from his experienced service team, Kobkit continues to overcome challenges and succeed in landmark cases, which further his reputation, attract referrals, and build his incomparable clientele.

Known for delivering sharp and reliable advice, Kobkit’s performance is outstanding and dynamic, as represented by his involvement in IPOs, securities transactions, M&A deals, bids for government projects, joint ventures, shareholders’ disputes, and NGO licenses.

  • Advised Destination Group Asia, an integrated destination management company operating 33 offices in 11 major countries in Asia, on its acquisition by dnata, which has one of the world’s largest air services providers is based in Dubai as part of the Emirates Group.
  • Assisted Bottega Veneta, an Italian luxury goods and high fashion brand, with a transaction to buy back two stores in Bangkok from its Thai franchisee, Central Group, which is a USD 9.7 billion Thai retail conglomerate. The acquisition involved setting up a joint venture company to operate Bottega Veneta duty-paid stores in Bangkok.
  • Assisted AICA Asia Pacific Holding Pte Ltd, a leading manufacturer of high-performance and quality adhesives and surfacing solutions in the Asia Pacific region, as well as the Singapore-based overseas arm of Japanese listed AICA Kogyo, in acquiring a 60% stake in Thai Chemical Corporation Limited, a joint venture between Srifuengfung and Mitsubishi Corporation that manufactures plasticizers and adhesives in Thailand. The deal was worth over THB 670 million (about USD 22.2 million).
  • Provided regulatory advice on various cross-border transactions with Thai investors to First State Investments, a global asset management firm with more than USD 143.8 billion under management.
  • Entrusted by Restaurants Development Co., Ltd., a franchisee for KFC restaurants in Thailand, to provide legal advice on potential competition law issues relating to its franchise rights granted by Yum Restaurant International (Thailand) Co., Ltd., particularly with respect to local rules and restrictions on the expansion of franchise outlets.
  • Provided regulatory advice on cross-border approaches made to Thai investors, including certain marketing activities, to Merian Global Investors (formerly Old Mutual Global Investors), a global asset management firm with more than USD 44.8 billion under management.

Chambers Asia-Pacific
Corporate/M&A 2019 – Recognized Practitioner for 2 consecutive years

Asialaw Leading Lawyers
Capital Markets 2024 – Notable Practitioner for 4 consecutive years
Corporate/M&A 2024 – Notable Practitioner for 4 consecutive years