Our Practice
A Law Practice Built Around the Hospitality Sector
Ratana was established to serve the particular regulatory needs of hotel operators, resort developers, and tour businesses operating in Thailand — not as a side line, but as the centre of what we do.
← Return to HomepageWho We Are
Ratana — From the Ground Up in Pattaya
Ratana opened in Pattaya because the Eastern Seaboard is where a large part of Thailand's hospitality investment activity is concentrated — from the condo-hotels along Beach Road to the dive operators and boutique resorts stretching south toward Koh Larn. The founders saw that operators in this corridor often faced licensing questions without a practice that understood both the local regulatory environment and the practical business concerns involved.
The practice was built deliberately small. We take on fewer matters and give each one more attention. The work is delivered by the lawyers who discuss it with you — not passed through a support structure you never meet.
Our primary instruction languages are Thai and English, which allows us to communicate directly with both government offices and the international investors who make up a meaningful share of our client base.
Our Mission
A Clear Path Through Thai Hospitality Regulation
Thai hospitality regulation involves multiple agencies — the district office for hotel licensing, the Tourism Authority of Thailand for tour operator permits, municipal bodies for food service and environmental clearances. The interaction between these requirements can be confusing without a guide who knows how each piece connects.
Ratana's approach is to map that picture for each client, identify what actually applies to their situation, and work through it in the correct order. We do not inflate the complexity of a matter or create urgency where none exists. The goal is a correctly completed process, delivered at a pace the client can follow.
The People
The Ratana Team
Wiriya Suwan
Senior Counsel
Wiriya has worked on hotel licensing matters under the Hotel Act for over a decade, with a particular focus on properties in Chonburi province and the surrounding EEC corridor.
Nattaya Kamon
Associate, TAT Licensing
Nattaya handles tour operator and travel agency licensing, working closely with the TAT regional office. She advises clients on bond structures and the differences between license categories.
Amos Petrov
Contract Review Specialist
Amos focuses on commercial contracts in the hospitality context — platform agreements, vendor arrangements, and management contracts. He works in English and Thai and has a background in international commercial law.
How We Work
Standards We Hold to on Every Matter
Written Deliverables
Advice is provided in a written memo or application draft — not verbal only. Clients receive a document they can reference, share, or act on independently.
Client Confidentiality
All client information is handled with professional discretion and is not shared with third parties without instruction. Our data handling follows Thai PDPA requirements.
Defined Fee Scope
Each engagement begins with a clearly defined scope and a stated fee. If additional work is needed, that is discussed and agreed before we proceed — no open-ended billing.
Regular Progress Updates
We contact clients when there is something substantive to report, not on a schedule designed to make the work feel busy. When a government office responds, you hear the same day.
Thai Bar Association Compliance
All legal advice is provided in accordance with the Lawyers Council of Thailand's professional conduct rules. The practice is registered and operates within the Thai legal framework.
Bilingual Communication
All client-facing documents and correspondence are available in English and Thai. Government submissions are prepared in Thai to the required standard.
Hospitality Law Practice in the Eastern Economic Corridor
Thailand's hospitality sector continues to draw significant investment along the Eastern Seaboard — from Pattaya and Si Racha through to the Rayong coast. The regulatory framework that governs this investment is managed across several Thai authorities: the Ministry of Interior for hotel licensing, the Tourism Authority of Thailand for tour business registration, and local administrative bodies for ancillary permits.
Ratana works with property investors, existing operators, and founders entering the Thai hospitality market. Our practice covers the three areas where legal input tends to add the most value: licensing, tour operator registration, and commercial contracts with platforms and vendors. We avoid practice areas that sit outside the hospitality context — we find that focus produces better work than a broad general caseload.
Clients include Thai nationals building their first guesthouse, international hotel groups assessing a condotel structure, dive-tour agencies seeking an outbound category upgrade, and resort managers reviewing a new booking platform agreement. The questions differ, but the approach is the same: read the relevant regulation, identify what applies, and explain it in plain terms.
Interested in Working Together?
Send a brief description of your situation and we will let you know whether and how we can help — without any obligation.
Contact Ratana