The largest Japanese international law firms have been expanding in Thailand during the past few years, but few other global firms have much of a presence there.

U.K.-based insurance specialist firm Kennedys, which opened an office in Bangkok in 2017, was the last international firm to enter the market. Clifford Chance actually closed its Bangkok office last year after operating in Thailand for about two decades. Only a handful of global firms – Baker McKenzie, DLA Piper, Allen & Overy, Linklaters and Hunton Andrews Kurth – currently have a substantial presence in Thailand.

But Japan's top law firms view the market differently. Next month, Nishimura & Asahi, the biggest Japanese firm, will have 70 lawyers in Thailand after it merges its 10-lawyer Bangkok office with domestic firm SCL Law Group. Tokyo-based Nishimura partner Ryutaro Nakayama, who is a member of the firm's executive committee, said the merger will give the firm immediate scale in Thailand, which is the second-largest southeast Asian market.