SpaceX appoints Vietnamese CEO to lead Starlink Vietnam operations

February 26, 2026 | 17:53

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SpaceX's Starlink has appointed Do Ba Thich as CEO of its Vietnam entity, placing a young Vietnamese executive at the helm of its local operations for the first time.

ASL LAW senior partner named CEO of Starlink Services Vietnam

On February 25, Starlink Services Vietnam confirmed the appointment of Thich, born in 1990 in Hanoi, to lead the company's operations in the market. The move signals a strategic shift towards local leadership as SpaceX deepens its long-term presence in Vietnam, with Thich tasked with navigating the country's regulatory landscape and business ecosystem.

Enterprise registration records list Do Ba Thich as CEO, with Lauren Ashley Dreyer – a US national and vice president of global business operations at Starlink – serving as chairwoman and legal representative.

Starlink Services Vietnam, registered last September, operates in satellite telecommunications and is headquartered in Cua Nam ward, Hanoi. The company has a charter capital of VND30 billion (approximately $1.2 million) and has registered to provide fixed satellite internet access, lease transmission channels for mobile base stations, and deliver satellite internet services for maritime and aviation use.

The company has also registered to invest in and operate telecommunications services with network infrastructure, including low-Earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks. All activities are being implemented under a controlled pilot mechanism in line with the prime minister’s approval, ensuring compliance with national defence and security requirements.

Developed by SpaceX, the Starlink project aims to expand broadband connectivity to areas where traditional telecommunications infrastructure is limited or disrupted. The solution is particularly suited to remote regions and locations affected by natural disasters. Starlink is currently present in 125 countries and territories, serving around five million users globally.

In April last year, the Vietnamese government approved Starlink to conduct a pilot deployment, making it the first foreign enterprise authorised to test satellite internet services in the country.

After fulfilling regulatory requirements, SpaceX was subsequently licensed by the Ministry of Science and Technology to provide satellite internet services, while the Authority of Radio Frequency Management granted licences for frequency use and radio equipment.

In the initial phase, the system is permitted to deploy four gateway stations and up to 600,000 user terminals, establishing a lawful signal transmission infrastructure compatible with existing wireless networks.

Starlink's LEO satellite system operates at altitudes ranging from 160km to under 2,000km above sea level, offering low latency and high data transmission speeds. As of February 2025, more than 6,000 satellites had been launched and brought into operation, making Starlink the largest constellation of its kind globally.

In addition to his role at Starlink Services Vietnam, Do Ba Thich is an experienced lawyer specialising in investment advisory, cross-border services, corporate matters, and intellectual property.

Since 2013, he has served as a founding partner and senior partner at ASL Law, where he is also the legal representative. Under its leadership team, ASL Law has been consistently recognised as a top-tier law firm in Vietnam by international ranking organisations including Legal500, Asian Legal Business, IFLR, IP Stars, Asia Business Law Journal, WTR 1000, and AsiaLaw.