Procedures
Inquisitorial civil trials with no jury and continuous-hearing reforms
The Civil Procedure Code governs private litigation before professional judges; there is no civil jury. Cases proceed through pleadings, a settlement conference and hearings that reforms have pushed toward continuous rather than scattered sittings.
Key rules
- Jurisdiction — Provincial Courts of First Instance hear general claims, District Courts small claims, and specialised courts cover IP and international trade, tax, labour and bankruptcy. Appeals run to regional Courts of Appeal and then the Supreme Court.
Governing law
- Civil Procedure Code B.E. 24771934
- Establishment of and Procedure for Intellectual Property and International Trade Court Act1996
- Arbitration Act B.E. 25452002
In practice
Limitation is generally ten years for contract, one year from knowledge for tort with a ten-year long stop, and two years for many commercial claims. Court fees are ad valorem at 2 percent of the claim subject to a cap, which restrains inflated pleading. Judgments are enforced through the Legal Execution Department by seizure and sale, and Thailand does not have a general statute for recognising foreign judgments, so a foreign judgment must usually be re-litigated on the merits. Arbitral awards are a different matter: Thailand is a New York Convention party and awards are enforceable through the courts, which is why cross-border contracts here so often specify arbitration.