Civil actions are legal proceedings in which one party sues another for the purpose of upholding or defending a right, or of preventing or redressing a wrong.

Civil proceedings frequently involve torts (sometimes referred to as “wrongful acts” in Thai law), the collection of debts, commercial and residential property disputes, interpersonal conflicts, employment actions, and divorces.

The Thai court will initially urge the parties to settle through a process of court-supervised mediation when a case is filed there. A preliminary hearing will be scheduled to identify the points of contention and to help with any potential settlement. In some circumstances, courts may temporarily postpone a case if the parties show they are willing to reach an agreement, but they may also order a trial on the merits to proceed if they believe a settlement is not likely to be reached.