Lawyers in Bangkok.

Lawyers in Bangkok: which court hears your case

Lawyers in Bangkok work with three kinds of court: the city's own civil and criminal courts, its small-claims courts, and specialised courts that hear some cases for the whole country. Knowing which one your matter belongs in tells you what kind of lawyer you need. The Courts of Justice set out the structure in their overview of the court system.

Civil and criminal cases

• Civil claims go to one of six civil courts: the Civil Court and the Bangkok South, Thon Buri, Min Buri, Taling Chan and Phra Khanong Civil Courts. A claim is generally filed where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose, and a property claim can also be filed where the property is.
• Small claims of up to 300,000 THB go to one of Bangkok's seven Kwaeng (district) courts, which use a simpler procedure. They also hear minor criminal cases: offences with a maximum penalty of three years in prison, a fine of 60,000 THB, or both.
• Criminal cases go to the Criminal Court or the Bangkok South, Thon Buri, Min Buri, Taling Chan or Phra Khanong Criminal Court, depending on where the offence took place, where the accused lives or was arrested, or where the police inquiry was held.

The Courts of Justice also run a lookup of which court covers each district (in Thai), which a lawyer can use to confirm the right court before filing.

Specialised courts

• Intellectual property and international trade. The Central Intellectual Property and International Trade Court sits on floors 5 to 7 of Building A at the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road (court contact page). It is the only court of its kind and covers the whole country. A plaintiff in a civil case can still lodge the claim at the provincial court where the defendant lives or where the dispute arose (the court's jurisdiction note).
• Tax and bankruptcy. The Central Tax Court and the Central Bankruptcy Court are also single national courts, both in Bangkok.
• Employment. The Central Labour Court sits in Bangkok, and nine regional labour courts sit in regions across the country, so an employment dispute does not always come to the capital.
• Appeals from the specialised courts, and from juvenile and family courts, go to the Court of Appeal for Specialized Cases in Bangkok.

How long a case takes

In 2024 Bangkok's six civil courts closed 86,200 cases, and about 97% of them had been open for a year or less (2,361 took longer), according to the Courts of Justice annual statistical report. Those figures count every case the courts closed, whatever its type, so a contested case with many witnesses can take longer, and an appeal adds more time. Since 2020 a party can also ask the court to appoint a mediator before a claim is filed.

Immigration offices in Bangkok

Which office you use depends on your visa.

• Immigration Division 1 handles visa extensions, changes of visa type, re-entry permits, 90-day reports and permanent residence applications for people who live in Bangkok. It is in Building B, South Zone, of the Government Complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, Lak Si (office page). Extensions of visa-exempt entries and visas on arrival go to Counter K at IT Square Laksi instead.
• One Stop Service for Visa and Work Permit. Holders of BOI, SMART and LTR visas, and staff of BOI-promoted companies, use this centre on the 6th floor of One Bangkok (Parade Zone), Rama IV Road. Since 17 March 2025 it has been part of the BOI's Thailand Investment and Expat Services Center, where the Immigration Bureau and the Department of Employment handle visa extensions, 90-day reports and work permits (BOI announcement).

The visa routes themselves have changed. Since February 2025 the SMART visa covers only startup founders and their families, and the LTR visa is the main route for highly skilled foreigners (BOI announcement Por 5/2568). Immigration lawyers in Bangkok can confirm which category fits, and the 90-day reporting guide explains the report itself.