Jingjok
Mediation first, court last
glài-glìa
Going to court is slow, public and, for many people, a loss of face for everyone involved, so Thai institutions push hard for ไกล่เกลี่ย first. Courts run mediation centres, and most civil cases are offered a session before any witness is heard. Since the Dispute Mediation Act of 2019, district offices and some police stations can also mediate small civil disputes and certain compoundable offences for free. A mediator cannot impose a result, but a signed settlement is binding, and one made in court becomes a judgment by consent that can be enforced. Arrive calm, bring documents and photos, and open with what you can accept rather than what the other side did wrong. A face-saving middle figure is often how it ends.
Try this today
Before your next dispute escalates, try the line ตกลงกันได้ไหม and propose one concrete number.
The words that carry it
Learn this in “Law and bureaucracy deep” →
Your first 90 days of Thai
Culture cards in Jingjok are tied to the words that carry them, each ending in one thing to try today.
- WEEKS 1–2 · SURVIVEGreet anyone, pay, and order food and 7-Eleven exactly how you like it.
- WEEKS 3–6 · SETTLE INGet around by taxi, Grab and skytrain, find anything, and handle your landlord.
- WEEKS 7–12 · RUN YOUR LIFEPharmacy, bank, SIM and apps, how you feel, and a weekend away, all in Thai.
The first week is free.