Event panel discussion (Photo courtesy of Yada Yuwataepakorn)
Legal professionals gathered at the Thailand Institute of Justice (TIJ) on 24 September to celebrate the upcoming 100th anniversary of Thailand’s Civil and Commercial Code (CCC) in 2025.
Potential CCC reforms topped the agenda at the “Looking back ‒ Looking ahead” pro bono event co-organised by Baker McKenzie, the Thai Corporate Counsel Alliance (THAI-CCA) and TIJ.
A panel discussion on the pressing issue was led by Munin Pongsapan, associate professor and former dean of Thammasat University faculty of law, and included Dr Nilubol Lertnuwat, a member of the CCC revision committee and associate professor at Thammasat University, and Paralee Techajongjintana, a partner at Baker McKenzie Thailand.
Pongsapan shared a brief history of the CCC, highlighting how it was originally a legal transplant from foreign civil codes. He said that in the process of adapting foreign legal concepts to the Thai legal system, new terms were coined, some of which had become outdated or confusing in today’s context, and had led to various interpretations.
He also emphasised the need for modernising the language to make the CCC more accessible to the public and future legal professionals.
In his keynote speech, Professor Wisit Wisitsora-At, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, underlined the importance of setting clear goals in line with the larger legal and economic context to boost Thailand’s global competitiveness.
Wisit Wisitsora-At, permanent secretary of the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, delivers his keynote speech (Photo courtesy of Yada Yuwataepakorn, partner at Baker McKenzie Thailand)
He also stressed the urgency of taking immediate action, as legal reform is a long-term process.
Lawyers were welcomed to the event by Phiset Sa-ardyen, executive director of TIJ; Wynn Pakdeejit, managing partner at Baker McKenzie Thailand; and Pathanit Mungkornpanich, founding member of the THAI-CCA and head of legal at BNP Paribas Bangkok.
The event also included a World Café session, with small groups tackling challenges in specific legal areas such as collateral enforcement, business transactions and inheritance law. They discussed how vague laws often result in varied interpretations, affecting foreign investment in Thailand.
Beyond the legal discussions was a networking cocktail event. The pro bono gathering also supported local social enterprises such as Restart Academy, Hub-Poei of the Department of Corrections, and House of Blessing Foundation.
