Following the increase in the volume of online retail business, or e-commerce, Thailand’s Court of Justice is planning to set up a new department in the Civil Court, exclusively to handle disputes related to online shopping and to assist consumers cheated by online traders.

Secretary-general of the Office of the Judiciary Jeerapat Panthavee said today (Friday) that, under the conceptual plan, members of the public, who believe they have been cheated by online retailers, can lodge a complaint with the department, without charge, through an e-filing system, which is now being developed by the Court of Justice in coordination with relevant agencies.

He also said that the Office of the Judiciary has plans to increase the use of digital applications and to use more technological innovations to assist judicial work, including e-signature and ID verification systems.

Moreover, Jeerapat said the office will be more pro-active in its cooperation with other state agencies, to help solve the household debt problem and other issues through the Thai Business Mediation Center (TBMC).

Like other agencies, which are adopting a new normal way of operating in line with changing circumstances, he said the Thai judiciary is no exception and is embracing digital applications to facilitate access to judicial services by the public.