A new division under the Civil Court set up to handle online shopping disputes opens on Thursday, allowing people to file lawsuits via an e-filing.
Sorawit Limparangsi, spokesman for the Court of Justice, said Supreme Court judge Phat Vibhumrapi, who temporarily serves as the Civil Court chief justice, had given Jan 27 as the launch date.
Consumers could file lawsuits via the division, which comes amid a sharp increase in disputes related to online shopping. Lawsuits can be lodged online from today, he said. Mr Sorawit said the Court of Justice will also today sign a memorandum of understanding with agencies to better protect consumers from online shopping fraud.
The formation of the unit was published in the Royal Gazette last month. The Court of Justice said online shopping was growing in popularity among consumers, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. The Digital Economy and Society's hotline receives about 2,000 complaints from consumers regarding online fraud each month.
While all pending cases related to internet shopping at the Civil Court will be processed by the new division, cases now pending in the Consumer Court will not be moved into the new jurisdiction but will have to proceed there.