Southeast Asian Legal Research Guide: Introduction to Thailand & its Legal System

Thailand has a predominantly civil law legal system, but it is a hybrid of many influences.Thai law has its traditional bases in ancient Hindu Code of Manu, modified to conform to local custom. During the 19th century, the Siamese legal system was developed to model the French civil system, and is thus primarily statute based, with major Codes resembling those of European civil law jurisdictions. Common law features are also evident -such as the separation of powers, as are the ancient Hindu traditions.