Law has been a relatively under-researched field of investigation in Thai Studies. However, any in-depth study of Thai society, both in pre-modern and in present times, depends on a clear understanding of the judicial system of the Thai state(s). Thai customary law was very much influenced by Buddhism which is reflected in the way legal cases were judged. The first part of the seminar deals with Buddhist inspired customary laws in the various regions of Thailand, such as the Mangraisat of Lan Na and the Three-Seals Law of Siam. Thereafter the transition to modern law in the 19th and early 20th centuries is discussed. Finally, the role of the judiciary in modern Thailand is examined. A case study will be the controversial Lèse-Majesty law.

This course is compulsory for students of the Master program "Languages and Cultures of Southeast Asia". It is also offered and recommended to interested PhD students as well as to BA students who have a special interest in this topic and want to take this course in the frame of the Fachspezifischer Wahlbereich.