About thailand-ai-innovate
A practice built around the belief that most workplace disagreements can be resolved without a courtroom.
← Back to HomeOur Story
thailand-ai-innovate was founded in Bangkok with a straightforward purpose: to offer employers and employees in Thailand a structured, neutral space in which to address labour disagreements before they reach the Labour Court.
The name draws from the kinnari — a figure from Thai mythology associated with careful listening and considered speech. Those qualities describe what we try to bring to each session: unhurried attention to both sides, and a commitment to keeping the conversation productive.
The practice was established after our founding practitioners observed, through years of work adjacent to Thai labour proceedings, that many matters arriving at the Labour Court could have been resolved earlier — and with considerably less cost and distress to all involved — had a suitable mediation channel been available.
We are not litigators. We do not represent either side, and we take no position on who is right. Our role is to keep the conversation moving forward, and to help both parties arrive at terms they can each accept.
Our Mission
To make structured labour mediation widely accessible in Thailand — to small companies and large ones, to individual employees and worker groups — so that disagreements can be addressed with fairness and without unnecessary escalation.
Our Approach
We treat every matter as its own, and we do not apply a formula. Sessions proceed at the pace that suits the parties. We are candid about what mediation can and cannot do, and we will say so clearly if a situation calls for a different path.
Our Values
- Neutrality — we represent neither party
- Candour — we give honest assessments of process suitability
- Discretion — all sessions remain confidential
- Patience — we do not rush parties toward an outcome
Our Practitioners
Each member of the thailand-ai-innovate team brings a distinct background to the mediation table — in law, human resources, or workplace counselling.
Somchai Charoenwong
Principal Mediator
Somchai brings eighteen years of experience in Thai employment law and has conducted mediations across manufacturing, hospitality, and professional services sectors throughout Bangkok and Chiang Mai.
Pranee Nitiphat
Senior Mediator & Case Manager
Pranee previously worked as a senior HR advisor for a regional conglomerate before joining thailand-ai-innovate. She leads the structured small-group programme and oversees written records for all active cases.
Ananya Thongsuk
Settlement Drafting Specialist
Ananya holds a Master's in dispute resolution and specialises in drafting settlement documents that can withstand scrutiny before the Labour Court. She manages multi-party engagements and follow-through to court approval.
Professional Standards
The quality of a mediation process depends on the rigour with which the mediators conduct themselves. These are the standards we hold ourselves to.
Strict Neutrality Protocol
Mediators declare any prior relationship with either party before a case begins. If a conflict of interest exists, the matter is reassigned. No mediator takes fees contingent on outcome.
Confidentiality Agreement
All parties sign a confidentiality agreement before the first session. Session notes and written records are stored securely and are not shared with any third party without written consent.
Continuing Professional Development
All practitioners attend at least forty hours of professional development annually, including updates on Thai labour law, mediation technique, and cross-cultural workplace practice.
Documented Process Records
Every session produces a written record agreed by both parties before the next session begins. This record is not a legal transcript, but a clear account of what was discussed and what was agreed.
Data Protection Compliance
Personal data collected during the mediation process is handled in accordance with Thailand's Personal Data Protection Act B.E. 2562 (PDPA). Parties are informed of how their data is stored and used.
Post-Session Review
After each programme concludes — whether by settlement or by the parties choosing to withdraw — we conduct an internal review to assess what worked well and where the process could be improved.
Labour Mediation in the Thai Workplace Context
Thailand's Labour Court system provides workers and employers with formal recourse, but proceedings there are, by design, adversarial. Both sides retain legal representatives, hearings are scheduled over many months, and a judge ultimately decides the outcome. For many workplace matters — particularly those involving ongoing employment relationships, collective concerns, or sensitive internal incidents — this framework produces more disruption than resolution.
Mediation, by contrast, is a process the parties control. It proceeds only as fast as both sides are comfortable with, and it ends only when the parties themselves decide — either by reaching a settlement or by concluding that no agreement is possible. No outcome is imposed. The mediator's role is to maintain a constructive conversation, not to judge the merits of either side's position.
thailand-ai-innovate's practitioners are familiar with the specific dynamics of Thai workplace culture — the importance of preserving face in a conversation, the particular pressures that arise in family-owned enterprises, and the differences in how a collective grievance is experienced by frontline staff compared with management. We bring that understanding to the table alongside a formal mediation methodology.
We work across a range of industries represented in Bangkok's economy: manufacturing, logistics, hospitality, finance, and professional services. Whether the matter involves two people or two hundred, we bring the same standard of care and the same commitment to a process that treats both sides with equal respect.
Speak with a member of our team
An initial conversation costs nothing but a little time. We are glad to describe what the process involves and whether it might suit your situation.
Request a Conversation