Pranburi Police strengthen community dispute mediation centre to help reduce court cases
Pranburi Police Station is working to enhance its Community Dispute Mediation Centre to help resolve local conflicts and reduce the number of court cases, following a meeting held on 29 October with representatives from Hua Hin Police Station’s mediation team.
Pol. Col. Hongprom Wisitchanachai, Superintendent of Pranburi Police Station, chaired the meeting alongside Pol. Lt. Col. Phichit Saengsirisutthisan, Deputy Superintendent (Investigation), and the station’s investigative officers. They were joined by Mr. Worapot Limakom, Chairman of the Community Dispute Mediation Centre at Hua Hin Police Station, and his team, who shared their experience in managing mediation cases efficiently.
Strengthening dispute resolution services
The discussion aimed to improve the operations of the Pranburi centre, aligning it with international standards and enhancing public access to mediation services. The centre assists residents in resolving minor criminal and civil disputes — including quarrels, assaults, fraud, inheritance, and land conflicts — through negotiation and compromise rather than legal proceedings.
To support this effort, Hua Hin Police Station will assign 10 officers to collaborate with their counterparts in Pranburi. The Hua Hin centre is recognised as a provincial model for effective mediation and will continue to mentor Pranburi in building capacity and operational structure.
During the visit, Pol. Col. Hongprom led the Hua Hin delegation on a tour of Pranburi Police Station’s facilities, where they discussed plans to appoint additional members and a new chairman for the local centre. The initiative aims to make mediation more accessible, efficient, and effective in addressing community disputes before they escalate into formal legal cases.
The establishment of community dispute mediation centres is part of a national policy by the Ministry of Justice to make the justice process more efficient and fair. Under this directive, the Royal Thai Police’s Office of Legal Affairs and Litigation has instructed all provinces to set up similar centres, enabling citizens to settle conflicts quickly and at minimal cost while reducing the burden on the courts.