Thai Legal Studies: An Editorial for the Inaugural Issue (original) (raw)
Thai legal studies present a growing field of study in English-language academic literature. Academic work by Thai scholars and international scholars who work on Thailand is now appearing in many places, and several books have appeared in recent times. 1 This field has now reached a level of activity and maturity that merits an academic journal in English. The so-called "pivot to Asia" has embraced work on China and India. Both of these countries have specialised academic journals in English devoted to their law and legal development, and we believe Southeast Asia is the next focus for comparative work. It is also significant that Thai law contains both civil law and common law components, and is increasingly eclectic in its models for law reform. We believe the pages of this journal will bear out this assertion. Moreover, as a middle-income developing country, Thailand provides a model for law and development and for regional integration. Thailand is also a major Southeast Asian economy and a centre of gravity of ASEAN, possessing a legal system growing rapidly in scope and sophistication. For example, legislation recently has been passed to rationalise and improve the law-making process, 2 and Thailand is also experimenting with the trust, a common law device. 3 Thailand's growing connections and relations with the international community ensure a wide audience for our new journal, as the development of law in Thailand is open to international and regional influences. This is being reflected in academic research as well as other areas, such as judicial and legal professional training programmes.
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