How disputes work

The five stages

Disputes follow a structured ladder, each with its own statutory grounding:

1. Open (CCC §472–474) · Either party files. Escrow freezes. T+0.
2. Negotiate (CCC §387 cure) · 30 days for the parties to settle directly with platform-mediated CRT-pattern position composer.
3. Mediate (CPC §20 ter) · 60 additional days. Trade specialist mediator engaged. Most disputes resolve here.
4. TAC (Arbitration Act §11) · Thai Arbitration Institute, seat Bangkok, language English. Binding award.
5. Court (CPC §172) · IP and International Trade Court for enforcement.

Evidence

Every uploaded artefact (photos, certificates, lab reports, communication transcripts) gets:

• An automatic Bates number (sequential identifier for legal citation)
• A SHA-256 hash chained back to the previous evidence row
• A timestamp and uploader identity in the audit log

Once submitted, evidence cannot be edited. Withdrawal is logged but the original remains in the chain.

Settlement offers

Up to 3 settlement-offer rounds. Each round can include:

• Buyer-side refund amount
• Supplier-side release amount
• Optional rework offer
• Expiry timestamp

The 3-round cap forces parties to make their best offer rather than negotiate indefinitely.

Enforcement

A Thai-seat arbitral award is enforceable in 170+ countries via the 1958 New York Convention (Thailand acceded 1959). Foreign awards are enforceable in Thai courts the same way.

What MPBxChange does NOT do

• We do not adjudicate the dispute outcome — mediators and arbitrators do.
• We do not represent either party — both should engage their own counsel.
• We do not award damages — the arbitrator does.
• We freeze escrow during the proceeding; we do not control the outcome.

Practical tips

1. File early. The 30-day negotiation window starts at filing. Don't wait until the buyer cools off.
2. Upload everything at filing. Mediator's first review is fastest when the package is complete.
3. Use the position composer (CRT structured pattern). Free-form narrative loses to structured facts/clauses-cited/relief-sought every time.
4. Don't communicate outside the platform during a dispute. Off-platform messages aren't part of the audit trail.