Article 165: Limits of duress: lawful threats and reverential fear
Statutory text (Thai original)
การขู่ว่าจะใช้สิทธิตามปกตินิยม ไม่ถือว่าเป็นการข่มขู่การใดที่กระทำไปเพราะนับถือยำเกรง ไม่ถือว่าการนั้นได้กระทำเพราะถูกข่มขู่
Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State
English translation
The threat of the normal exercise of a right is not considered duress. Any act made owning to reverential fear is not considered an act made under duress.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 165 is part of Book 1 (General Principles) of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code. This entry is awaiting firm-authored commentary; the statutory text above is verbatim from the Office of the Council of State (OCS Krisdika) Thai source, with the English translation from the FAO/UN FAOLEX repository. Always rely on the Thai original for legal proceedings.
Why this matters in practice
For lawyers: a creditor who threatens to sue unless a debt is paid is exercising a right, not committing duress. For laypersons: agreeing to a contract because you respect or feel obligated to a parent or employer does not let you void it on grounds of duress.
Legislative history
Part of the original Civil and Commercial Code codification; no major subsequent amendment.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 6476/2547 (2004)
The words used in the prescription provisions changed when the Code was revised. A state enterprise established to produce, supply and sell piped water, and to carry on other business connected with waterworks, is NOT a merchant in the narrower sense of the word used in the FORMER section 165(1). It is a trader within the broader expression used in section 193/34(1), which replaced that wording, and its claims fall to be treated accordingly for prescription purposes. Note on placement: the provision construed is the FORMER section 165. The section 165 now in force is a different provision, defining the duress that makes a declaration of intention voidable.
The plaintiff was a state enterprise established under the Metropolitan Waterworks Authority Act B.E. 2510, section 6 of which gives it the objects of producing, supplying and selling piped water in Bangkok, Nonthaburi and Samut Prakan, and of carrying on other business connected with or beneficial to waterworks. The Supreme Court held that it therefore has the object of selling piped water and of carrying on business connected with waterworks. The expression trader in section 193/34(1) is a change of wording from the expression used in the former section 165(1), and although the plaintiff is not a merchant in that narrower sense it is a trader within section 193/34(1).
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Cited in 280 Supreme Court decisions (1952 to 2023)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 4557/2566 (2023)
- Décision 5426/2553 (2010)
- Décision 6281/2550 (2007)
- Decision 1962/2548 (2005)
- Decision 6476/2547 (2004)
- Décision 918/2544 (2001)
- Décision 8462/2542 (1999)
- Decision 6364/2541 (1998)
Cette liste est sélectionnée automatiquement, en privilégiant les jugements qui reposent sur cet article plutôt que sur ceux qui se contentent de le citer lors du prononcé de la peine. Elle n'a pas encore été examinée par le cabinet.
Le plus souvent cité aux côtés de
- Article 164 86
- Article 172 26
- Article 166 17
- Article 193/34 14
- Art. 172 du Code pénal thaïlandais 9
- Article 169 9
Sections qui apparaissent le plus souvent dans les mêmes jugements que celui-ci. Le chiffre correspond au nombre de décisions.
Calculé sur l'ensemble du corpus de 83 652 décisions de la Cour suprême du cabinet, de 1921 à 2026. Le décompte est exhaustif ; la plage d'années indiquée élimine les valeurs aberrantes rares afin de refléter la répartition réelle des citations. Ces chiffres sont calculés par nos soins et ne constituent pas des statistiques officielles de la Cour. Comment nous les comptons et ce que nous avons mesuré
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Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Civil and Commercial Code, s. 165 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Civil and Commercial Code (Thailand), s. 165. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-code/section-165/ (accessed 30 août 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.พ.พ. มาตรา 165 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-code/section-165/ -
Intégrer sur votre site
<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-code/section-165/"><p>La menace de l'exercice normal d'un droit n'est pas considérée comme une contrainte. Tout acte accompli sous l'effet d'une crainte respectueuse n'est pas considéré comme un acte accompli sous la contrainte.</p><footer>Civil and Commercial Code, s. 165 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-code/section-165/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.