Article 155 — Right to apply for fee waiver
Texte légal (original thaï)
คู่ความซึ่งไม่สามารถเสียค่าธรรมเนียมศาลอาจยื่นคำร้องต่อศาลขอให้ยกเว้นค่าธรรมเนียมศาลในการฟ้องหรือต่อสู้คดีในศาลชั้นต้นหรือชั้นอุทธรณ์หรือชั้นฎีกาตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๑๕๖ และมาตรา ๑๕๖/๑
traduction anglaise
A party who is unable to pay court fees may file an application with the court for exemption from court fees in bringing or defending an action in the Court of First Instance, the Court of Appeal, or the Supreme Court (Dika), as prescribed in Section 156 and Section 156/1.
Cette traduction anglaise est fournie à titre indicatif uniquement et n'a pas encore été vérifiée de manière définitive ; référez-vous toujours à l'original thaï.
Annotation de l'entreprise
Section 155 states the basic right to apply for exemption from court fees, replacing the former pauper-litigation (anatha) regime with a broader waiver open to any party who cannot pay, whether as plaintiff or defendant, and at every level from the trial court up to the Supreme Court. It is the gateway provision: the mechanics of applying are in Section 156 and the criteria and decision, including the possibility of a partial waiver and a right of appeal, are in Section 156/1. The waiver reaches court fees and the deposits associated with them, and courts apply the section, together with Section 156, by analogy in specialised jurisdictions such as labour and consumer cases where their governing statutes so allow.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
If the court fee is beyond your means, you are not shut out of court: Section 155 lets you ask for a waiver whether you are the one suing or the one being sued, and at the appeal and Dika stages too. Note that a waiver covers court fees, not every sum you may have to put up, so in some cases money you owe the other side under a lower judgment still has to be lodged. If cost is your main barrier to bringing or defending a claim, a short consultation with a Thai lawyer can confirm whether you are likely to qualify.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1932/2568 (2025)
The exemption applied for under Sections 155 and 156 covers only court fees; it does not cover money that must be lodged to reimburse the opposing party under the trial court's judgment, which is not a court fee.
In a consumer case where the defendant owed no court fee on appeal but had to lodge the sum to reimburse the plaintiff under the trial judgment, the Supreme Court held that the waiver of court fees under Sections 155 and 156, applied by analogy, reaches court fees only, not that reimbursement sum.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2070/2562 (2019)
Sections 155 and 156 on waiver of court fees can be applied by analogy in a labour case, as the most closely applicable law, to address the fairness of requiring an employer to deposit money to bring its case.
An employer challenged a rule requiring it alone to deposit money before suing. The court considered that Sections 155 and 156 on waiver, applied through the Act establishing the labour courts as the most closely applicable law, could be brought to bear on whether the deposit requirement was fair, allowing the employer to offer land as security.
Décisions sélectionnées avec numéros de dossier vérifiés dans la base de données de la Cour suprême. Les versions anglaises sont des traductions éditoriales réalisées par le cabinet à des fins d'étude.
Foire aux questions
Can I go to court in Thailand if I cannot afford the court fees?
Yes. Section 155 lets a party who is unable to pay court fees apply for a waiver, whether bringing or defending a case, at the trial, appeal or Dika level, following Sections 156 and 156/1.
Does a fee waiver cover everything I must pay to the court?
Not necessarily. The waiver covers court fees, but courts have held it does not cover certain other sums, such as money you must lodge to reimburse the other party under a lower court's judgment.