Article 179 — Amendment of complaint or answer
Texte légal (original thaï)
โจทก์หรือจำเลยจะแก้ไขข้อหา ข้อต่อสู้ข้ออ้าง หรือข้อเถียง อันกล่าวไว้ในคำฟ้องหรือคำให้การที่เสนอต่อศาลแต่แรกก็ได้การแก้ไขนั้น โดยเฉพาะอาจเป็นการแก้ไขในข้อต่อไปนี้
(๑) เพิ่ม หรือลด จำนวนทุนทรัพย์ หรือราคาทรัพย์สินที่พิพาทในฟ้องเดิม หรือ
(๒) สละข้อหาในฟ้องเดิมเสียบางข้อ หรือเพิ่มเติมฟ้องเดิมให้บริบูรณ์โดยวิธีเสนอคำฟ้องเพิ่มเติม หรือเสนอคำฟ้องเพื่อคุ้มครองสิทธิของตนในระหว่างการพิจารณาหรือเพื่อบังคับตามคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่ง หรือ
(๓) ยกข้อต่อสู้ขึ้นใหม่ เป็นข้อแก้ข้อหาเดิม หรือที่ยื่นภายหลัง หรือเปลี่ยนแปลงแก้ไขข้ออ้าง หรือข้อเถียงเพื่อสนับสนุนข้อหา หรือเพื่อหักล้างข้อหาของคู่ความอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งแต่ห้ามมิให้คู่ความฝ่ายใดเสนอคำฟ้องใดต่อศาล ไม่ว่าโดยวิธีฟ้องเพิ่มเติมหรือฟ้องแย้ง ภายหลังที่ได้ยื่นคำฟ้องเดิมต่อศาลแล้ว เว้นแต่คำฟ้องเดิมและคำฟ้องภายหลังนี้จะเกี่ยวข้องกันพอที่จะรวมการพิจารณาและชี้ขาดตัดสินเข้าด้วยกันได้
traduction anglaise
The plaintiff or the defendant may amend the claim, the defence, the allegation, or the argument stated in the complaint or the answer originally submitted to the court. Such amendment may in particular be an amendment of the following: (1) increasing or reducing the amount of the sum in dispute or the value of the property in dispute in the original complaint; or (2) abandoning some of the claims in the original complaint, or supplementing the original complaint to make it complete by submitting a supplementary complaint, or submitting a complaint to protect one's rights during the proceedings or to enforce a judgment or order; or (3) raising a new defence to answer the original claim or one submitted later, or altering the allegation or argument in support of a claim or to rebut the claim of the other party. However, no party shall submit any complaint to the court, whether by way of a supplementary complaint or a counterclaim, after the original complaint has been submitted to the court, unless the original complaint and this later complaint are connected closely enough to be tried and adjudicated together.
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 179 defines the permissible scope of amending a complaint or answer and lists typical amendments: adjusting the sum in dispute, abandoning or supplementing claims, and raising new defences or arguments. Its final paragraph is a gatekeeper: a party cannot use a supplementary complaint or counterclaim to introduce a fresh claim after the original filing unless the two are connected closely enough to be tried together. What amendment is allowed under this section is distinct from when and how it must be applied for, which Section 180 governs, and from the procedural safeguards in Section 181. Courts read the connexity test broadly, allowing amendments that flow from the conduct already sued upon.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
Amendment is a powerful tool, but its limits are strict. You can usually increase or reduce the amount claimed, drop weak claims, or sharpen your arguments, and courts tend to allow amendments that grow out of the same facts already in the case. What you cannot do is smuggle in a genuinely new and unrelated claim after filing. Because whether an amendment is allowed and when it must be filed are separate questions, plan amendments early and pair this section with the timing rule in Section 180.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4269/2565 (2022)
Where new damage to the same building is discovered, the plaintiff may amend to increase the sum in dispute in the original complaint, and because the original and later complaints are connected enough to be tried together, the amendment is proper under Section 179 (1), (2) and its final paragraph, together with Section 180.
After an engineer found increased damage to the plaintiff's school building before the evidence hearing, the Court held the amendment adding to the sum in dispute was proper, the original and later claims being closely connected.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3365/2558 (2015)
An amendment that arises from the same conduct already sued upon is connected with the original complaint and may be tried together with it under Section 179. Amendment is not confined only to abandoning some original claims or supplementing the complaint to make it complete.
The plaintiff, unable to use disputed land in a land-reform zone, amended to claim damages arising from the same conduct. The Court held the amendment connected with the original claim and properly allowed, rejecting a narrow reading of permissible amendment.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 8036/2561 (2018)
Where a later complaint is connected with the original claim, it should be accepted and tried together with the original, even if the trial court viewed the amendment as adding new grounds and relief beyond Section 179 (1) and (2).
The trial and appellate courts rejected the plaintiff's amendment as adding new grounds and relief. The Supreme Court reversed and ordered the later complaint accepted and tried together with the original.
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 change the amount I am claiming after filing in Thailand?
Yes. Section 179 (1) expressly allows increasing or reducing the sum or property value in dispute in the original complaint, subject to the timing and procedure of Sections 180 and 181.
Can a new claim be added after the case has started?
Only if it is closely connected to the original complaint so the two can be tried together. An unrelated new claim cannot be added by amendment or counterclaim and must be filed separately.
Is amendment limited to dropping claims or completing the complaint?
No. Courts have held that amendment is not confined to those examples. Any amendment that grows out of the facts already sued upon and is connected to the original claim may be allowed.