Article 188: Non-contentious cases
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในคดีที่ไม่มีข้อพิพาท ให้ใช้ข้อบังคับต่อไปนี้
(๑) ให้เริ่มคดีโดยยื่นคำร้องขอต่อศาล
(๒) ศาลอาจเรียกพยานมาสืบได้เองตามที่เห็นจำเป็นและวินิจฉัยชี้ขาดตามที่เห็นสมควรและยุติธรรม
(๓) ทางแก้แห่งคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งของศาลนั้นให้ใช้ได้แต่โดยวิธียื่นอุทธรณ์หรือฎีกาเท่านั้น และให้อุทธรณ์ฎีกาได้แต่เฉพาะในสองกรณีต่อไปนี้(ก) ถ้าศาลได้ยกคำร้องขอของคู่ความฝ่ายที่เริ่มคดีเสียทั้งหมดหรือแต่บางส่วน หรือ(ข) ในเหตุที่มิได้ปฏิบัติตามบทบัญญัติแห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ว่าด้วยการพิจารณาหรือพิพากษาหรือคำสั่ง
(๔) ถ้าบุคคลอื่นใดนอกจากคู่ความที่ได้ยื่นฟ้องคดีอันไม่มีข้อพิพาทได้เข้ามาเกี่ยวข้องในคดีโดยตรงหรือโดยอ้อม ให้ถือว่าบุคคลเช่นว่ามานี้เป็นคู่ความ และให้ดำเนินคดีไปตามบทบัญญัติแห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ว่าด้วยคดีอันมีข้อพิพาท แต่ในคดีที่ยื่นคำร้องขอต่อศาล เพื่อให้ศาลมีคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งให้คำอนุญาตที่ผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมได้ปฏิเสธเสีย หรือให้ศาลมีคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งถอนคืนคำอนุญาตอันได้ให้ไว้แก่ผู้ไร้ความสามารถนั้น ให้ถือว่าเป็นคดีไม่มีข้อพิพาท แม้ถึงว่าผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมหรือผู้ไร้ความสามารถนั้นจะได้มาศาล และแสดงข้อคัดค้านในการให้คำอนุญาตหรือถอนคืนคำอนุญาตเช่นว่านั้น
English translation
In a non-contentious case, the following provisions shall apply:
(1) The case shall be commenced by submitting a petition to the court.
(2) The court may of its own motion summon witnesses to give evidence as it thinks necessary, and adjudicate as it thinks fit and just.
(3) A remedy against the judgment or order of the court may be pursued only by way of appeal or further appeal (dika), and such appeal or further appeal is allowed only in the following two cases: (a) if the court has dismissed the petition of the party who commenced the case, wholly or in part; or (b) on the ground of failure to comply with the provisions of this Code concerning the proceedings, the judgment, or the order.
(4) If any person other than the party who has filed the non-contentious case becomes involved in the case, directly or indirectly, such person shall be deemed a party, and the case shall proceed under the provisions of this Code concerning contentious cases. However, in a case where a petition is submitted to the court for a judgment or order granting a consent that the statutory representative has refused, or for a judgment or order revoking a consent given to an incompetent person, it shall be deemed a non-contentious case, even though the statutory representative or the incompetent person appears before the court and raises an objection to the granting or revocation of such consent.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 188 governs non-contentious cases, where a person exercises a right through the court without an opposing defendant, commonly petitions to be appointed estate administrator, to prove a will, or for status matters. It requires commencement by petition (1), gives the court an inquisitorial power to summon evidence (2), narrowly limits appeals (3), and provides in (4) that a third person who becomes involved is deemed a party so that the case proceeds as contentious, subject to the express carve out in the same limb: a petition for the court to grant a consent that the statutory representative has refused, or to revoke a consent given to an incompetent person, remains non-contentious even though the representative or the incompetent person appears and raises an objection. It works together with section 55, the general provision on the right to bring a matter to court. The case law confirms that in a purely non-contentious petition there is no requirement to serve a summons or copy of the petition on anyone.
Why this matters in practice
Non-contentious procedure matters most in estate and probate work: appointing an administrator, proving a will, or dealing with an incompetent person's affairs. Note two traps: the court can call its own evidence, and appeal rights are limited to a dismissed petition or a procedural breach. If someone contests your petition, expect the case to become a full contentious dispute, with one statutory exception: an application to grant a consent the statutory representative has refused, or to revoke a consent given to an incompetent person, stays non-contentious even if that person appears and objects. See our inheritance guide for foreigners.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 1282/2568 (2025)
In a non-contentious case, a person becomes a party under section 188(4) only by actually becoming involved in the case, directly or indirectly; merely being served with notice and given a chance to object does not, by itself, make that person a party.
Although the person had been duly served with notice of the hearing and given an opportunity to object, because they never became involved in the non-contentious case they could not be deemed a party under section 188.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 3591/2565 (2022)
Where a third person enters a non-contentious case and raises a dispute, here by contesting a will, section 188(4) requires the case to proceed thereafter as a contentious case.
In a probate-type petition, an objector alleged the will was void for fraud and mistake and that the petitioners were not heirs; the court ordered the matter to proceed as a contentious case under section 188(4).
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 3504/2564 (2021)
In a non-contentious case commenced by petition under sections 55 and 188, here to rely on a will, the Civil Procedure Code contains no requirement to serve a summons or a copy of the petition on any person.
The petitioners proceeded as a non-contentious case relying on a will; the court held there is no requirement to serve any summons or copy of the petition on interested persons in such proceedings.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Cited in 57 Supreme Court decisions (1951 to 2025)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Décision 1282/2568 (2025)
- Décision 3297/2567 (2024)
- Decision 3591/2565 (2022)
- Decision 3504/2564 (2021)
- Decision 2714/2562 (2019)
- Decision 3771/2562 (2019)
- Decision 730/2562 (2019)
- Decision 6653/2561 (2018)
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 55 24
- Code civil et commercial thaïlandais, art. 1382 18
- Article 145 6
- Article 172 6
- Article 27 5
- Article 246 5
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
Foire aux questions
Qu'est-ce qu'une affaire non contentieuse en Thaïlande ?
Il s'agit d'une affaire unilatérale sans défendeur adverse, initiée par une requête en vertu de l'article 188, comme par exemple demander à être nommé administrateur de succession ou à prouver un testament.
Dois-je signifier une pétition non litigieuse à qui que ce soit ?
Les tribunaux ont jugé qu'une requête purement non contentieuse n'a pas besoin de signifier une assignation ou une copie de la requête à quiconque en vertu de l'article 188.
Et si quelqu'un s'oppose à ma pétition ?
Under section 188(4), a person who becomes involved directly or indirectly is deemed a party, and the matter proceeds as a contentious case. The same limb makes one exception: a petition asking the court to grant a consent the statutory representative has refused, or to revoke a consent given to an incompetent person, stays non-contentious even though that person comes to court and objects.
Guides connexes sur ThaiLawOnline
Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Civil Procedure Code, s. 188 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Civil Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 188. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-188/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.พ. มาตรา 188 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-188/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-188/"><p>In a non-contentious case, the following provisions shall apply: (1) The case shall be commenced by submitting a petition to the court. (2) The court may of its own motion summon witnesses to give evidence as it thinks necessary, and adjudicate as it thinks fit…</p><footer>Civil Procedure Code, s. 188 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-188/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.