Article 202 — Plaintiff default strikes the case
Texte légal (original thaï)
ถ้าโจทก์ขาดนัดพิจารณา ให้ศาลมีคำสั่งจำหน่ายคดีนั้นเสียจากสารบบความ เว้นแต่จำเลยจะได้แจ้งต่อศาลในวันสืบพยานขอให้ดำเนินการพิจารณาคดีต่อไป ก็ให้ศาลพิจารณาและชี้ขาดตัดสินคดีนั้นไปฝ่ายเดียว
traduction anglaise
If the plaintiff defaults of appearance, the court shall order that the case be struck out of the case register, unless the defendant notifies the court on the day of taking evidence requesting that the proceedings continue, in which case the court shall try and adjudicate the case ex parte.
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 202 sits in Part 2 (Default of Appearance) of the chapter on ordinary procedure and governs the consequence of the plaintiff's default at trial. The default rule is dismissal from the register, reflecting that a plaintiff who abandons the hearing forfeits the momentum of the suit. The exception hands the initiative to the defendant, who may insist the court decide the merits ex parte rather than let the plaintiff walk away. The order to strike out is closely tied to Section 203, which bars an appeal against it but preserves the right to refile subject to prescription, and to Section 205 on defective service of the hearing summons.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
For a plaintiff, missing the evidence hearing is costly: the case is struck and, under Supreme Court authority, the earlier filing is treated as never having interrupted prescription, so a time-barred claim cannot be revived by refiling. If you are the plaintiff, calendar the hearing date and appear or seek a postponement in advance. If you are the defendant, decide before the hearing whether striking the case out or pressing for an ex parte judgment better serves you. Understand how a Thai court hearing works before your trial date.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 6751/2561 (2018)
Where a case ends by being struck out because the creditor plaintiff defaulted of appearance under Section 202, that dismissal is treated like abandonment akin to withdrawal, so prescription is deemed never to have been interrupted under Civil and Commercial Code Section 193/17 paragraph one.
The creditor's suit on an insurance contract was struck out because the creditor defaulted of appearance under Section 202. The Supreme Court, by a plenary resolution, held that such a dismissal resembles abandonment, so the creditor gained no benefit from the earlier filing and prescription was deemed never to have stopped running.
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 1609/2560 (2017)
When the plaintiff defaults of appearance and the defendant states it does not wish to continue, the court must strike the case out under Section 202; because no ex parte trial then takes place, the plaintiff cannot later request a retrial and must instead refile.
The plaintiff failed to appear at the evidence hearing without leave and was deemed in default. As the defendant declined to continue, the Central Tax Court struck the case out under Section 202. The Supreme Court held that a request for a retrial requires an ex parte trial to have occurred, so the plaintiff's only remedy was to file a fresh action within the limitation period.
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 9375/2559 (2016)
The default provisions requiring the court to strike a case out under Section 202 apply to the hearing of the parties' dispute, not to a hearing on a motion to be substituted as judgment creditor at the enforcement stage.
A movant sought to be substituted as judgment creditor and failed to appear at the inquiry hearing. The Supreme Court held that the Section 202 default and strike-out rules did not apply, because the inquiry concerned substitution at the enforcement stage rather than the taking of evidence on the parties' underlying dispute.
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
What happens if the plaintiff does not show up at the hearing?
Under Section 202, the court orders the case struck out of the register, unless the defendant present at the evidence hearing asks the court to continue and decide the case ex parte.
Can a plaintiff refile after the case is struck out under Section 202?
Yes, Section 203 preserves the right to submit the plaint anew, but only subject to the law on prescription; the Supreme Court has held the original filing is treated as never having interrupted prescription.
Does default by the plaintiff mean the defendant automatically wins?
No. The case is normally struck out. Even if the defendant asks the court to proceed, Section 206 requires the court to be satisfied the surviving claims or defences have merit before deciding.