Article 34 — Proceedings involving foreign officials
Texte légal (original thaï)
ถ้าจะต้องดำเนินกระบวนพิจารณาทั้งเรื่องหรือแต่บางส่วน โดยทางอาศัยหรือโดยร้องขอต่อเจ้าหน้าที่ในเมืองต่างประเทศ เมื่อไม่มีข้อตกลงระหว่างประเทศอย่างใดอย่างหนึ่ง หรือไม่มีกฎหมายบัญญัติไว้สำหรับเรื่องนั้นแล้ว ให้ศาลปฏิบัติตามหลักทั่วไปแห่งกฎหมายระหว่างประเทศ
traduction anglaise
If any proceedings, in whole or in part, must be conducted by resort to, or by request to, officials in a foreign country, then, where there is no international agreement of any kind and no law provides for such a matter, the court shall follow the general principles of international law.
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 34 is a residual, gap-filling rule for cross-border procedural steps, such as taking evidence or serving documents through foreign officials. Its structure is hierarchical: an applicable international agreement or specific domestic law governs first, and only where neither exists does the court fall back on the general principles of international law. The provision presupposes a case the court has actually taken up; it does not, by itself, confer jurisdiction over a foreign-domiciled defendant, which is governed by the jurisdiction and venue rules elsewhere in the Code. It therefore operates as machinery for conducting proceedings that already properly exist, not as a source of jurisdiction.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
This Section matters in cases with a foreign element, for example where a witness, party, or document sits abroad and a procedural step must run through foreign authorities. Before relying on it, confirm whether a treaty or specific law already covers the step, since those take priority. Keep in mind that Section 34 does not solve a jurisdiction problem: if the Thai court cannot properly take the case, for instance against a defendant domiciled abroad who never entered Thailand and where the plaint has not been accepted, this Section cannot be invoked. A cross-border matter is worth an early consultation with a Thai lawyer.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 786/2524 (1981)
Section 34 cannot be applied where the court has not yet accepted the plaint; and a Thai court has no power to entertain a divorce action against a defendant of French nationality domiciled in France who never entered Thailand, even if the cause of action arose within Thailand.
In a divorce suit against a French national domiciled in France who had not entered Thailand, the Court held the Thai court had no power to accept the plaint even though the cause of action arose within its area, so the case did not fall under Section 4(3). Because the court had not yet accepted the plaint, Section 34 could not be applied.
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
How does a Thai court handle a step that must go through foreign officials?
Under Section 34 the court applies any international agreement or specific law on the subject; if none exists, it follows the general principles of international law.
Does Section 34 give the court jurisdiction over a foreign defendant?
No. Section 34 is machinery for conducting cross-border procedural steps in a case the court has already taken up; it does not by itself confer jurisdiction, and cannot be invoked where the court has not accepted the plaint.