Article 40 — Party's request to postpone a hearing
Texte légal (original thaï)
เมื่อศาลได้กำหนดวันนั่งพิจารณาและแจ้งให้คู่ความทราบแล้ว ถ้าคู่ความฝ่ายใดฝ่ายหนึ่งจะขอเลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณา คู่ความฝ่ายนั้นต้องเสนอคำขอเข้ามาก่อนหรือในวันนัดและแสดงเหตุผลแห่งการขอเลื่อนนั้น ในกรณีเช่นว่านี้ ห้ามมิให้ศาลมีคำสั่งอนุญาตตามคำขอ เว้นแต่การขอเลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณานั้นมีเหตุจำเป็นอันไม่อาจก้าวล่วงเสียได้ และหากศาลไม่อนุญาตจะทำให้เสียความยุติธรรม
เมื่อศาลจะสั่งให้เลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณา ศาลอาจสั่งให้คู่ความฝ่ายนั้นเสียค่าป่วยการพยาน ซึ่งมาศาลตามหมายเรียกและเสียค่าใช้จ่ายในการที่คู่ความฝ่ายอื่นมาศาล เช่น ค่าพาหนะเดินทางและค่าเช่าที่พักของตัวความ ทนายความ หรือพยาน เป็นต้น ตามจำนวนที่ศาลเห็นสมควร ถ้าคู่ความฝ่ายที่ขอเลื่อนคดีไม่ชำระค่าป่วยการหรือค่าใช้จ่ายตามที่ศาลกำหนด ให้ศาลยกคำขอเลื่อนคดีนั้นเสีย
ค่าป่วยการหรือค่าใช้จ่ายที่จ่ายตามวรรคสองให้ตกเป็นพับ
คำขอเลื่อนคดีตามวรรคหนึ่ง ถ้าไม่ได้เสนอต่อหน้าศาลด้วยวาจา ก็ให้ทำเป็นคำร้องและจะทำฝ่ายเดียวโดยได้รับอนุญาตจากศาลก็ได้
traduction anglaise
When the court has fixed the day for a hearing and has notified the parties thereof, if any party wishes to request a postponement of the hearing, that party must submit the request before or on the appointed day and state the grounds for the postponement. In such a case, the court is prohibited from granting the request unless the postponement is founded upon an unavoidable necessity and a refusal would occasion a failure of justice. When the court is to order a postponement of the hearing, the court may order that party to pay the witness allowance of witnesses who have attended the court under a summons, and the expenses incurred by the other party in attending the court, such as travelling costs and lodging expenses of the party, counsel, or witnesses, in such amount as the court thinks fit. If the party requesting the postponement fails to pay the allowance or expenses as fixed by the court, the court shall dismiss that request for postponement. The allowance or expenses paid under paragraph two shall lie where they fall. A request for postponement under paragraph one, if not made orally before the court, shall be made in the form of a motion, and it may be made ex parte with the leave of the court.
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 40 governs postponements requested by a party, as opposed to those the court grants on its own under sections 38 and 39. Its purpose is to keep proceedings moving without undue delay: the request must be made before or on the appointed day with stated grounds, and the court is expressly forbidden to grant it unless there is an unavoidable necessity and a refusal would cause a failure of justice. Paragraph two allows the court to impose the wasted witness allowances and the other party's attendance expenses on the party seeking the delay, and to dismiss the request if those sums are not paid. A request not made orally in court must be in the form of a motion, which may be heard ex parte with leave. It works closely with section 41, which adds a specific mechanism for postponements grounded on illness.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
Do not assume a postponement will be granted just because you ask: the court applies a strict test, and vague reasons such as being busy or travelling abroad usually fail. If you genuinely cannot proceed, file the request early, in writing where possible, and support it with concrete proof of the unavoidable necessity. Be aware you may be ordered to pay the other side's witness allowances and travel and lodging costs, and if you do not pay, the request is dismissed and the hearing goes ahead. A Thai lawyer can present the request in a way that meets the statutory standard and can appear for you if you cannot attend in person; you can arrange a consultation with a Thai lawyer before your hearing date.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3997/2562 (2019)
Section 40 paragraph one is intended to prevent delay: the court is forbidden to allow a postponement unless there is an unavoidable necessity and a refusal would cause a failure of justice, and each party must be ready with its evidence on the appointed date.
The Supreme Court explained that every party must prepare and bring its witnesses to finish within the appointed date, and if a party cannot, it must inform the court of the obstacle and how it will be resolved, or the court may refuse the postponement. Section 40 paragraph one is intended to keep proceedings prompt, forbidding a postponement absent an unavoidable necessity where refusal would cause injustice. The plaintiff's ground, that a director had to travel abroad for business talks, was weighed against that standard.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 376/2561 (2018)
A postponement sought only on the ground that an authorised representative could not attend because of other business, without any unavoidable necessity, does not meet section 40 paragraph one, and the court may properly refuse it.
On the date fixed to inquire into the applicant's motion, the applicant sought a postponement stating only that the sub-authorised representative could not attend because he was occupied with other business, with no showing of any unavoidable necessity. The trial court refused the postponement because the ground did not satisfy section 40 paragraph one, applied through section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Supreme Court treated the refusal as proper.
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 hard is it to get a hearing postponed in Thailand?
It is not automatic. Under section 40, the court may grant a party's request only if there is an unavoidable necessity and refusing would cause a failure of justice. Weak reasons such as simply being busy are usually rejected.
Can I be ordered to pay costs if I ask to postpone?
Yes. Under section 40 paragraph two, the court may order the party seeking the postponement to pay the witness allowances and the other side's attendance expenses, and if you do not pay, the request is dismissed and the hearing proceeds.
How do I make the request if I cannot state it in court?
Under section 40 paragraph four, a postponement request not made orally before the court must be in the form of a motion, and it may be made ex parte with the court's leave. File it before or on the appointed day with your grounds.