Article 46 — Thai language, translations, interpreters
Texte légal (original thaï)
บรรดากระบวนพิจารณาเกี่ยวด้วยการพิจารณาและการชี้ขาดตัดสินคดีแพ่งทั้งหลายซึ่งศาลเป็นผู้ทำนั้น ให้ทำเป็นภาษาไทยบรรดาคำคู่ความและเอกสารหรือแผ่นกระดาษไม่ว่าอย่างใด ๆ ที่คู่ความหรือศาลหรือเจ้าพนักงานศาลได้ทำขึ้นซึ่งประกอบเป็นสำนวนของคดีนั้น ให้เขียนเป็นหนังสือไทยและเขียนด้วยหมึกหรือดีดพิมพ์หรือตีพิมพ์ ถ้ามีผิดตกที่ใดห้ามมิให้ขูดลบออก แต่ให้ขีดฆ่าเสียแล้วเขียนลงใหม่และผู้เขียนต้องลงชื่อไว้ที่ริมกระดาษ ถ้ามีข้อความตกเติมให้ผู้ตกเติมลงลายมือชื่อ หรือลงชื่อย่อไว้เป็นสำคัญถ้าต้นฉบับเอกสารหรือแผ่นกระดาษไม่ว่าอย่างใด ๆ ที่ส่งต่อศาลได้ทำขึ้นเป็นภาษาต่างประเทศ ให้ศาลสั่งคู่ความฝ่ายที่ส่งให้ทำคำแปลทั้งฉบับหรือเฉพาะแต่ส่วนสำคัญ โดยมีคำรับรองมายื่นเพื่อแนบไว้กับต้นฉบับถ้าคู่ความฝ่ายใดหรือบุคคลใดที่มาศาลไม่เข้าใจภาษาไทย หรือเป็นใบ้หรือหูหนวกและอ่านเขียนหนังสือไม่ได้ ให้ให้คู่ความฝ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องจัดหาล่าม
traduction anglaise
All proceedings relating to the trial and adjudication of civil cases that are conducted by the court shall be done in the Thai language. All pleadings and documents or papers of any kind whatsoever made by the parties, the court, or court officials which form the case file shall be written in the Thai language and written in ink, typewritten, or printed. If there is any error or omission, it shall not be erased; instead it shall be struck through and rewritten, and the writer must sign at the margin of the paper. If there is any interlineation, the person making it shall sign or initial it as authentication. If the original of a document or paper of any kind whatsoever submitted to the court has been made in a foreign language, the court shall order the party submitting it to provide a translation of the whole or only of the essential parts, together with a certification, to be filed and attached to the original. If any party or any person appearing before the court does not understand the Thai language, or is mute or deaf and cannot read or write, the party concerned shall provide an interpreter.
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 46 fixes the language and form of civil proceedings and the case file. Court proceedings and all pleadings, documents, and papers forming the file must be in Thai and produced in ink, typewriting, or print, with corrections struck through and initialled rather than erased. Paragraph three is the practically important rule on foreign-language documents: they need not always be translated, but the court may order the submitting party to file a certified translation, of the whole or of the essential parts, attached to the original. Paragraph four places the duty of arranging an interpreter on the party concerned where a party or person does not understand Thai or is mute or deaf and cannot read or write. The provision is frequently applied through the procedure statutes of specialised courts, such as tax, labour, and intellectual property courts.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
For foreigners this section matters twice over. First, on documents: a contract, bank statement, or email in English is not automatically excluded, but if the court orders a translation and you do not supply a certified one, the document may not be relied on, so translate key evidence early. Second, on language in the courtroom: if you do not understand Thai, you are responsible for arranging an interpreter, and courts conduct proceedings in Thai. Our article on courtroom interpreters explains how this works in practice. Plan translations and interpreting well before the hearing so admissibility problems do not surprise you.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4725/2565 (2022)
A party may submit foreign-language documents to the court without always providing a Thai translation; a translation is required only if the court so orders under section 46 paragraph three, and such documents may otherwise be admitted as evidence.
The plaintiff submitted documents in a foreign language without a Thai translation. The Supreme Court held that a party may submit foreign-language documentary evidence without always translating it into Thai, except where the court orders a translation under section 46 paragraph three, applied through section 17 of the Act on Establishment of and Procedure for Tax Courts. The documents could therefore be admitted as the plaintiff's evidence.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5554/2561 (2018)
Foreign-language documents need not always be translated in full; where the essential parts are translated and the documents are used together with other evidence, the court may admit them under section 46 paragraph three.
Documents recording deposits and withdrawals were partly in English but carried translations of their essential parts, namely the transaction dates, effective dates, withdrawals, deposits, and balances. The Supreme Court reiterated that submitting foreign-language documents to the court does not always require a full Thai translation unless the court orders one under section 46 paragraph three. As the documents were only part of the evidence and their essential parts were translated sufficiently for the court to find the facts, they could be admitted as the plaintiff's evidence.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 7189/2562 (2019)
An English-language document filed without any translation, contrary to section 46 paragraph three, cannot be relied on to prove the content it is said to contain.
The defendant's inspection report was in English but the defendant filed no translation with the court, contrary to section 46 paragraph three. The Supreme Court held that the document could not be relied on to establish whether its content was confidential. Accordingly, the plaintiff's testimony was accepted, that the material was merely a routine training evaluation and not a special business or trade secret.
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
Do foreign-language documents have to be translated into Thai for court?
Not always. Under section 46 paragraph three, a party may submit a foreign-language document without a Thai translation unless the court orders one. If the court orders a translation, it must be certified and attached to the original, or the document may not be relied on.
What if I do not understand Thai in a Thai court?
Under section 46 paragraph four, if a party or person appearing does not understand Thai, or is mute or deaf and cannot read or write, the party concerned must provide an interpreter. Proceedings themselves are conducted in Thai.