Article 76: Substitute recipient at the address
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อเจ้าพนักงานศาลไม่พบคู่ความหรือบุคคลที่จะส่งคำคู่ความหรือเอกสาร ณ ภูมิลำเนาหรือสำนักทำการงานของบุคคลนั้น ๆ ถ้าได้ส่งคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารให้แก่บุคคลใด ๆ ที่มีอายุเกินยี่สิบปี ซึ่งอยู่หรือทำงานในบ้านเรือนหรือที่สำนักทำการงานที่ปรากฏว่าเป็นของคู่ความหรือบุคคลนั้น หรือได้ส่งคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารนั้นตามข้อความในคำสั่งของศาล ให้ถือว่าเป็นการเพียงพอที่จะฟังว่าได้มีการส่งคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารถูกต้องตามกฎหมายแล้วในกรณีเช่นว่ามานี้ การส่งคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารแก่คู่ความฝ่ายใด ห้ามมิให้ส่งแก่คู่ความฝ่ายปรปักษ์เป็นผู้รับไว้แทน
English translation
When a court officer does not find the party or the person on whom a pleading or document is to be served at the domicile or place of business of that person, then if the pleading or document is served on any person over twenty years of age who is present at, or works in, the dwelling or place of business that appears to belong to the party or person, or if the pleading or document is served in accordance with the terms of a court order, this shall be regarded as sufficient to hold that the pleading or document has been lawfully served. In such a case, in serving a pleading or document on one party, it is prohibited to allow the adverse party to be the one who receives it on that party's behalf.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 76 provides substituted service on a person at the address when the intended recipient is not found. Two requirements protect its validity: the substitute must be over twenty years of age and must actually reside or work at the dwelling or place of business appearing to belong to the party, and the adverse party can never be the substitute recipient. Read with Section 73 bis, the same rule governs registered mail, so a signature by a qualifying household member or employee completes service and starts time running, for example the fifteen day period to file an answer. This is one of the six sections that qualify ordinary service under Section 74.
Why this matters in practice
For defendants, note that a summons handed to an adult relative or employee at your home or office is valid service even if you never personally received it, and the deadline to answer starts then. Check who signed for court mail and when, because a late answer is often traced to a family member who kept the summons quiet. If you were served this way and missed a deadline, act fast; an online consultation with a Thai lawyer can assess your options.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 5741/2559 (2016)
Delivery of a court notice at the party's domicile to a household member over twenty years of age is lawful service under Section 76 paragraph one, read with Section 73 bis for registered mail.
The postal officer delivered the notice of the appellate judgment date at the defendants' domicile to a relative over twenty years old. The court held service lawful under Section 73 bis with Section 76 paragraph one, and observed that as a reasonable person the recipient should have promptly told the intended recipients of the important registered court item.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 2850/2553 (2010)
Where the enforcement officer serves the writ on a person over twenty years old who resides at the defendant's registered address and willingly receives it on the defendant's behalf, service is lawful under Section 76.
The writ for defendant 3 was received by a person over twenty years old residing at the address where defendant 3 was registered, who willingly accepted it on his behalf per the service report. The court held this was lawful service under Section 76.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 12445/2547 (2004)
Where an employee aged forty five who is at the same house or office receives the summons and copy of the plaint, service is lawful under Section 76 paragraph one, and the fifteen day period to file an answer under Section 177 paragraph one runs from that date.
The defendant's employee, aged forty five and at the same house or office, received the summons and copy of the plaint by registered return mail. The court held service lawful under Section 76 paragraph one, so the answer was due within fifteen days under Section 177 paragraph one, and the answer filed a month later was out of time.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Cited in 36 Supreme Court decisions (1963 to 2020)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 4494/2560 (2017)
- Decision 5421/2552 (2009)
- Decision 28/2548 (2005)
- Decision 12445/2547 (2004)
- Decision 12013/2547 (2004)
- Décision 4293/2547 (2004)
- Decision 3789/2546 (2003)
- Decision 9497/2542 (1999)
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 73 bis 11
- Article 74 10
- Article 79 10
- Article 75 9
- Article 77 6
- Article 177 4
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
Une convocation est-elle valable si c'est un proche qui l'a reçue et non moi ?
Oui. En vertu de l'article 76, si l'agent ne vous trouve pas, la signification à une personne de plus de vingt ans qui vit ou travaille à votre domicile ou sur votre lieu de travail est valable, et le délai de réponse court à partir de cette date.
La partie adverse peut-elle accepter la signification pour moi ?
Non. L'article 76 interdit expressément à la partie adverse d'être la personne qui reçoit un document en votre nom, afin d'éviter un conflit d'intérêts dans le service.
Guides connexes sur ThaiLawOnline
Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Civil Procedure Code, s. 76 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Civil Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 76. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-76/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.พ. มาตรา 76 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-76/ -
Intégrer sur votre site
<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-76/"><p>When a court officer does not find the party or the person on whom a pleading or document is to be served at the domicile or place of business of that person, then if the pleading or document is served on any person over twenty…</p><footer>Civil Procedure Code, s. 76 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-civil-procedure-code/section-76/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.