Section 880 — Subrogation of insurer
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าความวินาศภัยนั้นได้เกิดขึ้นเพราะการกระทำของบุคคลภายนอกไซร้ ผู้รับประกันภัยได้ใช้ค่าสินไหมทดแทนไปเป็นจำนวนเพียงใด ผู้รับประกันภัยย่อมเข้ารับช่วงสิทธิของผู้เอาประกันภัยและของผู้รับประโยชน์ซึ่งมีต่อบุคคลภายนอกเพียงนั้นถ้าผู้รับประกันภัยได้ใช้ค่าสินไหมทดแทนไปแต่เพียงบางส่วนไซร้ ท่านห้ามมิให้ผู้รับประกันภัยนั้นใช้สิทธิของตนให้เสื่อมเสียสิทธิของผู้เอาประกันภัยหรือผู้รับประโยชน์ ในการที่เขาจะเรียกร้องเอาค่าสินไหมทดแทนจากบุคคลภายนอกเพื่อเศษแห่งจำนวนวินาศนั้น
Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State
Firm annotation
Section 880 is part of Book 3 (Specific Contracts) of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code. This entry is awaiting firm-authored commentary; the statutory text above is verbatim from the Office of the Council of State (OCS Krisdika) Thai source, with the English translation from the FAO/UN FAOLEX repository. Always rely on the Thai original for legal proceedings.
Why this matters in practice
For lawyers: subrogation arises by operation of law on payment; no separate assignment is needed. Where only partial indemnity has been paid, the insured's claim takes priority over the insurer's subrogated claim. For laypersons: if your insurer pays you after an accident caused by someone else, the insurer steps into your shoes to sue that person — but only for the amount it paid you.
Legislative history
Part of the original Civil and Commercial Code codification; no major subsequent amendment.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 5066/2560 (2017)
Subrogation under Section 880 arises automatically on payment of indemnity; no separate written assignment is required.
On paying indemnity to the beneficiary, the insurer was subrogated by operation of law to the insured's rights against the third-party tortfeasor under Section 880; no separate deed of assignment was required.
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 309/2562 (2019)
Subrogation rights under Section 880 may be contractually waived between insurers; a mutual waiver-of-subrogation clause is valid.
An inter-insurer waiver-of-subrogation clause in a motor insurance policy (under which each insurer waived its subrogated rights against the other's insured) was held to be a valid contractual limitation that bound the insurers; Section 880 rights may be contractually excluded.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
If the insurer pays only part of a claim, can it sue the third-party tortfeasor first?
No. Under the second paragraph of Section 880, where only partial indemnity has been paid, the insurer cannot exercise its subrogated rights in a way that diminishes the insured's or beneficiary's right to recover the uncompensated portion from the third party. The insured's claim takes priority.