Section 1620 — Statutory heirs — six classes order
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าผู้ใดตายโดยไม่ได้ทำพินัยกรรมไว้หรือทำพินัยกรรมไว้แต่ไม่มีผลบังคับได้ ให้ปันทรัพย์มรดกทั้งหมดแก่ทายาทโดยธรรมของผู้ตายนั้นตามกฎหมายถ้าผู้ใดตายโดยได้ทำพินัยกรรมไว้ แต่พินัยกรรมนั้นจำหน่ายทรัพย์หรือมีผลบังคับได้แต่เพียงบางส่วนแห่งทรัพย์มรดก ให้ปันส่วนที่มิได้จำหน่ายโดยพินัยกรรม หรือส่วนที่พินัยกรรมไม่มีผลบังคับให้แก่ทายาทโดยธรรมตามกฎหมาย
Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State
English translation
Where a person dies without having made a will, or if having made a will, his will has no effect, the whole of his estate shall be distributed among his statutory heirs according to the law. Where a person dies having made a will which disposes of or has effect for a part only of his estate, the part which has not been disposed of or is not affected by the will shall be distributed among his statutory heirs according to the law.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 1620 (with §1629) sets the intestate-succession order: (1) descendants; (2) parents; (3) full siblings; (4) half-siblings; (5) grandparents; (6) uncles and aunts. The surviving spouse takes a share alongside whatever class inherits (§1635), not a separate class. "Higher excludes lower" — if any class-1 descendants survive, classes 2-6 take nothing. SC decisions 5902/2567 and 4746/2568 confirm that adopted children (under the §1598/19 adoption regime) count as class-1 heirs equal to biological children.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
- 6524/2561 (2018) ★ Foreign Wills and Trusts Recognized in Thailand
- 7199/2552 (2009) ★ A Will Granting 'Right of Habitation and Usufruct for Life' Gives Only Usufructuary Rights, Not Ownership
Showing decisions in our database that cite this section. The list updates automatically when new decisions are added.