Section 111 — Failure of a witness to appear
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อศาลเห็นว่าคำเบิกความของพยานที่ไม่มาศาลเป็นข้อสำคัญในการวินิจฉัยชี้ขาดคดี
(๑) แต่ศาลเห็นว่าข้ออ้างว่าพยานไม่สามารถมาศาลนั้นเป็นเพราะเหตุเจ็บป่วยของพยาน หรือพยานมีข้อแก้ตัวอันจำเป็นอย่างอื่นที่ฟังได้ ศาลจะเลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณาคดีไปเพื่อให้พยานมาศาลหรือเพื่อสืบพยานนั้น ณ สถานที่และเวลาอันควรแก่พฤติการณ์ก็ได้ หรือ
(๒) ศาลเห็นว่าพยานได้รับหมายเรียกโดยชอบแล้ว จงใจไม่ไปยังศาลหรือไม่ไป ณ สถานที่และตามวันเวลาที่กำหนดไว้ หรือได้รับคำสั่งศาลให้รอคอยอยู่แล้วจงใจหลบเสีย ศาลจะเลื่อนการนั่งพิจารณาคดีไปและออกหมายจับและเอาตัวพยานกักขังไว้จนกว่าพยานจะได้เบิกความตามวันที่ศาลเห็นสมควรก็ได้ ทั้งนี้ ไม่เป็นการลบล้างโทษตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในประมวลกฎหมายอาญา
English translation
When the court is of the opinion that the testimony of a witness who does not appear at court is material to the adjudication of the case:
(1) but the court considers that the claim that the witness is unable to appear is due to the witness's illness or that the witness has another necessary and acceptable excuse, the court may postpone the sitting so that the witness may appear, or so that that witness may be examined at a place and time appropriate to the circumstances; or
(2) the court considers that the witness has been duly served with a summons and has intentionally failed to attend the court, or has failed to attend at the place and on the date and time specified, or has been ordered by the court to wait and has intentionally absconded, the court may postpone the sitting and issue a warrant of arrest and detain the witness in custody until the witness has given testimony on such date as the court sees fit. This does not extinguish the penalty provided in the Penal Code.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 111 sits in Chapter 2 on the attendance and examination of witnesses and equips the court to deal with a material witness who fails to appear despite a summons. It draws a line between excusable absence (illness or another acceptable necessity), which leads to a postponement or examination at a suitable place and time, and deliberate non-attendance or absconding, which exposes the witness to an arrest warrant and detention until testimony is given. The closing clause preserves any separate criminal liability under the Penal Code, so detention under this section is a coercive measure and not a substitute for punishment. It operates alongside the summons provisions and the court's general power to control proceedings.
Why this matters in practice
For a litigant, this section is the tool that keeps a case moving when a key witness stalls. If your witness is genuinely ill, tell the court promptly and ask for a postponement or examination elsewhere; if the other side's witness is dodging a summons, you can ask the court to compel attendance rather than lose the evidence. Building a case that may need reluctant witnesses is easier with early advice from a Thai lawyer who has prepared for court, because detention is coercive and does not replace any criminal charge for ignoring a summons.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 918/2503 (1960)
The power under Section 111 to postpone a sitting and issue an arrest warrant against a witness who was summoned but did not appear may be exercised by the court on its own motion or on a party's request.
The Supreme Court confirmed that Section 111 allows the court to postpone proceedings and issue an arrest warrant against a summoned witness who fails to attend, and that the court may act either on its own initiative or at a party's request. It weighed this against the duty of the prosecution in a criminal case to produce its evidence, noting the prosecutor had kept trying to secure the witness despite several postponements.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if a witness ignores a court summons in a Thai civil case?
Under Section 111, if the witness was duly summoned and intentionally fails to appear, the court may postpone the sitting and issue an arrest warrant, detaining the witness until they testify. This is separate from any criminal penalty for ignoring the summons.
Can a court postpone a hearing because a witness is sick?
Yes. Section 111(1) lets the court postpone the sitting where the witness cannot attend because of illness or another necessary and acceptable excuse, or arrange to examine the witness at a suitable place and time.