Section 139 — Separate judgments in consolidated cases
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อคดีสองเรื่องหรือกว่านั้นขึ้นไปได้พิจารณารวมกันเพื่อสะดวกแก่การพิจารณา ศาลจะพิพากษาคดีเหล่านั้นเรื่องใดเรื่องหนึ่งซึ่งเสร็จการพิจารณาแล้ว จึงพิพากษาเรื่องอื่น ๆ ต่อไปภายหลังก็ได้
English translation
Where two or more cases have been tried together for convenience of trial, the court may give judgment on any one of those cases whose trial has been completed, and then give judgment on the other cases later.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 139 addresses the practical consequence of consolidating cases for trial. Consolidation is done for convenience, but it does not fuse the cases into one, so the court retains discretion to give judgment on any case whose trial has finished and to defer judgment on the rest. This preserves the separate identity of each case and prevents a completed case from being held up by others that are still being heard. It complements the Code's rules on joinder and consolidation by clarifying that timing of judgment can differ case by case.
Why this matters in practice
If your case has been consolidated with others, this section means a decision in your case need not wait for the slowest of the group, which can matter for timing of appeals and enforcement. It also means each consolidated case keeps its own judgment and its own appeal timeline. If several related disputes are moving together, ask about how the sequencing of judgments could affect your options, for example in a consultation with a Thai lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
If cases are tried together, must the court decide them all at once?
No. Under Section 139 the court may give judgment on any consolidated case whose trial is finished and rule on the remaining cases afterward.
Does consolidation merge the cases into one?
No. Consolidation is only for convenience of trial. Each case keeps its separate identity, and Section 139 allows judgments to be given at different times.