Section 141 — Required form and content of a judgment
Statutory text (Thai original)
คำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งของศาลให้ทำเป็นหนังสือ และต้องกล่าวหรือแสดง
(๑) ชื่อศาลที่พิพากษาคดีนั้น
(๒) ชื่อคู่ความทุกฝ่ายและผู้แทนโดยชอบธรรมหรือผู้แทน ถ้าหากมี
(๓) รายการแห่งคดี
(๔) เหตุผลแห่งคำวินิจฉัยทั้งปวง
(๕) คำวินิจฉัยของศาลในประเด็นแห่งคดีตลอดทั้งค่าฤชาธรรมเนียมคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งนั้นต้องลงลายมือชื่อผู้พิพากษาที่พิพากษาหรือทำคำสั่ง หรือถ้าผู้พิพากษาคนใดลงลายมือชื่อไม่ได้ ก็ให้ผู้พิพากษาอื่นที่พิพากษาหรือทำคำสั่งคดีนั้นหรืออธิบดีผู้พิพากษา แล้วแต่กรณี จดแจ้งเหตุที่ผู้พิพากษาคนนั้นมิได้ลงลายมือชื่อและมีความเห็นพ้องด้วยคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งนั้น แล้วกลัดไว้ในสำนวนความในกรณีที่ศาลมีอำนาจทำคำสั่งหรือพิพากษาคดีได้ด้วยวาจา การที่ศาลจะต้องทำรายงานเกี่ยวด้วยคำสั่งหรือคำพิพากษานั้นไม่จำต้องจดแจ้งรายการแห่งคดีหรือเหตุผลแห่งคำวินิจฉัย แต่เมื่อคู่ความฝ่ายใดแจ้งความจำนงที่จะอุทธรณ์หรือได้ยื่นอุทธรณ์ขึ้นมา ให้ศาลมีอำนาจทำคำชี้แจงแสดงรายการข้อสำคัญ หรือเหตุผลแห่งคำวินิจฉัยกลัดไว้กับบันทึกนั้นภายในเวลาอันสมควร
English translation
A judgment or order of the court shall be made in writing, and must state or show:
(1) the name of the court that decided the case;
(2) the names of all parties and of the legal representatives or representatives, if any;
(3) the particulars of the case;
(4) the reasons for all the decisions;
(5) the decision of the court on the issues in the case, together with the costs.
That judgment or order must be signed by the judge who gave the judgment or made the order; or if any judge is unable to sign, another judge who decided the case or made the order, or the chief judge, as the case may be, shall note the reason why that judge did not sign and that the judge concurs in the judgment or order, and attach it to the case file. Where the court has power to make an order or give judgment orally, the report the court must make concerning the order or judgment need not note the particulars of the case or the reasons for the decision; but when any party gives notice of intention to appeal or has filed an appeal, the court has power to make an explanation showing the important particulars or the reasons for the decision and attach it to that record within a reasonable time.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 141 fixes the mandatory contents of a written judgment or order: the court, the parties, the case particulars, the reasons for every decision, and the decision on the issues together with costs, plus the signature requirement. Item (5) is the operative requirement that the court actually decide every issue in the case and state that decision. A judgment that fails to decide an issue, for example a counterclaim, is not in accordance with Section 141(5) and may be set aside on appeal. The section also allows a briefer record for oral judgments, with reasons to be supplied if a party appeals, and works together with Section 140 on how judgments are made.
Why this matters in practice
The practical value of Section 141 is that a judgment must actually address every issue you raised and give reasons; if the court overlooks an issue, for example your counterclaim, item (5) can be a ground to have the judgment set aside on appeal. When you read a judgment, check that each of your claims and defenses was decided and that the reasoning is present. If an issue was skipped, raise it promptly within your appeal window. To understand the litigation process generally, see our guide on going to court in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4208/2567 (2024)
A judgment that fails to decide an issue properly raised, such as a counterclaim, does not state a decision on the issues in the case and is not in accordance with Section 141(5).
The appeal court had not fully decided the counterclaim issues raised in the defendant's appeal. The Supreme Court held that judgment did not state a decision on the issues in the case and so was not in accordance with Section 141(5), and set the appeal court judgment aside under Section 243(1) read with Section 252.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1541/2568 (2025)
Even where a court wrongly states that an issue was already settled, its judgment is still lawful under Section 141 if it in fact gives the reasons for its decision on that issue.
The specialized appeal court had said an issue was settled because no party appealed it, which was incorrect, but its judgment did give the reasons for its decision on that issue. The Supreme Court held the judgment was still lawful under Section 141 and rejected the objector's appeal on this point.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4190/2566 (2023)
A judgment that discusses the circumstances of the offense charged and admitted does state a decision on the issues in the case and is not defective under Section 141(5).
The defendant argued the judgment did not properly state a decision. The court held that because the judgment addressed the circumstances of the charged conduct that the defendant had admitted, it did state a decision on the issues and was not defective under Section 141(5) read with Section 142 paragraph one.
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 must a written judgment contain?
Under Section 141 it must state the court's name, the parties, the case particulars, the reasons for all decisions, and the decision on the issues with costs, and it must be signed by the deciding judge.
What if the court fails to decide one of the issues?
A judgment that does not state a decision on an issue in the case, such as a counterclaim, is not in accordance with Section 141(5) and may be set aside on appeal.