Section 147 — When a judgment becomes final
Statutory text (Thai original)
คำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งใด ซึ่งตามกฎหมายจะอุทธรณ์หรือฎีกาหรือมีคำขอให้พิจารณาใหม่ไม่ได้นั้น ให้ถือว่าเป็นที่สุดตั้งแต่วันที่ได้อ่านเป็นต้นไปคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งใด ซึ่งอาจอุทธรณ์ฎีกา หรือมีคำขอให้พิจารณาใหม่ได้นั้น ถ้ามิได้อุทธรณ์ ฎีกาหรือร้องขอให้พิจารณาใหม่ภายในเวลาที่กำหนดไว้ ให้ถือว่าเป็นที่สุดตั้งแต่ระยะเวลาเช่นว่านั้นได้สิ้นสุดลง ถ้าได้มีอุทธรณ์ ฎีกา หรือมีคำขอให้พิจารณาใหม่ และศาลอุทธรณ์หรือศาลฎีกาหรือศาลชั้นต้นซึ่งพิจารณาคดีเรื่องนั้นใหม่ มีคำสั่งให้จำหน่ายคดีเสียจากสารบบความตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๑๓๒ คำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งเช่นว่านั้นให้ถือว่าเป็นที่สุดตั้งแต่วันที่มีคำสั่งให้จำหน่ายคดีจากสารบบความคู่ความฝ่ายหนึ่งฝ่ายใดอาจยื่นคำขอต่อศาลชั้นต้นซึ่งพิจารณาคดีนั้น ให้ออกใบสำคัญแสดงว่าคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งในคดีนั้นได้ถึงที่สุดแล้ว
English translation
A judgment or order which by law cannot be appealed, further appealed, or made the subject of an application for a new trial, shall be deemed final from the day it is read onward. A judgment or order which may be appealed, further appealed, or made the subject of an application for a new trial shall, if no appeal, further appeal, or application for a new trial is made within the fixed time, be deemed final from the time that period expires. If an appeal, further appeal, or application for a new trial has been made, and the appeal court, the Supreme Court, or the court of first instance retrying the case, orders the case to be struck off the case list as provided in Section 132, that judgment or order shall be deemed final from the day the order striking the case off the case list is made. Either party may file an application with the court of first instance that tried the case for the issue of a certificate showing that the judgment or order in that case has become final.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 147 defines the moment of finality, which is critical because finality starts many other clocks, including limitation periods for enforcement and for related applications. A judgment that cannot be appealed is final from the day it is read; one that can be appealed becomes final when the appeal period lapses without an appeal; and where an appeal is struck off the list under Section 132, finality dates from that striking-off order. The section also lets a party obtain a certificate of finality from the court of first instance, which is often needed to prove finality to third parties or officials. Because the finality date is referenced by many statutes, courts frequently apply Section 147 paragraph two even in criminal contexts to fix when a decision became final.
Why this matters in practice
Knowing exactly when a judgment becomes final matters because it starts the clock for enforcement and can end your chance to appeal. If a judgment cannot be appealed, it is final the day it is read; if it can, it becomes final only when the appeal period runs out with no appeal filed. When you need to prove finality, for example to enforce or to register a result, ask the court of first instance for a certificate of finality. If you are unsure whether a judgment is final or your appeal window is still open, our guide on going to court in Thailand gives context, and prompt legal advice is wise.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2311/2567 (2024)
Under Section 147 paragraph two, an appealable judgment not appealed within the fixed time is final when that period expires, meaning on lapse of the one-month period from the day of reading or deemed reading.
In deciding when a criminal judgment became final for a return-of-property application, the court applied Section 147 paragraph two: an appealable judgment not appealed in time is final when the appeal period lapses, that is one month from the day of reading or deemed reading of the judgment.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 185/2566 (2023)
Where a party withdraws a further appeal and the court permits it, the earlier judgment becomes final from the day of that withdrawal under Section 147 paragraph two, and binds the parties from then.
A party filed a further appeal but later withdrew it, and the court allowed the withdrawal. The court held the earlier case became final from the day of withdrawal under Section 147 paragraph two and bound the parties from then, so the defendant could not disregard the judgment.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1142/2565 (2022)
A judgment not appealed within the one-month period is final one month after the day it was given, under Section 147 paragraph two, and that finality date starts the running of any period measured from it.
A prior criminal judgment given on 20 April 2554 was not appealed, so the court held it became final on 20 May 2554 under Section 147 paragraph two, read with the criminal procedure and narcotics case rules. That finality date fixed the start of the limitation period for enforcing the sentence.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
When does a judgment become final in Thailand?
Under Section 147, a judgment that cannot be appealed is final from the day it is read; one that can be appealed becomes final when the appeal period expires without an appeal being filed.
How do you prove that a judgment is final?
Section 147 lets either party apply to the court of first instance that tried the case for a certificate showing that the judgment or order has become final.