Section 16 — Delegating proceedings to another court
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าจะต้องทำการซักถาม หรือตรวจ หรือดำเนินกระบวนพิจารณาใด ๆ
(๑) โดยศาลชั้นต้นศาลใด นอกเขตศาลนั้น หรือ
(๒) โดยศาลแพ่งหรือศาลอาญา นอกเขตจังหวัดพระนครและธนบุรีหรือโดยศาลอุทธรณ์หรือฎีกาให้ศาลที่กล่าวแล้วมีอำนาจที่จะแต่งตั้งศาลอื่นที่เป็นศาลชั้นต้นให้ทำการซักถาม หรือตรวจภายในบังคับบทบัญญัติมาตรา ๑๐๒ หรือดำเนินกระบวนพิจารณาแทนได้
English translation
If it is necessary to interrogate, or examine, or conduct any proceedings:
(1) by a Court of First Instance, outside the jurisdiction of that court; or
(2) by the Civil Court or the Criminal Court, outside the province of Phra Nakhon and Thonburi, or by the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court,
the said court shall have the power to appoint another court that is a Court of First Instance to conduct the interrogation or examination, subject to section 102, or to conduct the proceedings on its behalf.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 16 is the practical companion to Section 15. Where Section 15 limits a court to its own territory, Section 16 lets that court delegate an interrogation, examination or other proceeding to a Court of First Instance located where the act must be done. It covers both a Court of First Instance acting outside its own area, and the Civil, Criminal, Appeal and Supreme Courts acting beyond the Phra Nakhon and Thonburi province. Examinations delegated under this section remain subject to Section 102. The mechanism is central to enforcement against property in another province, where it operates together with Section 302 so that the local court executes on behalf of the adjudicating court.
Why this matters in practice
This section is why a case in one province can still reach a witness or asset in another: the trial court appoints the local court to act on its behalf. In enforcement, the court executing on behalf is often close to the property and can rule on issues arising there, while the appointing court keeps overall carriage of the case. If your dispute involves assets spread across provinces, plan the enforcement route early; the firm's enforcement service handles cross-province execution.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1120/2518 (1975)
A court cannot directly enforce against property lying outside its jurisdiction; it must appoint the Court of First Instance where the property is located to enforce on its behalf under Section 16 with the final paragraph of Section 302. The appointing court retains authority over the execution until it is complete.
For execution against property outside its area, the adjudicating Court of First Instance could not enforce directly and had to appoint the court where the property was located to do so on its behalf, under Section 16 with the final paragraph of Section 302. Once another court is so appointed, the appointing court still retains authority over the execution until completion, and may either have the executing court auction the seized property and remit the proceeds, or simply have it seize the property while conducting the auction itself.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 9529/2558 (2015)
A Court of First Instance conducting execution on another court's behalf, being close to the evidence, has the power under the second paragraph of Section 16 to hold an inquiry and to revoke an improper order of the execution officer, in the interest of justice.
The plaintiff argued that the execution officer's refusal to seize property was unlawful. The Supreme Court held that the Court of First Instance conducting execution on another court's behalf, being close to the evidence, had power under the second paragraph of Section 16 to inquire into and revoke that order, and that this did not conflict with Section 302. The lower courts had wrongly held the plaintiff could not file the motion with the court executing on behalf.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
How does a court act beyond its own area under Section 16?
It appoints a Court of First Instance located where the act must be done to conduct the interrogation, examination or proceeding on its behalf, rather than acting there itself.
How does Section 16 apply to enforcing a judgment in another province?
The adjudicating court appoints the Court of First Instance where the property is located to carry out execution on its behalf, working together with Section 302, while the appointing court retains overall carriage.