Section 171 — Applying complaint rules to petitions
Statutory text (Thai original)
คดีที่ประมวลกฎหมายนี้บัญญัติว่าจะฟ้องยังศาลชั้นต้น หรือจะเสนอปัญหาต่อศาลชั้นต้นเพื่อชี้ขาดตัดสิน โดยทำเป็นคำร้องขอก็ได้นั้น ให้นำบทบัญญัติแห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ว่าด้วยสิทธิและหน้าที่ของโจทก์และจำเลย และวิธีพิจารณาที่ต่อจากการยื่นคำฟ้องมาใช้บังคับแก่ผู้ยื่นคำขอและคู่ความอีกฝ่ายหนึ่ง ถ้าหากมี และบังคับแก่วิธีพิจารณาที่ต่อจากการยื่นคำร้องขอด้วยโดยอนุโลม
English translation
In cases which this Code provides may be filed at a court of first instance, or in which a problem may be submitted to a court of first instance for decision by way of a petition, the provisions of this Code on the rights and duties of the plaintiff and the defendant, and on the procedure following the filing of a complaint, shall apply mutatis mutandis to the petitioner and to the other party, if any, and to the procedure following the filing of the petition.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 171 bridges contentious and petition procedure. Some matters may be brought to a court of first instance not by an ordinary complaint but by a petition, and this section supplies the procedural rules for them by making the Code's provisions on the plaintiff's and defendant's rights and duties, and on the steps after a complaint, apply mutatis mutandis. The petitioner steps into the plaintiff's procedural shoes, any opposing party into the defendant's, and the post-complaint procedure governs the post-petition procedure. Read with Section 172 on the required content of a complaint, it means a petition, such as one to appoint an estate administrator, must satisfy the same essentials of a valid pleading.
Why this matters in practice
If you are bringing a matter by petition, for example asking the court to appoint an estate administrator, treat it like a proper pleading: it must set out the facts and the ground for the relief with the same clarity a complaint requires. A petition that meets those requirements should be accepted for inquiry. For estate matters brought this way, see our inheritance guide for foreigners in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2865/2559 (2016)
A petition that clearly states the petitioner is an heir entitled to apply, and the necessary and proper circumstances for appointing an estate administrator under Section 1713 of the Civil and Commercial Code, is a valid petition under Section 171 read with Section 172 paragraph two, and the court should accept it for inquiry.
The petitioner sought appointment as estate administrator and set out the facts showing entitlement and the necessity for the appointment. The court held the petition satisfied Section 171 read with Section 172 paragraph two and should be accepted for inquiry, so the trial court's demand for further death certificates within seven days on pain of rejection went beyond what was required.
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 is a matter brought to court by petition governed procedurally?
Under Section 171, the Code's rules on the rights and duties of plaintiff and defendant and on procedure after a complaint apply mutatis mutandis to the petitioner, any opposing party, and the procedure after the petition.
Does a petition have to meet the same standards as a complaint?
In substance yes. Read with Section 172, a petition such as one to appoint an estate administrator must clearly set out the facts and grounds so it qualifies as a valid pleading under Section 171.