Section 182 — Holding the settlement of issues
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อได้ยื่นคำฟ้อง คำให้การ และคำให้การแก้ฟ้องแย้ง ถ้าหากมี แล้วให้ศาลทำการชี้สองสถานโดยแจ้งกำหนดวันชี้สองสถานให้คู่ความทราบล่วงหน้าไม่น้อยกว่าสิบห้าวัน เว้นแต่ในกรณีดังต่อไปนี้
(๑) จำเลยคนใดคนหนึ่งขาดนัดยื่นคำให้การ
(๒) คำให้การของจำเลยเป็นการยอมรับโดยชัดแจ้งตามคำฟ้องโจทก์ทั้งสิ้น
(๓) คำให้การของจำเลยเป็นคำให้การปฏิเสธข้ออ้างของโจทก์ทั้งสิ้น โดยไม่มีเหตุแห่งการปฏิเสธ ซึ่งศาลเห็นว่าไม่จำเป็นต้องมีการชี้สองสถาน
(๔) ศาลเห็นสมควรวินิจฉัยชี้ขาดคดีให้เสร็จไปทั้งเรื่องโดยไม่ต้องสืบพยาน
(๕) คดีมโนสาเร่ตามมาตรา ๑๘๙ หรือคดีไม่มีข้อยุ่งยากตามมาตรา ๑๙๖
(๖) คดีที่ศาลเห็นว่ามีประเด็นข้อพิพาทไม่ยุ่งยากหรือไม่จำเป็นที่จะต้องชี้สองสถานในกรณีที่ไม่ต้องมีการชี้สองสถาน ให้ศาลมีคำสั่งงดการชี้สองสถานและกำหนดวันสืบพยาน ถ้าหากมี แล้วให้ส่งคำสั่งดังกล่าวให้คู่ความทราบตามมาตรา ๑๘๔ เว้นแต่คู่ความฝ่ายใดจะได้ทราบหรือถือว่าได้ทราบคำสั่งดังกล่าวแล้วคู่ความอาจตกลงกันกะประเด็นข้อพิพาทโดยยื่นคำแถลงร่วมกันต่อศาลในกรณีเช่นว่านี้ ให้กำหนดประเด็นข้อพิพาทไปตามนั้น แต่ถ้าศาลเห็นว่าคำแถลงนั้นไม่ถูกต้อง ก็ให้ศาลมีอำนาจที่จะมีคำสั่งยกคำแถลงนั้น แล้วดำเนินการชี้สองสถานไปตามมาตรา ๑๘๓
English translation
When the complaint, the answer, and the answer in reply to the counterclaim, if any, have been filed, the court shall hold the settlement of issues, giving the parties notice of the date fixed for it at least fifteen days in advance, except in the following cases: (1) any one of the defendants is in default of an answer; (2) the answer of the defendant is a clear admission of the whole of the plaintiff's complaint; (3) the answer of the defendant is a denial of the whole of the plaintiff's allegations without grounds for the denial, which the court considers does not require a settlement of issues; (4) the court considers it appropriate to decide the whole case without taking evidence; (5) a case of small claims under Section 189 or a case without difficulty under Section 196; (6) a case in which the court considers that the issues in dispute are not difficult or that a settlement of issues is unnecessary. Where a settlement of issues is not required, the court shall order that it be dispensed with and shall fix the date for taking evidence, if any, then send the order to the parties under Section 184, except a party who has already learned of, or is deemed to have learned of, that order. The parties may agree on the issues in dispute by filing a joint statement with the court, in which case the issues in dispute shall be fixed accordingly, but if the court considers the statement incorrect, it shall have power to set the statement aside and proceed to hold the settlement of issues under Section 183.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 182 is the pivot between pleadings and trial: it requires a settlement-of-issues hearing, on fifteen days' notice, to identify the genuine issues in dispute, and lists six situations in which the hearing may be dispensed with. These exceptions include default of an answer, a full admission, a grounded-less blanket denial, a case fit for decision without evidence, small claims under Section 189 or non-difficult cases under Section 196, and cases whose issues are not difficult. Where no hearing is held, the court records the order and fixes the evidence date under Section 184. The parties may even agree the issues by joint statement, subject to the court's power to reject an incorrect statement and hold the hearing under Section 183.
Why this matters in practice
The settlement-of-issues hearing decides the shape of your trial: which facts are contested, who proves what, and in what order. Take the fifteen-day notice seriously and prepare, because issues not framed here can be lost. If the court dispenses with the hearing under one of the exceptions, watch closely, a decision without evidence under paragraph (4) can end the case early, and errors in skipping the hearing are a frequent ground of appeal.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 9018/2547 (2004)
Where the facts are already clear, the court has power under Section 182 (4) to decide a preliminary point of law without holding a settlement of issues or taking evidence from either party first.
After the parties reported that the only estate asset was one plot of land transferred by the administrator to himself, the Court held the trial court could decide the preliminary legal question under Section 182 (4) without a settlement of issues or evidence.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5241/2541 (1998)
After examining the complaint and the answer, if the court sees the case can be decided, dispensing with the settlement of issues and setting a date to deliver judgment is within its discretion under Section 182 (4) to decide the whole case without taking evidence.
The trial court reviewed the pleadings, found the case ripe, dispensed with the settlement of issues, and set a judgment date, holding that the claim was a re-litigation. The Court confirmed this fell within the discretion granted by Section 182 (4).
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 6542/2567 (2024)
In ordinary civil cases, Section 182 requires the court to hold a settlement of issues on at least fifteen days' advance notice once the pleadings are filed, in contrast with the streamlined procedure of consumer cases.
Comparing procedures, the Court set out that ordinary civil cases follow Section 182, requiring a settlement of issues with fifteen days' notice, whereas consumer cases proceed under their own faster rules for framing issues.
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 is the settlement of issues in a Thai civil case?
It is a hearing under Section 182 where the court, after the pleadings, identifies the genuine issues in dispute and allocates the burden of proof. Parties get at least fifteen days' notice.
When can the court skip the settlement of issues?
In the six situations in Section 182, such as a defendant in default, a full admission, a grounds-less blanket denial, a case decidable without evidence, small claims, or issues that are not difficult.
Can the parties agree on the issues themselves?
Yes. They may file a joint statement fixing the issues, but the court can set it aside if it considers the statement incorrect and hold the settlement of issues under Section 183.