Section 195 — Other rules apply to small claims
Statutory text (Thai original)
นอกจากที่บัญญัติมาแล้ว ให้นำบทบัญญัติอื่นในประมวลกฎหมายนี้มาใช้บังคับแก่การพิจารณาและการชี้ขาดตัดสินคดีมโนสาเร่ด้วยโดยอนุโลม
English translation
Apart from what has already been provided, the other provisions of this Code shall also apply mutatis mutandis to the trial and the adjudication of small claims cases.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 195 is the residual, or gap-filling, provision for Chapter 1 on small claims. The special small claims sections regulate only a limited set of steps; for everything else, this section imports the rest of the Code and applies it mutatis mutandis. That means, for example, the ordinary rules on amending pleadings, on evidence, and on appellate review govern a small claim unless a specific small claims provision displaces them. Courts also invoke Section 195 to bring the Code's public order safeguards and its power to set aside irregular proceedings into small claims litigation.
Why this matters in practice
Do not assume the small claims chapter is a complete code of its own. If your point is not covered by a specific small claims section, the ordinary Civil Procedure Code rules apply, including deadlines to amend an answer and the grounds to challenge defective procedure. Getting a lawyer to identify which rule governs a given step avoids missing a strict time limit borrowed from the general provisions.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 10389/2553 (2010)
Because Section 195 applies the ordinary case provisions to small claims, a request to amend an answer in a small claim is governed by the general rule: where there is no settlement of issues, it must be filed at least seven days before the day of taking evidence, unless there is reasonable cause preventing an earlier filing or the amendment concerns public order.
The defendant sought to amend the answer after the plaintiff's evidence had been taken, following withdrawal of counsel. Because the case was a small claim, Section 195 imported the ordinary rules on amending pleadings, so the court examined whether the late request fell within an exception such as good cause or a matter of public order.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 6541/2547 (2004)
Through Section 195, together with Section 27 and the appellate provisions, a higher court may of its own motion set aside a judgment and order given in breach of provisions intended to secure justice in the trial and the taking of evidence, since such a defect is a point of law concerning public order, even if the party did not ask for that relief.
The Supreme Court held that a judgment and order given in breach of provisions meant to ensure a just trial and fair handling of evidence involved a point of law concerning public order, which it could raise on its own motion under Section 27 read with Sections 195, 243, 246 and 247, and it set aside the lower judgment and remitted the case.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Do the ordinary Civil Procedure Code rules apply to a small claims case?
Yes. Under Section 195, wherever the special small claims provisions are silent, the other provisions of the Code apply to the trial and adjudication of a small claim, with necessary adjustments.
Can a party amend an answer in a small claims case?
The general rules on amending pleadings apply through Section 195. Where there is no settlement-of-issues hearing, the request must generally be filed at least seven days before the day of taking evidence, unless there is good cause or the matter concerns public order.