Section 2 — Which court may receive a plaint
Statutory text (Thai original)
ห้ามมิให้เสนอคำฟ้องต่อศาลใด เว้นแต่
(๑) เมื่อได้พิจารณาถึงสภาพแห่งคำฟ้องและชั้นของศาลแล้ว ปรากฏว่า ศาลนั้นมีอำนาจที่จะพิจารณาพิพากษาคดีนั้นได้ตามบทบัญญัติแห่งกฎหมายว่าด้วยพระธรรมนูญศาลยุติธรรม และ
(๒) เมื่อได้พิจารณาถึงคำฟ้องแล้ว ปรากฏว่าคดีนั้นอยู่ในเขตศาลนั้นตามบทบัญญัติแห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ว่าด้วยศาลที่จะรับคำฟ้อง และตามบทบัญญัติแห่งกฎหมายที่กำหนดเขตศาลด้วย
English translation
No plaint shall be submitted to any court except:
(1) where, upon consideration of the nature of the plaint and the level of the court, it appears that the court has the power to try and adjudicate the case under the law on the Constitution of the Courts of Justice; and
(2) where, upon consideration of the plaint, it appears that the case falls within the territorial jurisdiction of that court under the provisions of this Code on the court that is to receive the plaint, and under the law fixing the territorial jurisdiction of the courts.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This provision opens Chapter 1 on jurisdiction and sets the two gateways that every plaint must pass. Subsection (1) is about the court's power over the type and level of the case, governed by the Constitution of the Courts of Justice Act, while subsection (2) is about territorial jurisdiction, fixed by Sections 4 and following of this Code and by the laws setting court districts. The two requirements are cumulative. In practice the section works together with Section 18, under which a court reviewing an incoming plaint may refuse to accept it when either gateway is not met.
Why this matters in practice
Filing in the wrong court wastes time and money: the court may reject the plaint under Section 18, and you may have to refile and pay court fees again in the correct court. Confirming both the level of court and the correct district before filing is one of the first things to check. If you are unsure which court fits your dispute, it is worth getting advice before filing. See our guide on going to court in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 8192/2560 (2017)
For a victim's claim for compensation joined to a criminal case under Criminal Procedure Code Section 44/1, the court need not consider whether it has civil jurisdiction under Section 2(1) and the Constitution of the Courts of Justice Act, so a single judge may award damages exceeding the ordinary civil limit.
The plaintiff sought civil compensation in a criminal case in an amount above a single judge's ordinary civil jurisdiction. The court held that a compensation claim attached to a criminal case under Criminal Procedure Code Section 44/1 is not subject to the Section 2(1) civil jurisdiction test, so the single judge could award the full amount.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1193/2559 (2016)
A court examining an incoming plaint must verify that it has the power to adjudicate the case under Section 2(1); where the basis of the claim falls outside that power, the court may decline to accept the plaint under Section 18 and return the court fee.
On reviewing the plaint, the first court found the basis of the claim outside its adjudicatory power and refused it under Section 18 paragraph three together with Section 2(1), returning the court fee. The plaintiff then appealed the point of law directly, raising whether the court should have accepted the plaint as one within its jurisdiction.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Can I file a civil case in any court in Thailand?
No. Section 2 requires that the court have both the power to hear that type and level of case under the Courts of Justice law and territorial jurisdiction over it. A court lacking either may refuse the plaint.
What happens if I file in a court without jurisdiction?
The court may examine the plaint and decline to accept it under Section 18 read with Section 2. You would then need to file in the proper court, so identifying the right court at the outset avoids delay and duplicated fees.