Section 23 — Extending or shortening procedural time limits
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อศาลเห็นสมควรหรือเมื่อคู่ความฝ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องได้ยื่นคำขอโดยทำเป็นคำร้อง ให้ศาลมีอำนาจที่จะออกคำสั่งขยายหรือย่นระยะเวลาที่กำหนดไว้ในประมวลกฎหมายนี้หรือตามที่ศาลได้กำหนดไว้ หรือระยะเวลาที่เกี่ยวด้วยวิธีพิจารณาความแพ่งอันกำหนดไว้ในกฎหมายอื่น เพื่อให้ดำเนินหรือมิให้ดำเนินกระบวนพิจารณาใด ๆ ก่อนสิ้นระยะเวลานั้น แต่การขยายหรือย่นเวลาเช่นว่านี้ให้พึงทำได้ต่อเมื่อมีพฤติการณ์พิเศษ และศาลได้มีคำสั่งหรือคู่ความมีคำขอขึ้นมาก่อนสิ้นระยะเวลานั้น เว้นแต่ในกรณีที่มีเหตุสุดวิสัย
English translation
When the court thinks fit, or when a party concerned has filed a request made in the form of a motion, the court has the power to make an order extending or shortening any period of time fixed by this Code or by the court, or any period of time relating to civil procedure fixed by another law, in order to carry out or to refrain from carrying out any procedural step before the expiry of that period. However, such extension or shortening of time may be granted only where there are special circumstances, and provided that the court has made the order, or a party has made the request, before the expiry of that period, except in a case of unavoidable necessity (force majeure).
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 23 sits in the chapter on the powers and duties of the courts and is the general provision allowing a court to control procedural time limits, including deadlines to file an appeal or a further appeal. Two conditions must be met: there must be special circumstances (พฤติการณ์พิเศษ), and, as a rule, the court's order or the party's request must be made before the period expires. The only relief from the timing requirement is unavoidable necessity (เหตุสุดวิสัย). Through Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code, this Section is routinely applied to extend deadlines in criminal matters as well.
Why this matters in practice
In practice, most fights over Section 23 concern extensions of appeal or further-appeal deadlines. Two points decide the outcome: whether your reason really is a special circumstance, and whether you filed the motion in time. Purely personal reasons are often not enough, and missing the deadline without an unavoidable event usually ends the matter. If you are approaching a filing deadline, do not wait: understand the court process before you go to court and file the extension motion early.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3670/2567 (2024)
An extension of time under Section 23 requires special circumstances, and a purely personal reason stated in the motion is not in itself a special circumstance.
The dispute was whether a one-month extension of the plaintiff's appeal deadline was proper. The Court reaffirmed that Section 23 requires special circumstances and noted that the plaintiff's motion relied on personal reasons, which are not special circumstances within the meaning of Section 23.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5069/2565 (2022)
Where a party moves before the deadline expires and the court grants an extension under Section 23 (via Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code), a filing made within the extended period is timely and proper.
Before the one-month period expired, the plaintiff moved to extend the deadline for a further appeal by one month, which the trial court granted under Section 23 together with Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code. The plaintiff filed within the extended period, and the Court held the filing was made in time.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3716/2567 (2024)
A court may, for the sake of justice, treat the fixing of a corrective period as an extension of the filing deadline under Section 23 (via Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code); a filing perfected within that extended period is valid.
The court allowed the joined prosecutor 15 days to correct and re-file a petition, which operated as an extension of the filing deadline under Section 23 with Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Because the corrected petition was filed within that period and leave to further appeal on questions of fact was granted, acceptance of the petition was lawful.
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 get more time to file an appeal in Thailand?
Yes. Under Section 23 the court may extend the appeal or further-appeal deadline, but only if there are special circumstances and, as a rule, only if you ask before the deadline passes.
What counts as a special circumstance under Section 23?
It must be something beyond an ordinary personal excuse. Purely personal reasons are often held not to be special circumstances, so the court looks closely at whether the reason genuinely justified the extension.
What if I miss the deadline entirely?
You can normally only ask for an extension before the period expires. After it has passed, an extension is available only if there was an unavoidable event (force majeure).