Section 233 — Additional deposit for the winner's fees
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าศาลยอมรับอุทธรณ์และมีความเห็นว่าการอุทธรณ์นั้นคู่ความที่ศาลพิพากษาให้ชนะจะต้องเสียค่าฤชาธรรมเนียมเพิ่มขึ้น ให้ศาลมีอำนาจกำหนดไว้ในคำสั่งให้ผู้อุทธรณ์นำเงินมาวางศาลอีกให้พอกับจำนวนค่าฤชาธรรมเนียมซึ่งจะต้องเสียดังกล่าวแล้ว ตามอัตราที่ใช้บังคับอยู่ในเวลานั้น ก่อนสิ้นระยะเวลาอุทธรณ์หรือภายในระยะเวลาตามที่ศาลจะเห็นสมควรอนุญาต หรือตามแต่ผู้อุทธรณ์จะมีคำขอขึ้นมาไม่เกินสิบวันนับแต่สิ้นระยะเวลาอุทธรณ์นั้น ถ้าผู้อุทธรณ์ไม่นำเงินจำนวนที่กล่าวข้างต้นมาวางศาลภายในกำหนดเวลาที่อนุญาตไว้ก็ให้ศาลยกอุทธรณ์นั้นเสีย
English translation
If the court accepts the appeal and is of the opinion that, by reason of the appeal, the party in whose favour the court has given judgment will have to bear additional court fees, the court shall have power to specify in its order that the appellant deposit with the court a further sum sufficient to cover the amount of such fees, at the rate in force at that time, before the expiry of the appeal period or within such period as the court thinks fit to allow, or as the appellant may request, not exceeding ten days from the expiry of the appeal period. If the appellant fails to deposit the above sum with the court within the allowed time, the court shall dismiss the appeal.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 233 addresses the additional cost that an appeal may impose on the party who won below. Where the court accepts the appeal and foresees that the winner will incur extra court fees, it may order the appellant to deposit a further sum, calculated at the rate then in force, within a defined window: before the appeal period ends, within a period the court allows, or within up to ten days after the appeal period at the appellant's request. Non-compliance is fatal: the court dismisses the appeal. This deposit is conceptually distinct from the Section 229 deposit of fees payable to the other party under the judgment, and courts distinguish the two.
Why this matters in practice
Do not confuse this deposit with the mandatory Section 229 deposit. Section 233 is a further sum the court may require only when your appeal will increase the winner's court fees, and it comes with a hard deadline: pay it in time or the appeal is dismissed outright. If the court sets such a condition, calendar the deadline carefully and, if you need more time, request the up-to-ten-day extension expressly. Where money is tight, budget for both possible deposits before you commit to appealing. Our legal fees page explains the cost structure.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1147/2536 (1993)
A failure to deposit the fees payable to the other party under the judgment is a defect under Section 229, not a matter of the additional deposit under Section 233, which applies only where the winning party will incur increased court fees by reason of the appeal.
The defendant appealed but did not deposit the fees payable to the plaintiff under the judgment within the extended time. The Supreme Court held this was a defect under Section 229, and that it was not a case of the winning party incurring additional fees under Section 233 that would allow the court to order a further deposit.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
When must I deposit an additional sum when I appeal?
Under Section 233, if the court accepts your appeal and expects the winning party to incur extra court fees, it may order you to deposit a further sum to cover them at the rate then in force.
What happens if I do not pay the additional deposit in time?
Section 233 provides that if the appellant fails to deposit the required sum within the allowed time, the court shall dismiss the appeal.
Is this the same as the deposit under Section 229?
No. The Section 229 deposit of fees payable to the other party is mandatory for every appeal. The Section 233 deposit is a separate, further sum ordered only where the appeal will raise the winner's court fees.