Section 235 — Serving the appeal and forwarding the file
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อศาลชั้นต้นได้รับอุทธรณ์แล้วให้ส่งสำเนาอุทธรณ์นั้นให้แก่จำเลยอุทธรณ์ภายในกำหนดเจ็ดวันนับแต่วันที่จำเลยอุทธรณ์ยื่นคำแก้อุทธรณ์ หรือถ้าจำเลยอุทธรณ์ไม่ยื่นคำแก้อุทธรณ์ ภายในกำหนดเจ็ดวันนับแต่ระยะเวลาที่กำหนดไว้ในมาตรา ๒๓๗ สำหรับการยื่นคำแก้อุทธรณ์ได้สิ้นสุดลง ให้ศาลส่งอุทธรณ์และคำแก้อุทธรณ์ถ้าหากมี พร้อมทั้งสำนวนและหลักฐานต่าง ๆ ไปยังศาลอุทธรณ์ เมื่อศาลอุทธรณ์ได้รับฟ้องอุทธรณ์และสำนวนความไว้แล้วให้นำคดีลงสารบบความของศาลอุทธรณ์โดยพลัน
English translation
When the court of first instance has received the appeal, it shall serve a copy of the appeal on the appellee. Within seven days from the date the appellee files an answer to the appeal, or, if the appellee does not file an answer, within seven days from the expiry of the period prescribed in Section 237 for filing an answer to the appeal, the court shall forward the appeal and the answer, if any, together with the case file and the various items of evidence, to the appellate court. When the appellate court has received the appeal and the case file, the case shall be entered in the docket of the appellate court without delay.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 235 governs the mechanics after an appeal is accepted: service of a copy on the appellee, a seven-day window to forward the papers once the answer is filed or the answer period lapses, and prompt docketing at the appellate court. A recurring point in the case law is that the court must serve the appeal on every party who is an appellee, including a joined party or a party whose position is adverse to the appellant. Failure to serve a proper appellee is a defect in the conduct of the proceedings that can invalidate the appellate judgment and lead to remand. The provision is closely linked to Section 237 (the answer period) and Section 236 (forwarding after a successful challenge to a refusal).
Why this matters in practice
If you are an appellee, insist that the appeal be served on you so you can file an answer; if you are an appellant, make sure every adverse party is served, because a missed appellee can unravel a favourable appellate judgment on remand. When an appeal is adverse to a guarantor, a joined party, or a co-defendant, that party is an appellee and must be served. If the trial court overlooks a proper appellee, raise it promptly rather than after the appellate judgment. For an overview of how court proceedings run, see going to court in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 8018/2553 (2010)
Where an appeal is adverse to a joined party, that party remains an appellee and must be served with a copy of the appeal. Serving only some parties breaches Section 235, and an appellate judgment given without correcting this is improper.
The trial court served the defendants' appeal on the plaintiff but not on the joined party, whose interests the appeal opposed. The Supreme Court held this violated Section 235 and that the appellate judgment, given without ordering correction, was improper, so it was vacated and the case remanded.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 7234/2552 (2009)
Where an appeal is adverse to a guarantor, the guarantor is an appellee and must be served with a copy of the appeal; accepting the appeal without serving the guarantor breaches Section 235.
The plaintiff's appeal was adverse to the guarantor, so the guarantor was treated as an appellee. The trial court's acceptance of the appeal without serving the guarantor breached Section 235, and the Supreme Court vacated the appellate judgment and remanded.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2259/2544 (2001)
Where cross-appeals are mutually adverse, the court must serve each appeal on the other party for an answer; failing to do so breaches Section 235 and is a failure to comply with the Code's provisions on the conduct of proceedings.
The parties' appeals were adverse to each other. The trial court did not serve each appeal on the opposing side for an answer. The Supreme Court held this breached Section 235, vacated the appellate judgment, and remanded for proper proceedings.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Must the appeal be served on the other party?
Yes. Under Section 235, when the appeal is accepted the court of first instance must serve a copy on the appellee so that the appellee can file an answer.
What if the court fails to serve the appeal on a proper appellee?
That is a defect in the conduct of the proceedings. Courts have vacated the appellate judgment and remanded the case where a party who should have been served, such as a joined party or guarantor, was not.
How soon does the trial court forward the file to the appellate court?
Within seven days from the date the appellee files an answer, or from the expiry of the Section 237 period for answering if none is filed, the court forwards the appeal, answer, and case file to the appellate court.