Section 237 — Answer to the appeal, no default
Statutory text (Thai original)
จำเลยอุทธรณ์อาจยื่นคำแก้อุทธรณ์ต่อศาลชั้นต้นได้ภายในกำหนดสิบห้าวันนับแต่วันส่งสำเนาอุทธรณ์ไม่ว่ากรณีใด ๆ ห้ามมิให้ศาลแสดงว่า จำเลยอุทธรณ์ขาดนัดเพราะไม่ยื่นคำแก้อุทธรณ์
English translation
The appellee may file an answer to the appeal with the court of first instance within fifteen days from the date the copy of the appeal is served. In no case shall the court declare the appellee to be in default for failing to file an answer to 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 237 sets the appellee's fifteen-day period to answer the appeal and makes clear that not answering carries no default consequence. The answer to the appeal is treated as a pleading, which has an important effect: a party who did not itself appeal may still raise issues in its answer for the appellate court to decide, keeping those issues live rather than settled by the trial court's judgment. This makes the answer a substantive tool, not a mere formality, and it interacts with Sections 1(5), 235, and 240. The provision applies by analogy in related jurisdictions, including the civil part of criminal cases.
Why this matters in practice
Do not treat the answer as optional filler. Because the answer is a pleading, an appellee who lost a particular point below, or who did not appeal, can use it to raise defences such as prescription and ask the appellate court to decide them, keeping the issue alive. If you are an appellee, file within fifteen days and set out every point you want the appellate court to consider. You will not be held in default for not answering, but staying silent may forfeit the chance to have your issues reviewed. If you were never served the appeal, that is a procedural defect you should raise, as it can deprive you of this right.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 10930/2554 (2011)
An answer to the appeal is a pleading, so a party may raise issues in its answer for the appellate court to decide under Sections 1(5), 237, and 240, even if that party did not itself appeal.
Although the second defendant did not appeal, it raised in its answer that the plaintiff's tort claim was time-barred at one year. The Supreme Court held that, the answer being a pleading, the issue remained live under Sections 1(5), 237, and 240, so the appellate court properly decided it.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4413/2565 (2022)
Serving the appeal only on one party while omitting another party entitled to answer deprives that party of its right to file an answer under Section 237 and renders the proceedings improper.
When the defendant appealed, the trial court served the appeal only on the prosecutor, not on the claimant who was the plaintiff in the civil part. The Supreme Court held this deprived the claimant of the right to answer under Section 237 read with the Criminal Procedure Code, so the appellate judgment in the civil part was improper.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
How long do I have to answer an appeal?
Under Section 237, the appellee may file an answer to the appeal with the court of first instance within fifteen days from the date the copy of the appeal is served.
What happens if I do not file an answer to the appeal?
Nothing by way of default. Section 237 states that the court shall not declare the appellee to be in default for failing to file an answer.
Can I raise new issues in my answer even if I did not appeal?
Yes. The answer to the appeal is treated as a pleading, so a party who did not appeal may still raise issues in the answer for the appellate court to decide, keeping those issues from becoming final.