Section 251 — Supreme Court ruling on law and remand
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในคดีที่ได้รับอนุญาตให้ฎีกาที่มีแต่เฉพาะปัญหาข้อกฎหมาย หากศาลฎีกาเห็นว่าคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งของศาลอุทธรณ์ไม่ถูกต้องไม่ว่าทั้งหมดหรือบางส่วน ศาลฎีกาจะมีคำวินิจฉัยในปัญหาข้อกฎหมายนั้นและยกคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งของศาลอุทธรณ์หรือศาลชั้นต้น แล้วมีคำสั่งให้ศาลอุทธรณ์หรือศาลชั้นต้น แล้วแต่กรณี ทำคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งใหม่ภายใต้กรอบคำวินิจฉัยของศาลฎีกาก็ได้
English translation
In a case in which leave to dika has been granted that involves only a question of law, if the Supreme Court is of the view that the judgment or order of the Court of Appeal is incorrect, whether in whole or in part, the Supreme Court may render a decision on that question of law and set aside the judgment or order of the Court of Appeal or of the court of first instance, and then order the Court of Appeal or the court of first instance, as the case may be, to make a new judgment or order within the framework of the Supreme Court's decision.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 251 gives the Supreme Court a focused remedy for dika limited to questions of law. Rather than retrying the whole case, the Supreme Court answers the legal question, sets aside the incorrect judgment or order below, and remits the matter to the Court of Appeal or the court of first instance to issue a new decision that must stay within the framework of the Supreme Court's ruling. This preserves the division of function between deciding law and applying it to the facts. It sits alongside Sections 247 to 250, which govern the leave-based dika, and Section 252, which carries the appeal-chapter rules up to the dika stage. This is the current provision under the 2015 reform; the earlier Section 251 concerned returning money or security deposited with the court after a reversal on appeal.
Why this matters in practice
If your dika succeeds purely on the law, do not expect the Supreme Court always to enter final judgment for you: under Section 251 it may instead decide the legal point and send the case back for the lower court to apply that ruling, which adds another round before a final result. Frame your legal question tightly, because the remand court is bound by the Supreme Court's framework. A Thai lawyer can advise on how a favourable law ruling would play out on remand.
Frequently asked questions
Does the Supreme Court always give final judgment on a law-only dika?
Not always. Under Section 251 it may decide the question of law, set aside the lower judgment, and send the case back for the Court of Appeal or trial court to give a new judgment within its framework.
Is the lower court bound by the Supreme Court's ruling on remand?
Yes. Section 251 requires the new judgment or order to be made within the framework of the Supreme Court's decision on the question of law.