Section 263 — Compensation for a wrongful measure
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในกรณีที่ศาลได้มีคำสั่งอนุญาตตามคำขอในวิธีการชั่วคราวตามลักษณะนี้ จำเลยซึ่งต้องถูกบังคับโดยวิธีการนั้นอาจยื่นคำขอต่อศาลชั้นต้นภายในสามสิบวันนับแต่วันที่มีคำพิพากษาของศาลที่มีคำสั่งตามวิธีการชั่วคราวนั้น ขอให้มีคำสั่งให้โจทก์ชดใช้ค่าสินไหมทดแทนแก่ตนได้ในกรณีดังต่อไปนี้
(๑) คดีนั้นศาลตัดสินให้โจทก์เป็นฝ่ายแพ้ และปรากฏว่าศาลมีคำสั่งโดยมีความเห็นหลงไปว่าสิทธิเรียกร้องของผู้ขอมีมูล โดยความผิดหรือเลินเล่อของผู้ขอ
(๒) ไม่ว่าคดีนั้นศาลจะชี้ขาดตัดสินให้โจทก์ชนะหรือแพ้คดี ถ้าปรากฏว่าศาลมีคำสั่งโดยมีความเห็นหลงไปว่าวิธีการเช่นว่านี้มีเหตุผลเพียงพอ โดยความผิดหรือเลินเล่อของผู้ขอเมื่อได้รับคำขอตามวรรคหนึ่ง ศาลมีอำนาจสั่งให้แยกการพิจารณาเป็นสำนวนต่างหากจากคดีเดิม และเมื่อศาลทำการไต่สวนแล้วเห็นว่าคำขอนั้นรับฟังได้ก็ให้มีคำสั่งให้โจทก์ชดใช้ค่าสินไหมทดแทนให้แก่จำเลยได้ตามจำนวนที่ศาลเห็นสมควร ถ้าศาลที่มีคำสั่งตามวิธีการชั่วคราวเป็นศาลอุทธรณ์หรือศาลฎีกา เมื่อศาลชั้นต้นทำการไต่สวนแล้ว ให้ส่งสำนวนให้ศาลอุทธรณ์หรือศาลฎีกา แล้วแต่กรณี เป็นผู้สั่งคำขอนั้น ถ้าโจทก์ไม่ปฏิบัติตามคำสั่งศาล ศาลมีอำนาจบังคับโจทก์เสมือนหนึ่งว่าเป็นลูกหนี้ตามคำพิพากษา แต่ในกรณีที่ศาลมีคำสั่งให้โจทก์ชดใช้ค่าสินไหมทดแทนตาม
(๑) ให้งดการบังคับคดีไว้จนกว่าศาลจะมีคำพิพากษาถึงที่สุดให้โจทก์แพ้คดีคำสั่งของศาลชั้นต้นหรือศาลอุทธรณ์ตามวรรคสอง ให้อุทธรณ์หรือฎีกาได้ตามบทบัญญัติว่าด้วยการอุทธรณ์หรือฎีกา
English translation
Where the court has granted an application for a provisional measure under this Title, the defendant who is bound by that measure may, within thirty days from the date of the judgment of the court that ordered the provisional measure, apply to the court of first instance for an order requiring the plaintiff to pay compensation to the defendant in the following cases:
(1) The court decides the case against the plaintiff, and it appears that the court made the order under the mistaken belief that the applicant's claim had merit, through the fault or negligence of the applicant.
(2) Whether the court decides the case in the plaintiff's favour or against the plaintiff, if it appears that the court made the order under the mistaken belief that such measure had sufficient reason, through the fault or negligence of the applicant.
Upon receiving an application under the first paragraph, the court has the power to order the matter to be tried as a separate file from the original case, and where, after inquiry, the court is of the view that the application can be sustained, it shall order the plaintiff to pay compensation to the defendant in such amount as it thinks fit. If the court that ordered the provisional measure was the appellate court or the Supreme Court, then, after the court of first instance has held the inquiry, it shall send the file to the appellate court or the Supreme Court, as the case may be, to rule on the application. If the plaintiff does not comply with the court's order, the court has the power to enforce against the plaintiff as though he were a judgment debtor; but where the court orders the plaintiff to pay compensation under (1), execution shall be stayed until the court has given a final judgment against the plaintiff. An order of the court of first instance or the appellate court under the second paragraph may be appealed in accordance with the provisions on 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 263 is the accountability counterpart to the power to obtain provisional measures. It lets a defendant burdened by a measure claim compensation from the plaintiff in two situations tied to the applicant's fault or negligence: where the plaintiff ultimately loses and the order rested on a mistaken belief that the claim had merit, and where, win or lose, the order rested on a mistaken belief that the measure itself had sufficient reason. The claim is filed within thirty days of the judgment of the court that ordered the measure, may be tried separately, and results in enforcement against the plaintiff as a judgment debtor, though compensation under (1) is stayed until a final judgment against the plaintiff. This section is what the security deposit under Section 257 ultimately backs.
Why this matters in practice
For a defendant harmed by an interim measure, the thirty day window from the judgment of the court that ordered the measure is the deadline to seek compensation under Section 263; the claim must go in within that time. A defendant cannot leap ahead by filing a counterclaim for damages before the plaintiff has actually lost, because under limb (1) the right to compensation arises only when the plaintiff is defeated. For a plaintiff, this section is the risk that a poorly grounded freeze can rebound in a damages award, which is why applications must be made carefully and, ideally, with competent counsel.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5895/2551 (2008)
Where a plaintiff obtained a provisional measure before judgment by providing security, and the plaintiff then loses, a defendant who wants to recover on that security must apply for compensation under Section 263. A prevailing defendant who does not make such an application cannot simply have the security returned in disregard of the procedure.
The plaintiff had provided a title deed as security when it obtained a provisional measure before judgment, and the court then dismissed the plaintiff's claim in the defendant's favour. The Supreme Court addressed the position that a prevailing defendant who did not apply for compensation under Section 263 could not obtain relief on the security outside that procedure.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 6424/2550 (2007)
Where a provisional measure before judgment is granted on sufficient and proper grounds, the plaintiff is entitled to the protection, and if the defendant suffers loss the defendant's recourse is to claim compensation from the plaintiff under Section 263.
The Supreme Court held that the plaintiff's application had sufficient and proper grounds for a provisional measure before judgment, so the plaintiff was entitled to protection. It noted that if the defendant were harmed, the defendant's remedy was to claim compensation against the plaintiff under Section 263.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3319/2542 (1999)
Under Section 263(1) the plaintiff is liable to compensate the defendant only when the court decides against the plaintiff. While the plaintiff has not yet lost, the defendant's right to compensation has not arisen, so a counterclaim for such compensation cannot be entertained.
The defendant counterclaimed for compensation, alleging the plaintiff had sued in bad faith and obtained a provisional measure that caused loss. The Supreme Court held that under Section 263(1) liability arises only when the plaintiff loses, and since the court had not yet ruled and it was uncertain the plaintiff would lose, the right had not arisen and the counterclaim could not be entertained.
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 a defendant claim damages for a provisional measure that should not have been granted?
Yes. Under Section 263 the defendant may apply to the court of first instance within thirty days of the judgment of the court that ordered the measure, where the order rested on a mistaken belief caused by the applicant's fault or negligence.
Can a defendant file a counterclaim for damages before the plaintiff loses?
No. Under Section 263(1) the right to compensation arises only when the court decides against the plaintiff. While the case is undecided the right has not yet arisen, so a premature counterclaim cannot be entertained.