Section 31 — Acts constituting contempt of court
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ใดกระทำการอย่างใด ๆ ดังกล่าวต่อไปนี้ ให้ถือว่ากระทำผิดฐานละเมิดอำนาจศาล
(๑) ขัดขืนไม่ปฏิบัติตามข้อกำหนดของศาลตามมาตราก่อนอันว่าด้วยการรักษาความเรียบร้อย หรือประพฤติตนไม่เรียบร้อยในบริเวณศาล
(๒) เมื่อได้มีคำร้องและได้รับอนุญาตจากศาลให้ยกเว้นค่าธรรมเนียมศาลตามมาตรา ๑๕๖/๑ แล้ว ปรากฏว่าได้แสดงข้อเท็จจริงหรือเสนอพยานหลักฐานอันเป็นเท็จต่อศาลในการไต่สวนคำร้องขอยกเว้นค่าธรรมเนียมศาล
(๓) เมื่อรู้ว่าจะมีการส่งคำคู่ความหรือส่งเอกสารอื่น ๆ ถึงตน แล้วจงใจไปเสียให้พ้น หรือหาทางหลีกเลี่ยงที่จะไม่รับคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารนั้นโดยสถานอื่น
(๔) ตรวจเอกสารทั้งหมด หรือฉบับใดฉบับหนึ่ง ซึ่งอยู่ในสำนวนความ หรือคัดเอาสำเนาเอกสารเหล่านั้นไป โดยฝ่าฝืนต่อบทบัญญัติ มาตรา ๕๔
(๕) ขัดขืนไม่มาศาล เมื่อศาลได้มีคำสั่งตามมาตรา ๑๙ หรือเมื่อมีหมายเรียกลูกหนี้ตามคำพิพากษา หรือบุคคลอื่นตามมาตรา ๒๗๗
English translation
Whoever does any of the following acts shall be deemed to have committed contempt of court:
(1) disobeying a direction of the court under the preceding Section concerning the maintenance of order, or behaving in a disorderly manner within the court precincts;
(2) where, after a motion has been made and leave has been granted by the court to be exempted from court fees under Section 156/1, it appears that the person presented false facts or offered false evidence to the court in the inquiry into the motion for exemption from court fees;
(3) when knowing that a pleading or other document is to be served on him, wilfully going away so as to avoid it, or otherwise seeking to evade receipt of that pleading or document;
(4) inspecting all or any one of the documents in the case file, or making copies of those documents, in contravention of Section 54;
(5) failing to appear before the court when the court has made an order under Section 19, or when there is a summons to a judgment debtor or another person under Section 277.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 31 defines, in five categories, the conduct that constitutes contempt of court (ละเมิดอำนาจศาล). Category (1) links directly to the court's order-keeping power under Section 30 and also covers disorderly behaviour in the court precincts independently. The remaining categories target false statements in fee-exemption inquiries (Section 156/1), evasion of service, unauthorised access to the case file (Section 54), and non-appearance despite an order under Section 19 or a Section 277 summons. Contempt is punished under Section 33. Because the court has a special power to punish contempt on its own without any prosecutor, and it is distinct from ordinary crimes arising from the same facts, a separate criminal prosecution for those facts is not barred as double jeopardy.
Why this matters in practice
Contempt of court is handled quickly and by the court itself, so the risks are immediate: disrupting proceedings, dodging service, or lying to obtain a fee waiver can lead to punishment under Section 33 without a normal prosecution. Note two practical points. First, contempt can be committed jointly with others, who may be treated as joint principals. Second, a contempt conviction does not shield you from a separate criminal case on the same conduct, since the two are legally distinct. If you are facing a contempt allegation, get advice from a qualified Thai lawyer at once.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 3395/2566 (2023)
Contempt of court under Sections 31(1) and 33 gives the court a special power to punish on its own without any prosecutor; because it is a different matter from an ordinary crime such as forgery, a later criminal prosecution on the same facts is not barred as a repeat prosecution.
The Court held that contempt of court under Sections 31(1) and 33 is a special power allowing the court to punish without a complaint or prosecutor, and that the defendant's separate offence of forgery and use of forged documents, prosecuted by the public prosecutor, was a different matter. Even though the contempt punishment was final, the later criminal prosecution on the same facts was not barred as a repeat prosecution.
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 3147/2562 (2019)
Contempt of court under Sections 31(1) and 33 may be committed jointly, and those who act together may be convicted as joint principals under Section 83 of the Penal Code (via Section 15 of the Criminal Procedure Code).
The trial court convicted both accused of contempt of court under Sections 31(1) and 33 together with Section 83 of the Penal Code. The first accused, who confessed, received two months' imprisonment (suspended) and a fine, while the second accused received one month, illustrating that contempt can be committed jointly.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
What counts as contempt of court in Thailand?
Section 31 lists five categories, including disobeying an order to keep order or behaving disorderly in the court precincts, giving false facts to obtain a fee exemption, evading service, unlawfully accessing the case file, and failing to appear when ordered or summoned.
Can I be prosecuted criminally after being punished for contempt?
Yes. Contempt of court is legally distinct from ordinary crimes, so a separate criminal prosecution based on the same facts is not barred as double jeopardy.
Who prosecutes a contempt of court case?
The court itself has a special power to deal with and punish contempt on its own, without anyone needing to lodge a complaint or act as prosecutor.