Section 366 — Enforcing a guarantee given in court
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าบุคคลใดได้เข้าเป็นผู้ประกันในศาลโดยทำเป็นหนังสือหรือโดยวิธีอื่น เพื่อการชำระหนี้ตามคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่ง หรือแต่ส่วนหนึ่งส่วนใดแห่งคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งนั้น คำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งเช่นว่านั้นย่อมใช้บังคับแก่การประกันได้ โดยให้เจ้าหนี้ตามคำพิพากษามีสิทธิร้องขอให้ศาลบังคับคดีแก่ผู้ประกันเสมือนหนึ่งเป็นลูกหนี้ตามคำพิพากษาโดยไม่ต้องฟ้องผู้ประกันเป็นคดีใหม่
ให้นำบทบัญญัติในวรรคหนึ่งมาใช้บังคับแก่การประกันการปฏิบัติตามคำสั่งศาลในกรณีอื่นด้วยโดยอนุโลม
English translation
If any person has become a guarantor in court, whether in writing or by other means, for the payment of a debt under a judgment or order, or of any part of such judgment or order, such judgment or order shall be enforceable against the guarantee, whereby the judgment creditor has the right to apply for the court to execute the judgment against the guarantor as if the guarantor were the judgment debtor, without having to sue the guarantor in a new case.
The provisions of paragraph one shall apply mutatis mutandis to a guarantee of compliance with a court order in other cases.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 366 opens Chapter 8 on the enforcement of guarantees given in court. Its core rule is procedural economy: a person who guarantees payment of a judgment debt, in writing or otherwise, is bound by that judgment, and the creditor enforces directly against the guarantor as if they were the judgment debtor, without filing a new action. Paragraph two extends the same summary treatment to guarantees of compliance with court orders in other contexts, for example undertakings given to obtain provisional measures. The provision reflects the same no-new-suit principle seen in Sections 362 and 363 for guarantee contracts, and it was consolidated in the enforcement Title as reorganised by the Amendment Act (No. 30) B.E. 2560 (2017).
Why this matters in practice
This matters most to anyone who guarantees a party's obligations in a court case, for example to release a defendant's seized assets or to support a bail-type undertaking. If the underlying debt or obligation is not met, the creditor goes straight to enforcement against you within the existing case, without the delay of a new lawsuit, so your assets are directly exposed. Before signing any court guarantee, be clear on the amount and scope you are backing, and consider taking a consultation so you understand the enforcement risk.
Frequently asked questions
If I guarantee a judgment debt in court, can I be pursued without a new lawsuit?
Yes. Under Section 366, a judgment is enforceable directly against a court guarantor as if they were the judgment debtor, so the creditor need not sue you in a new case.
Does Section 366 apply only to money debts?
No. Paragraph two extends the same direct-enforcement rule to guarantees of compliance with court orders in other cases, not just payment of a judgment debt.