Section 53 — Required contents of a summons
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้ารายงาน คำพิพากษา คำสั่งหรือเอกสารอื่นใดที่รวมไว้ในสำนวนความซึ่งยังอยู่ในระหว่างพิจารณาหรือรอการบังคับของศาลสูญหายไป หรือบุบสลายทั้งหมดหรือแต่บางส่วน เป็นการขัดข้องต่อการชี้ขาดตัดสินหรือบังคับคดีเมื่อศาลเห็นสมควร หรือเมื่อคู่ความฝ่ายที่เกี่ยวข้องยื่นคำขอโดยทำเป็นคำร้อง ให้ศาลสั่งคู่ความหรือบุคคลผู้ถือเอกสารนั้น นำสำเนาที่รับรองถูกต้องมาส่งต่อศาล ถ้าหากสำเนาเช่นว่านั้นทั้งหมดหรือบางส่วนหาไม่ได้ ให้ศาลมีคำสั่งให้พิจารณาคดีนั้นใหม่ หรือมีคำสั่งอย่างอื่นตามที่เห็นสมควร เพื่อประโยชน์แห่งความยุติธรรม
English translation
A summons must be made in writing and contain the following particulars: (1) the place where the summons is issued; (2) the date of issue of the summons; (3) the name and place of residence of the person summoned to appear; (4) the reason for requiring that person to appear; (5) the place, date and time at which that person is to arrive; (6) the signature and seal of the court, or the signature and position of the official issuing the summons.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 53 sets out the mandatory form of a summons. It must be in writing and contain six particulars: the place and date of issue, the name and residence of the person summoned, the reason for requiring attendance, the place, date and time to appear, and the authenticating signature, being the signature and seal of the court or the signature and position of the issuing official. These requirements give the recipient clear notice of who wants them, why, and where and when to go, and mark the summons as a genuine official instrument. The section works together with section 52, which sets who may issue a summons and when one is needed, and section 54, which governs how the appearance date and time are fixed.
Why this matters in practice
When you receive a summons, check that it actually contains these six particulars, especially who is summoning you, the stated reason, and the exact place, date and time to appear, along with a proper signature and, for a court summons, a seal. A document missing these basics may not be a valid summons. Do not, however, use a technicality as a reason to ignore a genuine one; the safer course is to attend and raise any defect properly. If a summons is unclear or you doubt its validity, confirm the position, ideally through a consultation with a Thai lawyer, before the appearance date.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 193/2537 (1994)
Section 53 applies only where a document that is actually part of the case file is lost or damaged so as to obstruct the adjudication or enforcement of the case. It cannot be invoked to obtain a retrial in a case already decided, nor where the evidence lies in a separate file that was ordered joined but never actually joined.
Evidence lay in another case file that the trial court had ordered joined but which had not yet been joined. The Supreme Court held this was not a case of a document in the file being lost or damaged in whole or in part, and since both lower courts had already decided the case there was no obstruction to adjudication, so section 53 could not be used to ask the appellate court to try the case anew.
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 happens if court documents in my case are lost?
Under section 53, if a document in an active file is lost or damaged so as to obstruct the case, the court can order the party or holder to submit a certified true copy. If no copy exists, the court may order a new trial or another suitable order.
Can I reopen a finished case by claiming a document went missing?
No. Section 53 applies only to files that are still under trial or awaiting enforcement, where the loss obstructs the case. It cannot be used to retry a case that has already become final.