Section 58 — Rights and duties of an intervener
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ร้องสอดที่ได้เข้าเป็นคู่ความตามอนุมาตรา
(๑) และ
(๓) แห่งมาตราก่อนนี้ มีสิทธิเสมือนหนึ่งว่าตนได้ฟ้องหรือถูกฟ้องเป็นคดีเรื่องใหม่ ซึ่งโดยเฉพาะผู้ร้องสอดอาจนำพยานหลักฐานใหม่มาแสดง คัดค้านเอกสารที่ได้ยื่นไว้ ถามค้านพยานที่ได้สืบมาแล้ว และคัดค้านพยานหลักฐานที่ได้สืบไปแล้วก่อนที่ตนได้ร้องสอดอาจอุทธรณ์ฎีกาคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งของศาลตามที่กฎหมายบัญญัติไว้ และอาจได้รับหรือถูกบังคับให้ใช้ค่าฤชาธรรมเนียมห้ามมิให้ผู้ร้องสอดที่ได้เป็นคู่ความตามอนุมาตรา
(๒) แห่งมาตราก่อน ใช้สิทธิอย่างอื่นนอกจากสิทธิที่มีอยู่แก่คู่ความฝ่ายซึ่งตนเข้าเป็นโจทก์ร่วมหรือจำเลยร่วมในชั้นพิจารณาเมื่อตนร้องสอด และห้ามมิให้ใช้สิทธิเช่นว่านั้นในทางที่ขัดกับสิทธิของโจทก์หรือจำเลยเดิม และให้ผู้ร้องสอดเสียค่าฤชาธรรมเนียมอันเกิดแต่การที่ร้องสอด แต่ถ้าศาลได้อนุญาตให้เข้าแทนที่โจทก์ หรือจำเลยเดิม ผู้ร้องสอดจึงมีฐานะเสมอด้วยคู่ความที่ตนเข้าแทนเมื่อได้มีคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งแล้ว ถ้ามีข้อเกี่ยวข้องกับคดี เป็นปัญหาจะต้องวินิจฉัยในระหว่างผู้ร้องสอดกับคู่ความฝ่ายที่ตนเข้ามาร่วม หรือที่ตนถูกหมายเรียกให้เข้ามาร่วม ผู้ร้องสอดย่อมต้องผูกพันตามคำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งนั้น เว้นแต่ในกรณีต่อไปนี้
(๑) เนื่องจากความประมาทเลินเล่อของคู่ความนั้นทำให้ผู้ร้องสอดเข้ามาเป็นคู่ความในคดีช้าเกินสมควรที่จะแสดงข้อเถียงอันเป็นสาระสำคัญได้ หรือ
(๒) เมื่อคู่ความนั้นจงใจหรือประมาทเลินเล่ออย่างร้ายแรงมิได้ยกขึ้นใช้ซึ่งข้อเถียงในปัญหาข้อกฎหมายหรือข้อเท็จจริงอันเป็นสาระสำคัญซึ่งผู้ร้องสอดมิได้รู้ว่ามีอยู่เช่นนั้น
English translation
An intervener who has entered as a party under subsection (1) or (3) of the preceding section has the same rights as if he had himself sued or been sued in a new case; in particular, the intervener may adduce new evidence, object to documents already submitted, cross-examine witnesses already examined, and object to evidence already taken before he intervened; he may appeal or make a further appeal against a judgment or order of the court as provided by law; and he may recover, or be ordered to pay, the costs. An intervener who has become a party under subsection (2) of the preceding section is prohibited from exercising any right other than the rights belonging to the party as whose co-plaintiff or co-defendant he entered at the stage of trial when he intervened; and he is prohibited from exercising such rights in a manner conflicting with the rights of the original plaintiff or defendant; and the intervener shall bear the costs arising from the intervention. But if the court has allowed him to substitute for the original plaintiff or defendant, the intervener then has a standing equal to that of the party for whom he has substituted. Once a judgment or order has been made, if there is a matter connected with the case that is an issue to be decided between the intervener and the party as whose co-party he entered, or by whom he was summoned to enter, the intervener is bound by that judgment or order, except in the following cases: (1) where, owing to the negligence of that party, the intervener entered the case as a party too late to present his material objections; or (2) where that party, wilfully or through gross negligence, failed to raise a material objection on a question of law or of fact whose existence the intervener did not know.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 58 defines the consequences of the intervention routes in section 57. An intervener who came in under section 57(1) or (3) is treated as though he had sued or been sued afresh, so he enjoys the full toolkit of a party: new evidence, objections, cross-examination, appeal, and exposure to or recovery of costs. By contrast, an intervener under section 57(2), who joins on a legal interest, is confined to the rights of the side he supports and may not act against it, unless the court allows him to substitute for a party, in which case he takes that party's full standing. The final paragraph makes the intervener bound by the judgment on connected issues, subject to two exceptions protecting an intervener prejudiced by the supported party's negligence or its wilful or grossly negligent failure to raise a material point the intervener did not know of.
Why this matters in practice
The route you use to intervene decides how much you can do, so choose deliberately. Coming in under section 57(1) or (3) gives you a full party's rights, including the ability to bring your own evidence and to appeal, but also exposes you to a costs order. Coming in under section 57(2) is more limited: you ride with the side you join and cannot cut against it. Remember you will normally be bound by the judgment on connected issues, so intervene early and press your material points yourself rather than relying on the party you support. Before intervening, weigh the cost exposure and litigation strategy with a lawyer, and see our overview of going to court in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 6627/2560 (2017)
A party summoned into the case under section 57(3) has, under section 58 paragraph one, the same rights as if newly sued and may be ordered to pay or may recover the costs; a judgment should therefore dispose of relief and costs against such summoned co-parties.
Two co-defendants had been summoned into the case at the defendant's request under section 57(3). The Supreme Court held that under section 58 paragraph one they had the rights of newly sued parties and were subject to costs, so as the disputed land was the plaintiff's under a land claim certificate, they should be enjoined from involvement and made liable for costs; it corrected the appellate judgment on this public-order point of its own motion.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1965/2550 (2007)
An intervener entering under section 57(1) is, by section 58, treated as if newly sued, so he may be regarded as having been sued as a co-defendant, and the court may grant relief such as eviction against him accordingly.
The intervener entered under section 57(1). The Supreme Court held that under section 58 he had the rights of a newly sued party and could be treated as sued as a co-defendant, so in a suit to recover immovable property, deemed the same class as an ejectment claim under section 142(1), the court had power to order his eviction if it found for the plaintiff.
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 rights does an intervener have in a Thai civil case?
Under section 58, it depends on how they entered. An intervener under section 57(1) or (3) is treated as if newly sued, with full rights to adduce evidence, cross-examine, and appeal. An intervener under section 57(2) is limited to the rights of the side they joined.
Is an intervener bound by the judgment?
Generally yes. Under section 58, once judgment is given the intervener is bound on connected issues, except where the supported party's negligence made the intervener too late to raise material objections, or that party wilfully or grossly negligently failed to raise a material point the intervener did not know of.