Section 73 — Court officer service on request
Statutory text (Thai original)
ถ้าคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารอื่นใดจะต้องให้เจ้าพนักงานศาลเป็นผู้ส่ง เมื่อคู่ความผู้มีหน้าที่ต้องส่งได้ร้องขอ ให้พนักงานเจ้าหน้าที่ดำเนินการส่งโดยเร็วเท่าที่จะทำได้ เพื่อการนี้ พนักงานผู้ส่งหมายจะให้ผู้ขอหรือบุคคลที่ผู้ขอเห็นสมควรไปด้วยเพื่อชี้ตัวคู่ความหรือบุคคลผู้รับหรือเพื่อค้นหาภูมิลำเนาหรือสำนักทำการงานของผู้รับก็ได้ในกรณีที่ต้องส่งคำคู่ความหรือเอกสารอื่นใดไปตามคำสั่งของศาล ซึ่งบุคคลอื่นหรือคู่ความไม่มีหน้าที่ต้องรับผิดชอบในการส่งนั้น ให้เป็นหน้าที่ของพนักงานเจ้าหน้าที่ของศาลจะดำเนินการส่ง
English translation
If a pleading or any other document is to be served by a court officer, then when the party who has the duty to serve it has so requested, the competent official shall carry out the service as promptly as can be done. For this purpose, the officer serving the writ may allow the applicant, or a person the applicant considers suitable, to go along in order to point out the party or person to receive it, or to help find the domicile or place of business of the recipient. In a case where a pleading or any other document must be served pursuant to an order of the court, for which no other person or party has a duty to be responsible, it is the duty of the competent official of the court to carry out the service.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 73 fills in the practical detail of officer service that Sections 70 to 72 leave open. Once the responsible party requests service, the officer must act as promptly as possible, and the party may send a person along to point out the recipient or locate an address, which is common where a defendant is hard to find. The section also confirms that when the court orders service for which no party is responsible, the officer bears the duty. It works together with Section 73 bis, which allows the same officer service to be done by registered or express mail.
Why this matters in practice
If a defendant is evasive, use the right this section gives you: send someone who knows the person or the address to accompany the officer, which often makes the difference between successful service and repeated failed attempts. Prompt, well documented service keeps your case moving and avoids delays that can jeopardize deadlines. In hard to serve debt cases, our debt collection lawyers manage locating and serving defendants.
Frequently asked questions
Can I send someone with the court officer to serve a defendant?
Yes. Under Section 73 the officer may allow the applicant or a suitable person to go along to point out the party or person to receive the document, or to help find their domicile or place of business.
Who serves documents when the court orders service on its own?
Under Section 73, where the court orders a document served and no party is responsible for that service, it is the duty of the court's competent official to carry it out.