Section 85 — Right to adduce evidence
Statutory text (Thai original)
คู่ความฝ่ายที่มีหน้าที่ต้องนำสืบข้อเท็จจริงย่อมมีสิทธิที่จะนำพยานหลักฐานใด ๆ มาสืบได้ภายใต้บังคับแห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ หรือกฎหมายอื่นอันว่าด้วยการรับฟังพยานหลักฐานและการยื่นพยานหลักฐาน
English translation
A party having the duty to prove a fact has the right to adduce any evidence, subject to this Code or to any other law concerning the admissibility of evidence and the submission of evidence.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 85 affirms the party's right to prove its case with any evidence, while making that right subject to the admissibility and submission rules in this Code and other laws. It is the positive counterpart to Sections 86 and 87, which set out when a court must refuse or may nonetheless admit evidence, and to the procedural requirements such as the list of witnesses under Sections 88 and 90. Read together, these provisions balance a party's freedom to present proof against the controls that keep evidence relevant, properly submitted, and fair to the opposing side.
Why this matters in practice
You can generally prove your case with witnesses, documents, or other evidence, but the freedom is not unlimited: evidence must be admissible and submitted in the correct way, for example by listing witnesses on time. Choosing the right form of proof, such as filing a prior court transcript as a document instead of recalling a witness, is a tactical decision. Planning your evidence early avoids losing a point on a technicality. See what to know before you go to court in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 43/2566 (2023)
A party may adduce any evidence subject to the rules on admissibility under Section 85; statements a party made during court mediation that are not confidential under the Supreme Court President's mediation regulation may be received in evidence.
The court held that statements a party made during mediation were not confidential under the Supreme Court President's mediation regulation in the manner claimed, and could therefore be relied on as evidence, subject to Section 85. On the facts, however, those statements were only an expression of opinion and did not amount to serious defamation or ingratitude.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5197/2558 (2015)
Under Section 85 a party may present both oral and documentary evidence; a party may, for example, submit as a document the recorded testimony a witness previously gave in another court instead of calling that witness.
The court held that under Section 85 a party may adduce both witness and documentary evidence, so the plaintiff was entitled to submit, as a document, the testimony a witness had previously given in the labor court instead of calling that witness again. The defendants' argument that this was an improper procedure was rejected, particularly as their counsel had accepted the document's correctness.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4593/2552 (2009)
The adducing of evidence to the court is governed by Section 85 on the admissibility and submission of evidence; once a party has duly filed its list of witnesses, the evidence is lawfully before the court and may be considered.
The court held that presenting evidence follows Section 85 on admissibility and submission, so once the plaintiff had filed its list of witnesses as required, the evidence was lawful and could be considered in the judgment. No law barred the court from receiving evidence adduced at trial merely because it had not passed through an administrative committee stage.
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 evidence can a party present under Section 85?
A party with the duty to prove a fact may present any evidence, including witnesses and documents, so long as it is admissible and submitted according to the rules.
Is the right to adduce evidence unlimited?
No. Under Section 85 the right is subject to this Code and other laws on the admissibility and submission of evidence, so improperly submitted or inadmissible evidence can still be refused.