Section 193 — Appeals to the Court of Appeal
Statutory text (Thai original)
คดีอุทธรณ์คำพิพากษาหรือคำสั่งศาลชั้นต้นในข้อเท็จจริงและข้อกฎหมายให้อุทธรณ์ไปยังศาลอุทธรณ์ เว้นแต่จะถูกห้ามอุทธรณ์โดยประมวลกฎหมายนี้หรือกฎหมายอื่นอุทธรณ์ทุกฉบับต้องระบุข้อเท็จจริงโดยย่อหรือข้อกฎหมายที่ยกขึ้นอ้างอิงเป็นลำดับ
English translation
An appeal against a judgment or order of the Court of First Instance on questions of fact and of law shall be brought to the Court of Appeal, unless the appeal is prohibited by this Code or by another law. Every appeal must state, in sequence, a concise summary of the facts or the questions of law relied upon.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 193 opens Title 4, Chapter 1 on the general principles of appeal and establishes both the right to appeal to the Court of Appeal on fact and law and the pleading standard that every appeal must meet. The right is the default, subject to statutory bars found elsewhere in this Code (for example Section 193 bis) or in other statutes. Paragraph 2 imposes a form requirement: the appeal must set out concisely and in order the facts or points of law relied upon, which is why vague or unspecific grounds are rejected. This clarity standard is applied not only to appeals but, through Sections 216 and 225, to petitions to the Supreme Court, so a filing that merely attacks the trial court and fails to engage with the appellate judgment is treated as defective.
Why this matters in practice
The practical trap here is the pleading standard in paragraph 2. An appeal or later petition must say specifically why the judgment being challenged is wrong and what the court should have decided; simply restating your trial arguments or copying the earlier appeal will get the filing rejected as unclear, even if a judge initially accepted it. When you move up to the Supreme Court, your petition must attack the Court of Appeal's reasoning, not the trial court's. Drafting these grounds well is technical work, so before you appeal review our guide on going to court in Thailand and consider using a lawyer.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 238/2568 (2025)
A petition that does not show how the appellate judgment is incorrect or unlawful, and what the court should have decided, is not clear and is barred under Section 193 paragraph 2 as applied through Sections 216 and 225.
The defendants' legal-question petition failed to identify how the Court of Appeal Region 4 judgment was wrong or unlawful or what the correct decision should have been. The Supreme Court held the petition was not clear and effectively did not contest the appellate judgment, so it was improper under Section 193 paragraph 2 together with Sections 216 and 225, and it declined to rule even though the trial court had accepted it.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1154/2567 (2024)
A petition that argues only against the trial court's judgment and does not challenge the Court of Appeal's judgment fails the clarity requirement in Section 193 paragraph 2 and is improper.
The first defendant's petition contested only the trial court's judgment and did not say how the Court of Appeal Region 9 judgment was wrong or why he disagreed with it. The Supreme Court held this failed to contest the appellate judgment as required by Section 193 paragraph 2 together with Sections 216 and 225, so leave to petition could not be granted.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 802/2567 (2024)
A petition that raises no reasons contesting the appellate court's findings, and merely repeats the earlier appeal, is improper under Section 193 paragraph 2 as applied through Sections 216 and 225.
The trial court had already dismissed the indecency-against-a-child charge, yet the defendant petitioned on the same point in the same terms as his appeal, without contesting the Court of Appeal Region 8's reasoning. The Supreme Court held the petition was improper under Section 193 paragraph 2 together with Sections 216 and 225 and declined to rule, despite the trial court having granted leave.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Where do I appeal a criminal judgment of a Thai trial court?
Under Section 193 you appeal to the Court of Appeal on questions of fact and law, unless a specific provision of this Code or another law bars the appeal.
Why might a Thai court reject my appeal as unclear?
Section 193 paragraph 2 requires every appeal to state the facts or legal grounds concisely and in order. If your appeal is vague, merely repeats trial arguments, or does not challenge the judgment under review, it can be dismissed as improper.