Section 205 — Statements Explaining the Appeal
Statutory text (Thai original)
คำร้องขอแถลงการณ์ด้วยปากให้ติดมากับฟ้องอุทธรณ์หรือแก้อุทธรณ์คำแถลงการณ์เป็นหนังสือให้ยื่นก่อนวันศาลอุทธรณ์พิพากษาคำแถลงการณ์ด้วยปากหรือหนังสือก็ตาม มิให้ถือว่าเป็นส่วนหนึ่งของอุทธรณ์ ให้นับว่าเป็นแต่คำอธิบายข้ออุทธรณ์หรือแก้อุทธรณ์เท่านั้นคำแถลงการณ์เป็นหนังสือจะยื่นต่อศาลชั้นต้นหรือศาลอุทธรณ์ก็ได้
English translation
A request to make an oral statement shall be attached to the appeal or to the reply to the appeal. A written statement shall be filed before the day the Court of Appeal renders judgment. Whether the statement is made orally or in writing, it shall not be regarded as part of the appeal; it shall be counted only as an explanation of the grounds of appeal or of the reply to the appeal. A written statement may be filed with the court of first instance or with the Court of Appeal.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 205 distinguishes a statement, which merely explains an already-filed appeal, from the appeal itself. An oral statement must be requested with the appeal or the reply; a written statement may be filed with either the trial court or the Court of Appeal at any time before judgment. The key rule is in the third paragraph: a statement, oral or written, is never treated as part of the appeal, only as an explanation of the grounds already raised. It therefore cannot introduce new grounds or enlarge the scope of the appeal after the appeal deadline. The Supreme Court has applied this to reject attempts to add fresh grounds through a statement and to deny relief where a written statement contained nothing that could change the outcome.
Why this matters in practice
Do not treat a statement as a second chance to raise grounds you left out of your appeal: anything new in a statement is disregarded because it is only an explanation, not part of the appeal. If a point matters, it must be in the appeal or reply within the appeal deadline. A written statement can still be useful to explain or emphasize existing grounds and may be filed up to the day before judgment, but it will not rescue an incomplete appeal. Getting the grounds right the first time is what counts, and a consultation with a Thai lawyer before you file can help.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3515/2563 (2020)
A filing that adds new matter beyond the appeal amounts to an out-of-time amendment and cannot be allowed, but may be received as a statement under Section 205; by paragraph three a written statement is not part of the appeal and only explains the grounds, so if it contains nothing that could change the result it gives no basis to revoke the reading of the appellate judgment.
The defendant tried to add a new circumstance to support a suspended sentence after the appeal deadline. The Supreme Court held this was a time-barred amendment that could only be received as a statement under Section 205, and since the statement offered nothing that could alter the appellate judgment, there was no ground to revoke its reading.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 12868/2558 (2015)
Even where a written statement is filed before the Court of Appeal renders judgment under Section 205 paragraph two, paragraph three provides that it is not part of the appeal but only an explanation of the grounds, so information such as payment of compensation offered to support a suspended sentence carries only that limited weight.
The defendant filed a written statement noting he had paid compensation to the injured parties to support a suspended sentence. The Supreme Court held that under Section 205 paragraph three the statement was only an explanation of the appeal grounds, not part of the appeal itself.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Can I add new grounds to my appeal through a statement?
No. Under Section 205 a statement, oral or written, only explains grounds already raised. New grounds added after the appeal deadline are disregarded because the statement is not part of the appeal.
When must a written statement be filed?
A written statement may be filed with the trial court or the Court of Appeal at any time before the day the Court of Appeal renders judgment.