Durante i procedimenti legali a qualsiasi livello del sistema giudiziario thailandese - che si tratti di tribunali distrettuali, provinciali o della Corte Suprema - le parti possono nutrire preoccupazioni in merito alla loro sicurezza, alla tutela dei loro diritti o alla salvaguardia dei loro interessi. Il Codice di procedura civile thailandese prevede un meccanismo per affrontare questi problemi. Una parte coinvolta in una causa può presentare al tribunale una richiesta di ingiunzione temporanea. Questo strumento legale ha lo scopo di impedire alla controparte di intraprendere o continuare azioni che potrebbero causare danni o dare origine a controversie legali.
Inoltre, le ingiunzioni possono comprendere misure volte a impedire alla controparte di intraprendere attività quali lo sperpero, il danneggiamento, il trasferimento, la vendita, la ricollocazione o qualsiasi altra disposizione di qualsiasi proprietà contestata. Queste misure rimangono in vigore fino alla conclusione del caso o fino a quando il tribunale non emette una direttiva contraria.
La legge thailandese, attraverso la sua applicazione oculata da parte dei tribunali, è progettata per offrire una considerazione equilibrata a tutte le parti coinvolte in una controversia legale. A differenza di alcune giurisdizioni in cui le leggi possono favorire in modo sproporzionato una parte, la Legge di procedura civile thailandese fornisce un quadro che garantisce un trattamento equo sia per i ricorrenti che per i convenuti, in particolare nel contesto delle ingiunzioni temporanee.
Questo approccio equilibrato sottolinea l'impegno del sistema legale thailandese per l'equità e la giustizia, fornendo a entrambe le parti l'opportunità di proteggere i propri diritti e interessi in attesa della decisione finale del tribunale.
1. The Thai Civil Procedure Code in relation to the Temporary Injunction Relief for the Plaintiff
A plaintiff who files a civil case against a debtor (could be a family member or simply an acquaintance) in whatsoever liabilities and obligations e.g. loan, hire of work, lease, sale, and purchase agreement, etc., may be concerned about a remedy and compensation which has to be fulfilled by such debtor. In some cases, the debtor fails or is not willing to comply and settle any liabilities and obligations to the lender.
In the event that the debtor is unwilling to sell, transfer and/or dispose of his/her assets, the plaintiff shall submit an application to the court to order an injunction or a measure to impede such debtor's act.
The Thai Civil Procedure Code of Thailand, Section 254 stipulates that:
“In a case other than a petty case (e.g. a case having the case capital of not more than 300 thousand baht), the plaintiff is entitled to file with the Court, together with his plaint or at any time before judgment, an ex parte (one side) application requesting the Court to order, subject to the conditions hereinafter provided….”When a plaintiff seeks an injunction from the Court, there are four main purposes or measures for which such an application can be filed:
Seizure Before Judgment: This measure allows for the seizure of all or part of the property in dispute that belongs to the defendant, as well as any money or property owed to the defendant by a third party.
Temporary Restraining Order: This injunction prevents the defendant from repeating or continuing any wrongful act, breach of agreement, or the specific act that led to the case filing. It may also include other orders necessary to provide relief to the plaintiff from the defendant’s actions.
Order for Temporary Changes in Registration: This involves requesting the registrar to temporarily extinguish, amend, or revoke the registration related to the asset in dispute or the defendant’s property.
Temporary Detention of the Defendant: In certain circumstances, the court may order the temporary arrest and detention of the defendant.For the Court to consider an injunction application, the plaintiff must demonstrate that there is a valid reason for the request and that the proposed measure is necessary for their protection.
Additionally, specific criteria must be met for each type of measure. For example, if a plaintiff requests an injunction to prevent the transfer of land by the defendant, evidence must be presented to the Court showing the defendant's intent to register, amend, or revoke the land's registration. This is essential for the Court to approve the temporary injunction request.
2. The Thai Civil Procedure Code in relation to the Temporary Injunction Relief for the Defendant
The Thai Civil Procedure Code grants defendants the right to request that the plaintiff deposit a sum of money, furnish a security for payment, or procure security to cover potential unforeseen events. This provision ensures that defendants are protected against possible financial losses that may arise during the course of legal proceedings.
The Thai Civil Procedure Code, Section 253 stipulates that:
“Where the plaintiff is not domiciled or his business office is not situated within the Kingdom and he does not have property liable to execution within the Kingdom or where there is strong reason to believe that he will, if he loses the case, evade the payment of costs and expenses, the defendant may, at any time before judgment, file an application by motion with the Court for an order directing the plaintiff to deposit money or to furnish security for such payment costs and expenses.”The point of Section 253 is that the defendant can file an application to the Court for an order directing the plaintiff to deposit money or security if:
1. The plaintiff is a foreigner or is a foreign entity of which their business office or domicile is not in Thailand or does not have a property in Thailand; or
2. There is a strong reason to believe that the plaintiff will evade the payment of costs and expenses if he loses the case.
The Thai Civil Procedure Code affords defendants the right to request that plaintiffs either deposit money or provide security to cover potential payments or costs arising from unforeseen events during legal proceedings. This provision is particularly relevant in scenarios where the plaintiff, whether an individual or a business entity, has a domicile or is registered outside Thailand—for instance, if a plaintiff once operated a business within Thailand but has since relocated operations abroad.
Additionally, this right becomes pertinent if, during the examination of a plaintiff's witness, there is an indication that the plaintiff might not cover the court costs and fees should the court dismiss their charge or find in favor of the defendant. It is important to note that this motion can be filed at any stage of the proceedings, including appeals to the Court of Appeal or the Supreme Court.
Should the Court, upon reviewing the motion and conducting necessary examinations, find the defendant’s request warranted, it will mandate the plaintiff to deposit the specified money or security within a set timeframe. Failure to comply will result in the case being removed from the court's docket, unless the defendant opts to continue or the plaintiff successfully appeals the order.
Conversely, if the Court denies the defendant's application, the defendant retains the right to appeal this decision. It's also crucial to understand that even if the case is struck from the record, the plaintiff is not barred from refiling the case against the defendant. This is because the dismissal is procedural, without the Court having addressed the substantive issue at hand.
Sulla base della nostra vasta esperienza di Juslaws & Consult in materia di contenzioso civile, abbiamo scoperto che ottenere un'ingiunzione temporanea è un approccio strategico per salvaguardare i diritti dell'attore, soprattutto nei casi di recupero crediti. La presentazione di un'ingiunzione temporanea è una garanzia più affidabile che il debitore adempia ai suoi obblighi finanziari, piuttosto che dipendere semplicemente dalla sua buona volontà o dalla sua condotta etica. Questo approccio è particolarmente pertinente quando il ricorrente è straniero, e riflette la nostra comprensione delle complessità che si affrontano in questi scenari.
I nostri avvocati esperti raccomandano spesso di presentare un'ingiunzione temporanea quando rappresentiamo i ricorrenti, con l'obiettivo di garantire i diritti dei nostri clienti prima che il tribunale prenda una decisione. Se avete bisogno di ulteriori informazioni o di assistenza per questioni legali in Tailandia, Juslaws & Consult è pronto a offrire consulenza e servizi legali esperti. Nei casi in cui sia necessaria un'ingiunzione del tribunale per il caso del nostro cliente, ci impegniamo a fornire il nostro massimo supporto per facilitare questo processo. Juslaws & Consult si impegna a fornire soluzioni legali complete e adeguate alle esigenze specifiche dei clienti.
