Article 122 — When investigation may be declined
Texte légal (original thaï)
พนักงานสอบสวนจะไม่ทำการสอบสวน ในกรณีต่อไปนี้ก็ได้
(๑) เมื่อผู้เสียหายขอความช่วยเหลือ แต่ไม่ยอมร้องทุกข์ตามระเบียบ
(๒) เมื่อผู้เสียหายฟ้องคดีเสียเองโดยมิได้ร้องทุกข์ก่อน
(๓) เมื่อมีหนังสือกล่าวโทษเป็นบัตรสนเท่ห์ หรือบุคคลที่กล่าวโทษด้วยปากไม่ยอมบอกว่าเขาคือใคร หรือไม่ยอมลงลายมือชื่อในคำกล่าวโทษหรือบันทึกคำกล่าวโทษ
traduction anglaise
An investigating officer may decline to conduct an investigation in the following cases: (1) when the injured person requests assistance but refuses to lodge a complaint in accordance with the regulations; (2) when the injured person files the case himself without having first lodged a complaint; (3) when the accusation is made by an anonymous letter, or the person making an oral accusation refuses to say who he is, or refuses to sign the accusation or the record of the accusation.
Cette traduction anglaise est fournie à titre indicatif uniquement et n'a pas encore été vérifiée de manière définitive ; référez-vous toujours à l'original thaï.
Annotation de l'entreprise
This General Principles provision gives the investigator a discretion, not a duty, to decline investigation in three defined situations. It is permissive: the word used means the officer may decline, so it does not bar investigation in those cases. The provision works alongside the complaint and accusation rules in Sections 123 to 127, and the anonymous-letter ground in (3) mirrors the accusation rule in Section 127. Read correctly, it lets officers avoid being drawn into matters where the injured person will not cooperate, while leaving room to investigate serious anonymous tips.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
If you are the injured person, the practical lesson is to file a proper, signed complaint: an officer who is only given an anonymous or unsigned accusation, or a request for help with no complaint, may lawfully decline to act. But note this is a discretion, not a prohibition, so police can still investigate an anonymous tip about a serious crime if they choose. If your complaint is being turned away, it is worth checking whether it was made correctly. Our guide on Ce qu'il faut savoir avant de se présenter devant un tribunal en Thaïlande explains the wider process.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 273/2498 (1955)
Section 122 is not an absolute prohibition against an investigating officer acting on an anonymous accusation letter; the officer retains discretion to investigate.
In a case charging an official with unlawfully receiving money, the Supreme Court held that Section 122 does not absolutely bar an investigator from investigating on the basis of an anonymous accusation letter, so the investigation was not invalid on that ground.
Décisions sélectionnées avec numéros de dossier vérifiés dans la base de données de la Cour suprême. Les versions anglaises sont des traductions éditoriales réalisées par le cabinet à des fins d'étude.
Foire aux questions
Can police refuse to investigate an anonymous tip?
They may. Under Section 122(3) an investigator has discretion to decline where the accusation is by anonymous letter or is unsigned, but it is a choice, not a ban on investigating.
Is Section 122 an absolute bar to investigating anonymous letters?
No. The Supreme Court has held that Section 122 does not absolutely prohibit an investigator from acting on an anonymous accusation letter.
What should an injured person do to avoid this?
Lodge a proper, signed complaint under the regulations, since an unsigned accusation or a mere request for help without a complaint gives the officer grounds to decline.