Article 123: Lodging a complaint by the victim
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้เสียหายอาจร้องทุกข์ต่อพนักงานสอบสวนได้คำร้องทุกข์นั้นต้องปรากฏชื่อและที่อยู่ของผู้ร้องทุกข์ ลักษณะแห่งความผิด พฤติการณ์ต่าง ๆ ที่ความผิดนั้นได้กระทำลง ความเสียหายที่ได้รับและชื่อหรือรูปพรรณของผู้กระทำผิดเท่าที่จะบอกได้คำร้องทุกข์นี้จะทำเป็นหนังสือหรือร้องด้วยปากก็ได้ ถ้าเป็นหนังสือต้องมีวันเดือนปีและลายมือชื่อของผู้ร้องทุกข์ ถ้าร้องด้วยปาก ให้พนักงานสอบสวนบันทึกไว้ ลงวันเดือนปีและลงลายมือชื่อผู้บันทึกกับผู้ร้องทุกข์ในบันทึกนั้น
English translation
An injured person may lodge a complaint with an investigating officer. The complaint must state the name and address of the complainant, the nature of the offence, the various circumstances in which the offence was committed, the damage suffered, and the name or description of the offender so far as this can be given. The complaint may be made in writing or orally. If in writing, it must bear the date and the signature of the complainant. If made orally, the investigating officer shall record it, entering the date and the signatures of the person recording it and of the complainant on that record.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This General Principles provision defines what a valid complaint is and what it must contain. It matters because, for compoundable offences, a proper complaint is the precondition to any investigation (Section 121 paragraph two) and to the prosecutor's power to file (Section 120). The listed particulars, the offence, the circumstances, and the damage, are the minimum information that gives the investigator authority to act. Paragraph three governs oral complaints and requires them to be recorded and signed. The provision is applied together with Sections 124 to 127 on where and how complaints and accusations are made.
Why this matters in practice
When you report a crime, give complete details: your identity, exactly what happened, the loss you suffered, and who did it if you know. Those particulars are what legally trigger the investigator's power, especially for compoundable offences where a defective complaint can sink the whole case. Keep in mind that by naming yourself and describing the offence you are exercising a legal duty of a complainant, not consenting to public disclosure of your identity. If a serious complaint is involved, an online consultation with a Thai lawyer before filing can help you get the wording right.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 326/2566 (2023)
A complaint that states the nature of the offence, the circumstances, and the damage suffered under Section 123 is the basic information that gives the investigator power to investigate; the investigator may then gather all kinds of evidence, including facts he finds himself, without notifying the accused.
The Supreme Court held that when the joint plaintiff lodged a complaint stating the nature of the offence, the circumstances, and the damage under Section 123, that gave the investigator power to investigate. The investigator was then entitled to gather all evidence, including the additional loss he traced through bank records, without notifying the defendant.
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Arrêt n° 29/2564 de la Cour suprême (2021)
The absence of a produced record of an oral complaint under Section 123 paragraph three does not necessarily mean no such record existed; and for state offences the investigator has power to investigate on his own without a prior complaint.
The defendant argued that no record of the victim's oral complaint under Section 123 paragraph three had been produced. The Supreme Court held this did not prove no record existed, and noted that because the charges were state offences the investigator had power to investigate on his own without a prior complaint.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 4893/2558 (2015)
Stating one's name, the nature of the offence, and the circumstances when lodging a complaint is a duty imposed on the injured person by Section 123 to protect their own rights; it cannot be treated as consent to public disclosure of their identity.
The Supreme Court rejected the argument that, by disclosing his name and the events to the investigator, the plaintiff had consented to publication. Providing that information is a complainant's duty under Section 123 to protect his rights, and the news coverage went beyond mere reporting of the criminal proceedings.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Cited in 27 Supreme Court decisions (1949 to 2026)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 266/2569 (2026)
- Decision 326/2566 (2023)
- Decision 1729/2565 (2022)
- Decision 6637/2558 (2015)
- Decision 4560/2558 (2015)
- Decision 1287/2553 (2010)
- Decision 3915/2551 (2008)
- Decision 4826/2550 (2007)
Cette liste est sélectionnée automatiquement, en privilégiant les jugements qui reposent sur cet article plutôt que sur ceux qui se contentent de le citer lors du prononcé de la peine. Elle n'a pas encore été examinée par le cabinet.
Le plus souvent cité aux côtés de
- Section 2 14
- Article 83 du Code pénal thaïlandais 8
- Article 91 du Code pénal thaïlandais 8
- Article 121 8
- Thai Penal Code s. 341 6
- Article 120 5
Sections qui apparaissent le plus souvent dans les mêmes jugements que celui-ci. Le chiffre correspond au nombre de décisions.
Calculé sur l'ensemble du corpus de 83 652 décisions de la Cour suprême du cabinet, de 1921 à 2026. Le décompte est exhaustif ; la plage d'années indiquée élimine les valeurs aberrantes rares afin de refléter la répartition réelle des citations. Ces chiffres sont calculés par nos soins et ne constituent pas des statistiques officielles de la Cour. Comment nous les comptons et ce que nous avons mesuré
Foire aux questions
Que doit contenir une plainte pénale en Thaïlande ?
En vertu de l'article 123, il doit indiquer le nom et l'adresse du plaignant, la nature de l'infraction, les circonstances, le dommage subi et le nom ou la description du contrevenant dans la mesure où il est connu.
Une plainte peut-elle être déposée oralement ?
Oui. En vertu de l'article 123, une plainte orale est autorisée, mais l'enquêteur doit la consigner par écrit et l'agent et le plaignant doivent tous deux dater et signer le procès-verbal.
Le fait de se nommer dans une plainte signifie-t-il que l'on consent à la publicité de son nom ?
Non. La Cour suprême a statué que le fait de déclarer son nom et l'infraction constitue une obligation légale pour le plaignant en vertu de l'article 123, et non un consentement à la divulgation publique de son identité.
Guides connexes sur ThaiLawOnline
Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Criminal Procedure Code, s. 123 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Criminal Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 123. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-123/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.อ. มาตรา 123 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-123/ -
Intégrer sur votre site
<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-123/"><p>An injured person may lodge a complaint with an investigating officer. The complaint must state the name and address of the complainant, the nature of the offence, the various circumstances in which the offence was committed, the damage suffered, and the name or description of…</p><footer>Criminal Procedure Code, s. 123 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-123/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.