Article 126: Amending or withdrawing a complaint
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ร้องทุกข์จะแก้คำร้องทุกข์ระยะใด หรือจะถอนคำร้องทุกข์เสียเมื่อใดก็ได้ในคดีซึ่งมิใช่ความผิดต่อส่วนตัว การถอนคำร้องทุกข์เช่นนั้นย่อมไม่ตัดอำนาจพนักงานสอบสวนที่จะสอบสวนหรือพนักงานอัยการที่จะฟ้องคดีนั้น
English translation
A complainant may amend his complaint at any stage, or withdraw his complaint at any time. In a case that is not a compoundable offence, such withdrawal of the complaint does not deprive the investigating officer of the power to investigate, or the public prosecutor of the power to file that case.
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 confirms the complainant's freedom to amend or withdraw a complaint, and draws the crucial line between compoundable and state offences. For a compoundable offence, a lawful withdrawal can extinguish the right to prosecute under Section 39(2); for a state offence, withdrawal has no such effect and the case proceeds regardless. The courts stress that only a valid, lawful withdrawal, made before the case becomes final and with proper authority, produces that extinguishing effect, so who withdraws and how matters as much as the fact of withdrawal.
Why this matters in practice
If your dispute involves a compoundable offence, such as embezzlement, fraud between private parties, or defamation, withdrawing the complaint can permanently end the criminal case, which is often part of a settlement. But withdrawal must be done properly and by someone with authority, or it will not have that effect. For a state offence like public fraud, withdrawing does nothing, the prosecutor can still proceed. Because these distinctions decide whether a case dies or continues, consider settlement and dispute resolution options with a lawyer before withdrawing.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 4903/2565 (2022)
The right to withdraw a complaint at any time under Section 126 paragraph one applies to compoundable offences such as embezzlement, but the withdrawal must be lawful to extinguish the right to prosecute; where the withdrawal concerns a child's property right, proper authority is required.
The charges were embezzlement under Penal Code Sections 353 and 354, compoundable under Section 356. The Supreme Court confirmed the complainant's right to withdraw under Section 126 paragraph one, but held that a withdrawal that extinguishes the right to prosecute under Section 39(2) must be lawful, and since withdrawing an embezzlement complaint concerns a property right, it required proper authority.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 747/2565 (2022)
Public fraud under Penal Code Section 343 and offences under the Computer Crime Act are state offences, so even if the injured person withdraws the complaint, the prosecutor's power to file is not cut off and the right to prosecute is not extinguished under Section 126.
The Supreme Court held that public fraud and the computer-crime offences were state offences. Under Section 126, even if the injured person withdrew the complaint, the prosecutor's power to file was not affected and the right to prosecute was not extinguished.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 6844/2554 (2011)
A complainant has the right to withdraw a complaint before the case becomes final under Section 126 paragraph one; a written statement that the injured person no longer wishes to prosecute may be treated as a request to withdraw the complaint.
The injured person filed a statement that she no longer wished to prosecute, and the plaintiff did not contest it. The Supreme Court held this had the character of a request to withdraw the complaint, which the injured person had the right to make before the case became final under Section 126 paragraph one.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Cited in 18 Supreme Court decisions (1971 to 2022)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 4903/2565 (2022)
- Décision 747/2565 (2022)
- Decision 8750/2554 (2011)
- Decision 372/2549 (2006)
- Decision 7563/2544 (2001)
- Decision 3834/2528 (1985)
- Decision 2292/2526 (1983)
- Decision 11/2518 (1975)
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
- Article 39 16
- Article 91 du Code pénal thaïlandais 5
- Article 83 du Code pénal thaïlandais 4
- Thai Penal Code s. 276 4
- Article 78 du Code pénal thaïlandais 3
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
Est-il possible de retirer une plainte déposée auprès de la police en Thaïlande ?
Oui. En vertu de l'article 126, un plaignant peut retirer sa plainte à tout moment, mais pour une infraction d'État, le retrait n'interrompt pas l'enquête ni les poursuites.
Le retrait d'une plainte met-il fin à une procédure pouvant faire l'objet d'un accord transactionnel ?
C'est possible. Un retrait légal avant que l'affaire ne soit définitive peut éteindre le droit de poursuivre une infraction susceptible de transaction en vertu de l'article 39(2), mais il doit être effectué correctement et par une personne habilitée.
Le retrait d'un bien peut-il être utile dans une affaire de fraude publique ?
Non. La fraude publique est une infraction d'État, donc en vertu de l'article 126, le retrait de la plainte ne prive pas le procureur du pouvoir de la déposer.
Guides connexes sur ThaiLawOnline
Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Criminal Procedure Code, s. 126 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Criminal Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 126. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-126/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.อ. มาตรา 126 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-126/ -
Intégrer sur votre site
<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-126/"><p>A complainant may amend his complaint at any stage, or withdraw his complaint at any time. In a case that is not a compoundable offence, such withdrawal of the complaint does not deprive the investigating officer of the power to investigate, or the public prosecutor…</p><footer>Criminal Procedure Code, s. 126 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-126/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.