Article 156: Non-Criminal Death Inquest File Routing
Statutory text (Thai original)
ให้ส่งสำนวนชันสูตรพลิกศพในกรณีที่ความตายมิได้เป็นผลแห่งการกระทำผิดอาญาไปยังข้าหลวงประจำจังหวัด
English translation
In a case where the death was not the result of a criminal offence, the inquest file shall be sent to the provincial governor.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This short provision closes the inquest chapter by directing where the file goes when no crime is involved. If the inquest shows the death was not caused by a criminal act, there is no prosecution to pursue, so the file is routed administratively to the provincial governor (the office historically named khaluang pracham changwat) rather than to the prosecutor. It contrasts with deaths caused by an offence, which feed into the ordinary investigation and prosecution stream and, for custodial or official-caused deaths, the special procedures under Sections 150 and 155/1.
Why this matters in practice
In practice this means that if an inquest finds a natural, accidental or otherwise non-criminal death, the matter closes on the administrative side and no criminal case follows. If your family disagrees with a finding that a death was not caused by a crime, the decision point is the inquest itself, so the time to challenge the cause of death is before the file is closed, ideally with legal advice.
Foire aux questions
Que devient un dossier d'enquête lorsqu'un décès n'est pas un crime ?
En vertu de l'article 156, si le décès n'est pas dû à une infraction pénale, le dossier d'enquête est envoyé au gouverneur provincial plutôt qu'au procureur, et aucune poursuite pénale n'est engagée.
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Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Criminal Procedure Code, s. 156 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Criminal Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 156. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-156/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.อ. มาตรา 156 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-156/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-156/"><p>Dans le cas où le décès n'est pas le résultat d'une infraction pénale, le dossier d'enquête sera transmis au gouverneur provincial.</p><footer>Criminal Procedure Code, s. 156 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-156/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.