Article 174: Order of Presenting the Case at Trial
Statutory text (Thai original)
ก่อนนำพยานเข้าสืบ โจทก์มีอำนาจเปิดคดีเพื่อให้ศาลทราบคดีโจทก์ คือแถลงถึงลักษณะของฟ้อง อีกทั้งพยานหลักฐานที่จะนำสืบเพื่อพิสูจน์ความผิดของจำเลย เสร็จแล้วให้โจทก์นำพยานเข้าสืบเมื่อสืบพยานโจทก์แล้ว จำเลยมีอำนาจเปิดคดีเพื่อให้ศาลทราบคดีจำเลย โดยแถลงข้อเท็จจริงหรือข้อกฎหมายซึ่งตั้งใจอ้างอิง ทั้งแสดงพยานหลักฐานที่จะนำสืบ เสร็จแล้วให้จำเลยนำพยานเข้าสืบเมื่อสืบพยานจำเลยเสร็จแล้ว โจทก์และจำเลยมีอำนาจแถลงปิดคดีของตนด้วยปาก หรือหนังสือหรือทั้งสองอย่างในระหว่างพิจารณา ถ้าศาลเห็นว่าไม่จำเป็นต้องสืบพยานหรือทำการอะไรอีก จะสั่งงดพยานหรือการนั้นเสียก็ได้
English translation
Before the prosecution examines its witnesses, the prosecutor has the power to open the case so that the court may understand the prosecution's case, that is, to state the nature of the charge as well as the evidence that will be adduced to prove the guilt of the defendant. Thereupon the prosecutor shall examine its witnesses. When the prosecution's witnesses have been examined, the defendant has the power to open the case so that the court may understand the defendant's case, by stating the facts or points of law intended to be relied upon and presenting the evidence that will be adduced; thereupon the defendant shall examine its witnesses. When the examination of the defendant's witnesses is completed, the prosecutor and the defendant have the power to make a closing statement of their case orally, in writing, or both. During the trial, if the court is of the opinion that it is unnecessary to examine any further witnesses or to take any further action, it may order that such examination or action be dispensed with.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 174 sits in Title 2 (Trial) and lays out the sequence of a contested criminal trial: prosecution opening and evidence, defence opening and evidence, then closing statements. The final paragraph gives the court discretion to dispense with any further witness or step it considers unnecessary, a power the Supreme Court has upheld so long as the omitted evidence is not material to the charge or defence. It works alongside section 227 on the standard of proof, because the prosecution bears the burden of proving the defendant's guilt beyond reasonable doubt through the evidence it presents here.
Why this matters in practice
For a defendant, this section is the backbone of the trial: you are entitled to open your case, state your legal defences, and call witnesses only after the prosecution has presented its evidence. Note that the court can lawfully refuse to hear defence witnesses it finds immaterial, so counsel must be ready to explain why each witness is essential to the charge or the defence. If you are unsure how a Thai criminal trial unfolds in practice, our guide on what to know before you go to court in Thailand is a useful starting point.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 2384/2566 (2023)
The trial court's discretion to dispense with defence witnesses is lawful where those witnesses are not material to the nature of the charge or the defence.
The third defendant challenged the trial court's order dispensing with two of his witnesses. The Supreme Court held that because those witnesses were not material to whether he knew the banknotes were counterfeit when he received them, the order under the last paragraph of Section 174 was lawful, and dismissed his appeal on this point.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 5042/2562 (2019)
The last paragraph of Section 174 is discretionary: where the defendant's act is no offence in law, the court may dispense with taking his plea and with both parties' evidence without being bound to hear witnesses.
The prosecutor argued the court was bound to hear the evidence. The Supreme Court held that where, on the applicable law, the second defendant committed no offence, the court could dispense with taking his plea and with both parties' evidence under the discretionary power in the last paragraph of Section 174; this was not a device to shield the defendant.
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Arrêt de la Cour suprême n° 7826/2560 (2017)
In a criminal case the prosecutor bears the duty under Section 174 to prove the charge, and the facts must be established beyond reasonable doubt; where doubt remains, the benefit of the doubt goes to the defendant.
The prosecution's evidence, that the defendant was found alone with a firearm, raised suspicion but did not logically confirm guilt. The Supreme Court held the prosecution had not met its duty under Section 174 to prove the firearm-possession charge beyond reasonable doubt, so the benefit of the doubt was given to the defendant under Section 227 paragraph two.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Cited in 29 Supreme Court decisions (1948 to 2024)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 2384/2566 (2023)
- Décision 7826/2560 (2017)
- Decision 1557/2547 (2004)
- Decision 1167/2546 (2003)
- Decision 8320/2544 (2001)
- Decision 5485/2539 (1996)
- Decision 969/2535 (1992)
- Decision 2666/2522 (1979)
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 83 du Code pénal thaïlandais 11
- Article 91 du Code pénal thaïlandais 11
- Article 172 6
- Article 227 5
- Article 220 5
- Article 78 du Code pénal thaïlandais 4
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
Qui présente ses preuves en premier lors d'un procès pénal thaïlandais ?
Le procureur présente ses preuves en premier. Conformément à l'article 174, le ministère public ouvre le dossier et interroge ses témoins avant que la défense ne présente ses preuves.
Le tribunal peut-il refuser d'entendre un témoin de la défense ?
Oui. Le dernier paragraphe de l'article 174 permet au tribunal de se dispenser de l'audition d'un témoin qu'il juge inutile, et la Cour suprême a confirmé cette disposition lorsque le témoin n'est pas pertinent pour l'accusation ou la défense.
Guides connexes sur ThaiLawOnline
Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Criminal Procedure Code, s. 174 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Criminal Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 174. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-174/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.อ. มาตรา 174 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-174/ -
Intégrer sur votre site
<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-174/"><p>Before the prosecution examines its witnesses, the prosecutor has the power to open the case so that the court may understand the prosecution's case, that is, to state the nature of the charge as well as the evidence that will be adduced to prove the…</p><footer>Criminal Procedure Code, s. 174 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-174/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.