Section 21/1: Police Commissioner decides responsibility
Statutory text (Thai original)
สำหรับการสอบสวนซึ่งอยู่ในความรับผิดชอบของเจ้าพนักงานตำรวจ ในกรณีที่ไม่แน่ว่าพนักงานสอบสวนคนใดในจังหวัดเดียวกันหรือในกองบัญชาการเดียวกันควรเป็นพนักงานสอบสวนผู้รับผิดชอบ ให้ผู้บัญชาการซึ่งเป็นผู้บังคับบัญชาของพนักงานสอบสวนนั้นเป็นผู้ชี้ขาดการรอคำสั่งชี้ขาด ไม่เป็นเหตุให้งดการสอบสวน
English translation
For an inquiry which is under the responsibility of police officials, in the case where it is uncertain which inquiry official in the same province or in the same command should be the responsible inquiry official, the Commissioner who is the superior of that inquiry official shall be the person to decide. Awaiting the decision shall not be a ground for suspending the inquiry.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified. Always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 21/1 modernizes the tie-breaker of Section 21 for police-run inquiries by routing the decision through the police chain of command. Where uncertainty arises between inquiry officials in the same province or within the same command, the Commissioner who is their superior decides who is responsible, aligning the decision-maker with the current structure of the police service rather than the older provincial-governor model. Like Section 21, it preserves momentum by stating that awaiting the decision does not suspend the inquiry. The section applies specifically to inquiries under police responsibility, and it should be read alongside Sections 18 to 21 as part of the framework allocating inquiry responsibility.
Why this matters in practice
For most defendants this is an internal administrative rule rather than a defense: it settles which police inquiry official is responsible without stopping the investigation. Its practical effect is to prevent delay and to give a clear answer inside the police service when responsibility is contested. If your concern is not merely which of two officials should act but whether any of them had jurisdiction at all, that is governed by Sections 18 to 20, and a licensed Thai lawyer can identify which question your case actually raises.
Foire aux questions
Qui décide quel officier de police chargé de l'enquête est responsable en vertu de l'article 21/1 ?
Pour les enquêtes relevant de la responsabilité de la police, lorsqu'il est difficile de déterminer quel fonctionnaire de la même province ou du même commandement est responsable, c'est le commissaire qui est leur supérieur hiérarchique qui tranche.
En quoi l'article 21/1 diffère-t-il de l'article 21 ?
L'article 21/1 concerne spécifiquement les enquêtes menées par la police et confère la décision au commissaire de police, tandis que l'article 21 fait intervenir le gouverneur provincial et le procureur général. Tous deux poursuivent l'enquête dans l'attente de la décision.
Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Criminal Procedure Code, s. 21/1 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Criminal Procedure Code (Thailand), s. 21/1. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-21-1/ (accessed 1 septembre 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.วิ.อ. มาตรา 21/1 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-21-1/ -
Intégrer sur votre site
<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-21-1/"><p>For an inquiry which is under the responsibility of police officials, in the case where it is uncertain which inquiry official in the same province or in the same command should be the responsible inquiry official, the Commissioner who is the superior of that inquiry…</p><footer>Criminal Procedure Code, s. 21/1 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-criminal-procedure-code/section-21-1/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.