Section 261 bis — Collective Pardon by Royal Decree
Texte légal (original thaï)
ในกรณีที่คณะรัฐมนตรีเห็นเป็นการสมควรจะถวายคำแนะนำต่อพระมหากษัตริย์ขอให้พระราชทานอภัยโทษแก่ผู้ต้องโทษก็ได้ การพระราชทานอภัยโทษตามวรรคหนึ่ง ให้ตราเป็นพระราชกฤษฎีกา
traduction anglaise
Where the Council of Ministers deems it appropriate, it may submit a recommendation to the King requesting a royal pardon for convicted persons. A royal pardon under paragraph one shall be enacted as a Royal Decree.
Cette traduction anglaise est fournie à titre indicatif uniquement et n'a pas encore été vérifiée de manière définitive ; référez-vous toujours à l'original thaï.
Annotation de l'entreprise
Section 261 ทวิ complements the individual pardon route in section 261 by providing for a collective pardon initiated by the Council of Ministers rather than by a case-specific petition. The defining feature is the legal instrument: a collective pardon under this section is enacted as a Royal Decree, which sets out the categories of offenders and the extent of remission or release. In practice these Royal Decrees are the mass amnesties issued on important royal occasions, applying eligibility criteria uniformly rather than assessing individual merits under sections 262 to 264.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
For prisoners and families, this is the amnesty most people mean when they speak of a pardon on a royal occasion: eligibility and the amount of remission are fixed by the Royal Decree itself, and prison authorities apply its criteria to each inmate. There is no petition to file and no discretionary hearing; whether an inmate benefits depends entirely on meeting the decree's stated conditions (offence type, remaining term, conduct). Anyone unsure how a particular decree applies to their case should check its specific schedules rather than assume automatic release.
Foire aux questions
What is a collective royal pardon in Thailand?
It is a general pardon under section 261 ทวิ, recommended by the Council of Ministers and enacted as a Royal Decree, usually remitting or reducing sentences for whole categories of prisoners at once.
Do I need to file a petition for a collective pardon?
No. A collective pardon under section 261 ทวิ applies automatically to prisoners who meet the criteria set out in the Royal Decree; there is no individual petition to submit.