Article 44 — How and when restitution is claimed
Texte légal (original thaï)
การเรียกทรัพย์สินหรือราคาคืนตามมาตราก่อน พนักงานอัยการจะขอรวมไปกับคดีอาญาหรือจะยื่นคำร้องในระยะใดระหว่างที่คดีอาญากำลังพิจารณาอยู่ในศาลชั้นต้นก็ได้คำพิพากษาในส่วนเรียกทรัพย์สินหรือราคาให้รวมเป็นส่วนหนึ่งแห่งคำพิพากษาในคดีอาญา
traduction anglaise
The claim for return of the property or its value under the preceding section may be included by the public prosecutor together with the criminal case, or may be filed by motion at any time while the criminal case is being tried in the Court of First Instance. The judgment on the part claiming the property or its value shall form part of the judgment in the criminal case.
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 44 is the procedural companion to section 43. It fixes two things: the timing window, from the charge itself up to any point while the case is before the Court of First Instance, and the form of the result, since the restitution ruling is merged into the criminal judgment rather than issued separately. In practice the trial court, when it convicts, will decide in the same judgment that seized property be returned to the injured person, drawing on this section together with section 186(9) on the contents of a judgment. Compensation for personal injury or other loss beyond return of property runs on a separate track under section 44/1.
Pourquoi cela est important en pratique
The window to add a restitution claim stays open only while the case is in the Court of First Instance, so it is not something to leave until appeal. If you are the victim and want your property or its value back, confirm early that the prosecutor has actually included the claim, because the court's power to order return depends on it being properly before the court. Where you also want compensation for other losses, note that comes under a different section and has its own deadline, so it is sensible to plan both at the start, ideally with input from a avocat thaïlandais.
Décisions de la Cour suprême interprétant cette section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1336/2564 (2021)
If the facts show the defendants stole the co-plaintiff's property, the court must rule in its judgment that the property be returned to the co-plaintiff, under Section 186(9) read with Section 44.
The Court explained that where the facts establish the defendants jointly stole the co-plaintiff's property, the judgment must include a ruling that the seized property be returned to the co-plaintiff, applying Section 186(9) together with Section 44. A third party who claims to be the true owner cannot intervene in the criminal case and must instead sue civilly under Section 48.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1037/2568 (2025)
A court cannot award compensation, such as loss of use, that was not properly claimed under Sections 43, 44 and 44/1, even if the defendant agreed to pay it.
The co-plaintiff had joined the case but did not file a motion seeking damages. The Court held it could not order the defendant to pay loss-of-use compensation, even though the defendant agreed to it, because that would not comply with Sections 43, 44 and 44/1; the award limited to the value of the motorcycle was correct.
Décisions sélectionnées avec numéros de dossier vérifiés dans la base de données de la Cour suprême. Les versions anglaises sont des traductions éditoriales réalisées par le cabinet à des fins d'étude.
Foire aux questions
When can the prosecutor add a claim to return stolen property?
At any time while the criminal case is being tried in the Court of First Instance, either included in the charge or later by motion under Section 44.
Is restitution decided in a separate judgment?
No. Under Section 44 the ruling on returning the property or its value forms part of the criminal judgment, not a separate decision.