Section 126 — Deciding disputed authenticity of a document
Statutory text (Thai original)
ภายใต้บังคับแห่งบทบัญญัติมาตราต่อไปนี้ ถ้าคู่ความที่ถูกอีกฝ่ายหนึ่งอ้างอิงเอกสารมาเป็นพยานหลักฐานยันแก่ตน ปฏิเสธความแท้จริงของเอกสารนั้น หรือความถูกต้องแห่งสำเนาเอกสารนั้น และคู่ความฝ่ายที่อ้างยังคงยืนยันความแท้จริงหรือความถูกต้องแห่งสำเนาของเอกสาร ถ้าศาลเห็นสมควร ให้ศาลชี้ขาดข้อโต้เถียงนั้นได้ทันทีในเมื่อเห็นว่าไม่จำเป็นต้องสืบพยานหลักฐานต่อไป หรือมิฉะนั้นให้ชี้ขาดในเมื่อได้สืบพยานตามวิธีต่อไปนี้ทั้งหมดหรือโดยวิธีใดวิธีหนึ่ง คือ
(๑) ตรวจสอบบรรดาเอกสารที่มิได้ถูกคัดค้านแล้วจดลงไว้ซึ่งการมีอยู่หรือข้อความแห่งเอกสารที่ถูกคัดค้าน
(๒) ซักถามพยานที่ทราบการมีอยู่หรือข้อความแห่งเอกสารที่ถูกคัดค้าน หรือพยานผู้ที่สามารถเบิกความในข้อความแท้จริงแห่งเอกสาร หรือความถูกต้องแห่งสำเนา
(๓) ให้ผู้เชี่ยวชาญตรวจสอบเอกสารที่ถูกคัดค้านนั้นในระหว่างที่ยังมิได้ชี้ขาดตัดสินคดี ให้ศาลยึดเอกสารที่สงสัยว่าปลอมหรือไม่ถูกต้องไว้ แต่ความข้อนี้ไม่บังคับถึงเอกสารราชการซึ่งทางราชการเรียกคืนไป
English translation
Subject to the provisions of the following sections, if a party against whom the other party cites a document as evidence denies the authenticity of that document or the correctness of the copy, and the citing party still affirms its authenticity or the correctness of the copy, the court may, if it thinks fit, decide the dispute at once where it considers that no further taking of evidence is necessary; otherwise it shall decide after taking evidence by all or any of the following methods, namely:
(1) examining the documents that have not been objected to and recording the existence or contents of the document objected to;
(2) questioning witnesses who know of the existence or contents of the document objected to, or witnesses who are able to testify to the true contents of the document or the correctness of the copy;
(3) having an expert examine the document objected to.
While the case has not yet been decided, the court shall impound a document suspected of being forged or incorrect, but this does not apply to an official document that the authorities have recalled.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 126 tells the court how to resolve a live dispute over a document's authenticity or a copy's correctness once a party has objected under Section 125 and the other party stands by the document. The court has discretion to decide immediately if further evidence is unnecessary, or to investigate through three listed methods: checking uncontested documents, questioning knowledgeable witnesses, and expert examination. It may use all or any of them, so an expert report is one tool rather than a decisive verdict. As a safeguard the court impounds a document suspected of forgery until judgment, except official documents recalled by the authorities. The section works after Section 125 and alongside Section 127 on the presumption of authenticity for public documents.
Why this matters in practice
If you challenge a document as forged or a copy as wrong, do not rely on an expert report alone, because Section 126 treats expert opinion as just one of several methods and the court weighs it with everything else. Build corroboration: witnesses to the document, comparison with uncontested documents, and any circumstantial signs. Remember that a document suspected of forgery is impounded until the case ends, so plan around not having it in hand. Authenticity fights are technical and outcome-driving, so it is worth taking legal advice on strategy.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 696/2503 (1960)
An expert's opinion under Section 126 is only one item of evidence among others, and the opinion alone is not sufficient for the court to decide the authenticity or correctness of a document such as a will.
In a dispute over whether a will was forged, the Supreme Court held that the expert's opinion was merely one piece of evidence the plaintiff might use, and that the expert opinion alone was not enough for the court to decide the will's authenticity under Section 126.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
How does the court decide if a document is genuine?
Under Section 126, when authenticity is disputed the court may decide at once or take evidence by checking uncontested documents, questioning witnesses, or using an expert.
Is an expert's opinion enough to prove forgery?
Not by itself. Section 126 lists expert examination as only one method, so the court weighs the expert opinion together with the other evidence.
What happens to a document suspected of being forged?
The court impounds it until the case is decided, except for an official document that the authorities have recalled.