Section 127 — Presumption of authenticity of public documents
Statutory text (Thai original)
เอกสารมหาชนซึ่งพนักงานเจ้าหน้าที่ได้ทำขึ้นหรือรับรอง หรือสำเนาอันรับรองถูกต้องแห่งเอกสารนั้น และเอกสารเอกชนที่มีคำพิพากษาแสดงว่าเป็นของแท้จริงและถูกต้องนั้น ให้สันนิษฐานไว้ก่อนว่าเป็นของแท้จริงและถูกต้อง เป็นหน้าที่ของคู่ความฝ่ายที่ถูกอ้างเอกสารนั้นมายัน ต้องนำสืบความไม่บริสุทธิ์หรือความไม่ถูกต้องแห่งเอกสาร
English translation
A public document made or certified by a competent official, or a certified true copy of such a document, and a private document that has been adjudged by a judgment to be genuine and correct, are presumed to be genuine and correct. It is the duty of the party against whom such a document is cited to prove its lack of genuineness or its incorrectness.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 127 creates a rebuttable presumption of authenticity for two categories: official or public documents (and certified true copies of them) and private documents that a court has already adjudged genuine. The practical effect is to shift the burden: the party against whom the document is cited must prove it is not genuine or is incorrect, rather than the citing party having to prove authenticity from scratch. This is especially significant for land title deeds and other official records, which are treated as presumptively correct and often combine with substantive presumptions in the Civil and Commercial Code, such as the possession presumption in Section 1373. The presumption is only a starting point and can be overcome by sufficient contrary evidence.
Why this matters in practice
If your case rests on a land title deed or another official record, Section 127 works in your favour: the record is presumed genuine and correct, so the other side must disprove it. If you are the one challenging such a document, plan to carry a real evidential burden, because a bare denial will not defeat the presumption. For property and inheritance disputes this presumption often decides who must prove what, so map the burden early with the help of a lawyer.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1589/2567 (2024)
A land title deed is a public document made by a competent official and is presumed genuine and correct under Section 127, so the party disputing ownership bears the burden of proof under Section 84/1.
Because the title deed named a person as owner, it was a public document presumed genuine under Section 127, giving the plaintiff the benefit of the presumption under Civil and Commercial Code Section 1373. The second defendant therefore bore the burden under Section 84/1 to prove the adverse possession claim.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4052/2567 (2024)
Copies certified as correct by competent officials are treated as genuine and correct under Section 127, and may be relied on as evidence even though they are only copies.
Although the documents were copies, officials had certified them as correct, so the court held they were genuine and correct under Section 127 and found the disputed land was reserved outside the highway zone for road use.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1780/2567 (2024)
A certified copy of a land title deed issued by an official is a public document presumed genuine and correct under Section 127, and may show that seized land is registered to someone other than the judgment debtor.
The plaintiff's representative filed a recently certified copy of the title deed, a public document presumed genuine under Section 127, showing the land was registered to a person other than the judgment debtor, so the enforcement officer had no power to seize it.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Is a land title deed presumed genuine in court?
Yes. A title deed is a public document made by an official, so under Section 127 it is presumed genuine and correct, and the party disputing it must prove otherwise.
Who must prove a public document is false?
The party against whom the document is cited. Section 127 places the burden of proving the document is not genuine or incorrect on that party.
Does a certified copy get the same presumption?
Yes. A certified true copy of a public document made or certified by an official is presumed genuine and correct under Section 127, just like the original.