Section 365 — Enforcing arrest, and parallel criminal liability
Statutory text (Thai original)
การจับกุมและควบคุมตัวบุคคลหนึ่งบุคคลใดตามบทบัญญัติในลักษณะนี้ ให้พนักงานฝ่ายปกครองหรือตำรวจตามประมวลกฎหมายวิธีพิจารณาความอาญามีหน้าที่ปฏิบัติตามคำสั่งหรือหมายของศาล หรือตามที่ได้รับแจ้งจากเจ้าพนักงานบังคับคดี
การจับกุม ควบคุมตัว หรือกักขังบุคคลหนึ่งบุคคลใดตามมาตรา ๒๗๙ วรรคสอง มาตรา ๒๘๔ มาตรา ๓๕๓ มาตรา ๓๖๑ และมาตรา ๓๖๔ ไม่ตัดสิทธิที่จะดำเนินคดีในความผิดอาญา
English translation
For the arrest and custody of any person under the provisions of this Title, administrative or police officials under the Criminal Procedure Code have the duty to comply with the order or warrant of the court, or with what they are notified of by the execution officer.
The arrest, custody, or detention of any person under Section 279 paragraph two, Section 284, Section 353, Section 361, and Section 364 does not preclude the right to institute proceedings for a criminal offence.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 365 supplies the operational and boundary rules for coercive arrest across the enforcement Title. Paragraph one designates administrative and police officers under the Criminal Procedure Code as the officials who must execute the court's orders and warrants, or act on the execution officer's notification, giving the civil detention regime practical force. Paragraph two makes clear that civil arrest, custody, or detention under Sections 279 paragraph two, 284, 353, 361, and 364 is not a substitute for and does not bar criminal prosecution, so the same defiant conduct may attract both civil coercion and a criminal charge. The section is part of Chapter 7 as reorganised by the Amendment Act (No. 30) B.E. 2560 (2017).
Why this matters in practice
Two practical takeaways. First, court arrest orders in these cases are carried out by regular police and administrative officers, so they have real teeth and are not merely paper. Second, and importantly, a debtor who defies the court can face parallel consequences: civil detention to force compliance and a separate criminal case over the same conduct, for example destroying seized property or resisting officers. Anyone on either side of such enforcement should get proper legal advice, because the civil and criminal tracks run independently.
Frequently asked questions
Who actually carries out a civil arrest order in Thailand?
Under Section 365, administrative or police officials under the Criminal Procedure Code have the duty to comply with the court's order or warrant, or to act on notification from the execution officer.
Does civil detention protect a debtor from criminal charges?
No. Section 365 states that arrest, custody, or detention under the listed civil provisions does not preclude criminal proceedings, so the same conduct can lead to both civil coercion and a criminal case.