Section 105 — Seizing mail and telegrams
Statutory text (Thai original)
จดหมาย ไปรษณียบัตร โทรเลข สิ่งพิมพ์หรือเอกสารอื่นซึ่งส่งทางไปรษณีย์และโทรเลข จากหรือถึงผู้ต้องหาหรือจำเลย และยังมิได้ส่ง ถ้าเจ้าหน้าที่ต้องการเพื่อประโยชน์แห่งการสอบสวน ไต่สวนมูลฟ้อง พิจารณาหรือการกระทำอย่างอื่นตามประมวลกฎหมายนี้ ให้ขอคำสั่งจากศาลถึงเจ้าหน้าที่ไปรษณีย์โทรเลขให้ส่งเอกสารนั้นมาถ้าอธิบดีกรมตำรวจหรือข้าหลวงประจำจังหวัดเห็นว่าเอกสารนั้นต้องการใช้เพื่อการดังกล่าวแล้ว ระหว่างที่ขอคำสั่งต่อศาลมีอำนาจขอให้เจ้าหน้าที่ฝ่ายไปรษณีย์โทรเลขเก็บเอกสารนั้นไว้ก่อนบทบัญญัติแห่งมาตรานี้ไม่ใช้ถึงเอกสารโต้ตอบระหว่างผู้ต้องหาหรือจำเลยกับทนายความของผู้นั้น
English translation
Letters, postcards, telegrams, printed matter, or other documents sent by post or telegraph from or to a suspect or accused and not yet delivered, if the official requires them for the purpose of an investigation, preliminary examination, trial, or any other act under this Code, shall be obtained by applying for a court order directing the post and telegraph official to send such documents.
If the Director-General of the Police Department or the provincial governor is of the opinion that such documents are required for the said purpose, he may, during the period of applying for the court order, request the post and telegraph official to retain such documents beforehand.
The provisions of this Section shall not apply to correspondence exchanged between the suspect or accused and his lawyer.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 105 governs access to postal and telegraphic communications of a suspect or accused within Chapter 2 (Search). Unlike an ordinary search, obtaining undelivered mail or telegrams requires a court order to the postal or telegraph office; only an interim hold may be requested by the Director-General of Police or a provincial governor while that order is sought. The final paragraph carves out lawyer-client correspondence, protecting the confidentiality of the defence. The terminology reflects the era of enactment (post and telegraph, Director-General of the Police Department).
Why this matters in practice
This provision is an important privacy safeguard: your undelivered mail and telegrams cannot simply be handed to investigators without a court order. Critically, correspondence between you and your lawyer is protected and falls outside this power, which supports confidential communication in preparing a defence. If you believe communications were seized without a proper order, that can be raised. For confidential help, consider an online consultation with a Thai lawyer.
Frequently asked questions
Can police read a suspect's mail during an investigation?
Only by court order. Section 105 requires a court order directing the postal or telegraph office to send undelivered mail or telegrams to or from a suspect or accused.
Is correspondence with my lawyer protected?
Yes. Section 105 expressly does not apply to correspondence exchanged between the suspect or accused and their lawyer, protecting the confidentiality of the defence.
Can police hold my mail before getting the court order?
During the period of applying for the order, the Director-General of Police or the provincial governor may request the postal or telegraph office to retain the documents beforehand, but not to hand them over without the court order.