Section 107 — Prompt decision on bail
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อได้รับคำร้องให้ปล่อยชั่วคราว
ให้เจ้าพนักงานหรือศาลรีบสั่งอย่างรวดเร็วและผู้ต้องหาหรือจำเลยทุกคนพึงได้รับอนุญาตให้ปล่อยชั่วคราว
โดยอาศัยหลักเกณฑ์ตามที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรา ๑๐๘ มาตรา ๑๐๘/๑ มาตรา ๑๐๙ มาตรา ๑๑๐
มาตรา ๑๑๑ มาตรา ๑๑๒ มาตรา ๑๑๓ และมาตรา ๑๑๓/๑คำสั่งให้ปล่อยชั่วคราวตามวรรคหนึ่ง
ให้ผู้เกี่ยวข้องดำเนินการตามคำสั่งดังกล่าวโดยทันที
English translation
When an application for provisional release is received, the competent officer or the court shall issue an order without delay, and every accused or defendant is entitled to be granted provisional release, on the basis of the criteria laid down in Section 108, Section 108/1, Section 109, Section 110, Section 111, Section 112, Section 113 and Section 113/1. As to an order granting provisional release under paragraph one, the persons concerned shall carry out that order immediately.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 107 opens Chapter 3 on provisional release and states the general principle: bail is the norm, refusal the exception. It directs the competent officer (inquiry official or public prosecutor) or the court to decide a bail application swiftly, and it channels every decision through the criteria in the sections that follow, from Section 108 (factors to weigh) and Section 108/1 (grounds to refuse) through the security and bond provisions of Sections 110 to 113/1. The closing paragraph requires immediate execution of a release order, so the accused is not held longer than the order allows.
Why this matters in practice
For a person in custody, this section is the legal basis for insisting on a quick ruling rather than an open-ended wait. If you are preparing a bail application, frame it around the Section 108 criteria and be ready to answer any objection. Understanding how the hearing works helps: see /what-to-know-before-you-go-to-court-in-thailand/. Note that a refusal is governed by Section 108/1 and must be reasoned in writing.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1308/2511 (1968)
The inquiry official has the duty to receive bail applications for suspects in custody who have not yet been charged in court, and to rule on those applications and take a bail contract under the Criminal Procedure Code, including Sections 106, 107, 112 and 113.
The court treated the inquiry officials of the police station as officials empowered by law to receive and decide bail applications and to take bail contracts, and therefore competent to sue on such a contract, confirming that ruling on bail requests falls within the inquiry official's statutory duty.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Does Section 107 mean bail must always be granted?
No. It states that every accused or defendant should as a rule be granted provisional release, but release is still weighed against the criteria in Sections 108 and 108/1, which allow refusal on defined grounds.
How quickly must a bail application be decided?
Section 107 requires the officer or court to issue an order without delay, and once release is ordered the persons concerned must act on it immediately.