Section 116 — Withdrawing bail security
Statutory text (Thai original)
การขอถอนสัญญาประกันหรือขอถอนหลักประกัน ย่อมทำได้เมื่อผู้ทำสัญญามอบตัวผู้ต้องหาหรือจำเลยคืนต่อเจ้าพนักงานหรือศาล
English translation
An application to withdraw the bail bond or to withdraw the security may be made when the person who made the contract surrenders the accused or defendant back to the officer or the court.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 116 sets the single condition on which a surety can exit the bail arrangement: surrendering the accused or defendant back to the officer or the court. Withdrawal of the bond or security is not a matter of the surety's free choice; it is tied to physically returning the person whose appearance the bond guarantees. The Supreme Court has applied this strictly, holding that until the surety produces the accused or defendant, there is no right to withdraw the security, and a court cannot even act on a related request (such as withdrawing an appeal) while the person remains at large on that bail. It works with Section 118, under which the security is returned once liability is discharged.
Why this matters in practice
If you are a surety and want out, this section is unambiguous: you must physically hand the accused or defendant back to the court or the responsible official first; there is no paper-only release from liability. Timing is critical, because the courts will not treat your obligation as ended, or return your security, until the surrender actually happens. A surety who has lost contact with the accused should seek advice quickly, as exposure continues until surrender or the case ends. See /book-consultation/.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 10072/2558 (2015)
Under Section 116, withdrawal of the security may be made only when the person who made the contract surrenders the defendant back to the court; where the surety has not yet delivered the defendant, there is no right to withdraw the security.
The sureties sought to withdraw their security, but had not surrendered the second defendant to the court. The Supreme Court held that, under Section 116, no right to withdraw the security had yet arisen.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5087/2568 (2025)
While a defendant is on provisional release during a Supreme Court appeal, it is the surety's duty under Section 116 to surrender the defendant back to the court official or the court; until surrender is made, the court cannot act on the defendant's request to withdraw the appeal.
The defendant on bail during appeal sought to withdraw the appeal, but the surety had not surrendered him. The Supreme Court held that, under Section 116, the trial court could not rule on the withdrawal until the surety produced the defendant.
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 can a surety end their liability under a bail contract?
Under Section 116 the surety must surrender the accused or defendant back to the officer or the court. Only then may they apply to withdraw the bail bond or security.
Can a surety withdraw security while the accused is still free?
No. The Supreme Court has held that until the surety produces the accused or defendant, there is no right to withdraw the security, and the surety's liability continues.