Section 123 — Lodging a complaint by the victim
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้เสียหายอาจร้องทุกข์ต่อพนักงานสอบสวนได้คำร้องทุกข์นั้นต้องปรากฏชื่อและที่อยู่ของผู้ร้องทุกข์ ลักษณะแห่งความผิด พฤติการณ์ต่าง ๆ ที่ความผิดนั้นได้กระทำลง ความเสียหายที่ได้รับและชื่อหรือรูปพรรณของผู้กระทำผิดเท่าที่จะบอกได้คำร้องทุกข์นี้จะทำเป็นหนังสือหรือร้องด้วยปากก็ได้ ถ้าเป็นหนังสือต้องมีวันเดือนปีและลายมือชื่อของผู้ร้องทุกข์ ถ้าร้องด้วยปาก ให้พนักงานสอบสวนบันทึกไว้ ลงวันเดือนปีและลงลายมือชื่อผู้บันทึกกับผู้ร้องทุกข์ในบันทึกนั้น
English translation
An injured person may lodge a complaint with an investigating officer. The complaint must state the name and address of the complainant, the nature of the offence, the various circumstances in which the offence was committed, the damage suffered, and the name or description of the offender so far as this can be given. The complaint may be made in writing or orally. If in writing, it must bear the date and the signature of the complainant. If made orally, the investigating officer shall record it, entering the date and the signatures of the person recording it and of the complainant on that record.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This General Principles provision defines what a valid complaint is and what it must contain. It matters because, for compoundable offences, a proper complaint is the precondition to any investigation (Section 121 paragraph two) and to the prosecutor's power to file (Section 120). The listed particulars, the offence, the circumstances, and the damage, are the minimum information that gives the investigator authority to act. Paragraph three governs oral complaints and requires them to be recorded and signed. The provision is applied together with Sections 124 to 127 on where and how complaints and accusations are made.
Why this matters in practice
When you report a crime, give complete details: your identity, exactly what happened, the loss you suffered, and who did it if you know. Those particulars are what legally trigger the investigator's power, especially for compoundable offences where a defective complaint can sink the whole case. Keep in mind that by naming yourself and describing the offence you are exercising a legal duty of a complainant, not consenting to public disclosure of your identity. If a serious complaint is involved, an online consultation with a Thai lawyer before filing can help you get the wording right.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 326/2566 (2023)
A complaint that states the nature of the offence, the circumstances, and the damage suffered under Section 123 is the basic information that gives the investigator power to investigate; the investigator may then gather all kinds of evidence, including facts he finds himself, without notifying the accused.
The Supreme Court held that when the joint plaintiff lodged a complaint stating the nature of the offence, the circumstances, and the damage under Section 123, that gave the investigator power to investigate. The investigator was then entitled to gather all evidence, including the additional loss he traced through bank records, without notifying the defendant.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 29/2564 (2021)
The absence of a produced record of an oral complaint under Section 123 paragraph three does not necessarily mean no such record existed; and for state offences the investigator has power to investigate on his own without a prior complaint.
The defendant argued that no record of the victim's oral complaint under Section 123 paragraph three had been produced. The Supreme Court held this did not prove no record existed, and noted that because the charges were state offences the investigator had power to investigate on his own without a prior complaint.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4893/2558 (2015)
Stating one's name, the nature of the offence, and the circumstances when lodging a complaint is a duty imposed on the injured person by Section 123 to protect their own rights; it cannot be treated as consent to public disclosure of their identity.
The Supreme Court rejected the argument that, by disclosing his name and the events to the investigator, the plaintiff had consented to publication. Providing that information is a complainant's duty under Section 123 to protect his rights, and the news coverage went beyond mere reporting of the criminal proceedings.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
What must a criminal complaint in Thailand contain?
Under Section 123 it must state the complainant's name and address, the nature of the offence, the circumstances, the damage suffered, and the offender's name or description so far as known.
Can a complaint be made orally?
Yes. Under Section 123 an oral complaint is allowed, but the investigator must record it and both the officer and the complainant must date and sign the record.
Does naming yourself in a complaint mean you consent to publicity?
No. The Supreme Court has held that stating your name and the offence is a complainant's legal duty under Section 123, not consent to public disclosure of your identity.