Section 134/1 — Right to a lawyer at investigation
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในคดีที่มีอัตราโทษประหารชีวิต
หรือในคดีที่ผู้ต้องหามีอายุไม่เกินสิบแปดปีในวันที่พนักงานสอบสวนแจ้งข้อหา
ก่อนเริ่มถามคำให้การให้พนักงานสอบสวนถามผู้ต้องหาว่ามีทนายความหรือไม่
ถ้าไม่มีให้รัฐจัดหาทนายความให้ในคดีที่มีอัตราโทษจำคุก
ก่อนเริ่มถามคำให้การให้พนักงานสอบสวนถามผู้ต้องหาว่ามีทนายความหรือไม่
ถ้าไม่มีและผู้ต้องหาต้องการทนายความ ให้รัฐจัดหาทนายความให้การจัดหาทนายความตามวรรคหนึ่งหรือวรรคสอง
ให้พนักงานสอบสวนปฏิบัติตามหลักเกณฑ์ วิธีการ และเงื่อนไขที่กำหนดในกฎกระทรวง
และให้ทนายความที่รัฐจัดหาให้ได้รับเงินรางวัลและค่าใช้จ่ายตามระเบียบที่กระทรวงยุติธรรมกำหนดโดยได้รับความเห็นชอบจากกระทรวงการคลังเมื่อได้จัดหาทนายความให้แก่ผู้ต้องหาตามวรรคหนึ่ง
วรรคสอง หรือวรรคสามแล้ว ในกรณีจำเป็นเร่งด่วน หากทนายความไม่อาจมาพบผู้ต้องหาได้
โดยไม่แจ้งเหตุขัดข้องให้พนักงานสอบสวนทราบหรือแจ้งแต่ไม่มาพบผู้ต้องหาภายในเวลาอันสมควร
ให้พนักงานสอบสวนทำการสอบสวนผู้ต้องหาไปได้โดยไม่ต้องรอทนายความ
แต่พนักงานสอบสวนต้องบันทึกเหตุนั้นไว้ในสำนวนการสอบสวนด้วย
English translation
In a case carrying the death penalty, or in a case where the accused is not more than eighteen years of age on the day the inquiry official notifies the charge, before beginning to take the accused's statement the inquiry official shall ask the accused whether he has a lawyer; if not, the State shall provide a lawyer for him. In a case carrying a penalty of imprisonment, before beginning to take the accused's statement the inquiry official shall ask the accused whether he has a lawyer; if not and the accused wants a lawyer, the State shall provide a lawyer for him. The provision of a lawyer under paragraph one or paragraph two shall be carried out by the inquiry official in accordance with the rules, procedures, and conditions prescribed in a ministerial regulation, and the lawyer provided by the State shall receive a reward and expenses in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Ministry of Justice with the approval of the Ministry of Finance. Once a lawyer has been provided to the accused under paragraph one, paragraph two, or paragraph three, in a case of necessity and urgency, if the lawyer cannot come to meet the accused without notifying the inquiry official of the obstacle, or notifies but does not come to meet the accused within a reasonable time, the inquiry official may proceed to question the accused without waiting for the lawyer, but the inquiry official must record that reason in the investigation file.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Within Chapter 1 (Ordinary Inquiry), this section guarantees access to counsel before an accused is questioned. It creates two tiers: mandatory State-provided counsel in capital cases and for accused persons aged eighteen or under, and, in imprisonment cases, State-provided counsel only where the accused requests it. Paragraph three routes the mechanics through a ministerial regulation and funds the appointed lawyer from Ministry of Justice regulations with Ministry of Finance approval. Paragraph four provides a practical safety valve allowing questioning to proceed where a provided lawyer fails to attend within a reasonable time, subject to recording the reason. It works together with Section 134 on charging, Section 134/3 on the right to have a lawyer or trusted person attend, and Section 134/4 on the warning that precedes questioning.
Why this matters in practice
If you are questioned in a case that can lead to imprisonment, you can ask the State to provide a lawyer before you answer, and in death-penalty cases or where the accused is eighteen or under the State must provide one whether or not it is requested. Because a confession taken without proper attention to this right can be attacked, insisting on counsel before answering is a genuine protection. If you have been charged and want your own lawyer rather than an appointed one, you can book a consultation with a Thai lawyer quickly.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5873/2567 (2024)
Under Section 134/1 paragraph two, in an imprisonment case the inquiry official must ask the accused whether he has a lawyer before questioning, and provide one only where the accused has none and wants one.
The accused argued the investigation was unlawful because no lawyer was arranged in a high-penalty case. The Court applied Section 134/1 paragraph two: the record showed the officer notified the charge and rights and asked about a lawyer or trusted person, so the requirement, which is to provide counsel only when the accused has none and wants one, was met.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 108/2566 (2023)
Section 134/1 paragraphs one and two make it the inquiry official's duty to ask the accused whether he has a lawyer, and that question must be put before beginning to take the statement.
The accused claimed the investigation was unlawful because the charge record did not show any inquiry about a lawyer. The Court held Section 134/1 requires the officer to ask about counsel before taking the statement, and on the same-day records the officer had followed Section 134 and asked about a lawyer under Section 134/1 paragraph two.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Will the State give me a lawyer during a police investigation in Thailand?
Yes. Under Section 134/1, in death-penalty cases or where the accused is eighteen or under, the State must provide a lawyer automatically; in imprisonment cases the State provides one if the accused wants it.
Must the officer ask about a lawyer before questioning me?
Yes. Section 134/1 requires the inquiry official to ask whether the accused has a lawyer before beginning to take the statement.
What if the appointed lawyer does not show up?
In a case of necessity and urgency, if the provided lawyer does not attend within a reasonable time, the inquiry official may question the accused without waiting, but must record the reason in the file.