Section 139 — Recording and compiling the case file
Statutory text (Thai original)
ให้พนักงานสอบสวนบันทึกการสอบสวนตามหลักทั่วไปในประมวลกฎหมายนี้อันว่าด้วยการสอบสวนและให้เอาบันทึก เอกสารอื่นซึ่งได้มา อีกทั้งบันทึกและเอกสารทั้งหลายซึ่งเจ้าพนักงานอื่นผู้สอบสวนคดีเดียวกันนั้นส่งมารวมเข้าสำนวนไว้เอกสารที่ยื่นเป็นพยานให้รวมเข้าสำนวน ถ้าเป็นสิ่งของอย่างอื่นให้ทำบัญชีรายละเอียดรวมเข้าสำนวนไว้เพื่อประโยชน์ในการติดตามพยานให้ไปตามกำหนดนัดของศาล
ให้พนักงานสอบสวนบันทึกรายชื่อของพยานบุคคลทั้งหมดพร้อมที่อยู่หรือสถานที่ติดต่อ
หมายเลขโทรศัพท์หรือช่องทางอื่นที่ใช้ในการติดต่อพยานเหล่านั้นเก็บไว้ ณ
ที่ทำการของพนักงานสอบสวน
English translation
The inquiry official shall record the investigation according to the general principles of this Code concerning investigation, and shall place into the case file the records and other documents obtained, together with all records and documents that other officials investigating the same case have forwarded. Documents submitted as evidence shall be included in the case file; if they are other objects, a detailed inventory shall be made and included in the case file. For the benefit of tracing witnesses so that they attend on the dates appointed by the court, the inquiry official shall record the names of all witnesses together with their addresses or places of contact, telephone numbers, or other channels used to contact those witnesses, and shall keep this at the office of the inquiry official.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Closing out Chapter 1 (Ordinary Inquiry), this section imposes the record-keeping and file-compilation duties on the inquiry official. He must record the investigation in accordance with the Code's general rules, consolidate all records, documents, and exhibits, including those forwarded by other officials on the same case, and make a detailed inventory for physical objects. A distinct duty, added to aid trial preparation, requires keeping a full witness list with addresses, telephone numbers, or other contact channels at the office of the inquiry official, so witnesses can be traced for court appearances. It underpins the integrity of the case file that later moves to the prosecutor and the court.
Why this matters in practice
The case file is the backbone of the prosecution, so an inquiry official cannot simply set aside an earlier statement and treat it as unimportant; the record must reflect what was actually gathered. If you are a witness or an injured person, expect your contact details to be kept so the court can call you, and if you are the accused, the completeness and accuracy of the file can matter to your defense. To understand how the investigation file may affect your case, you can book a consultation with a Thai lawyer.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 929/2537 (1994)
Under Section 139, the inquiry official must record the investigation and consolidate all records and documents obtained into the case file, and cannot treat an earlier statement record as unimportant merely because a new one was later made.
The Court explained that Section 139 obliges the inquiry official to record the investigation and place all records and documents obtained into the file. An inquiry official who had made a new statement record could not argue that the original record of the accused's and accuser's statements was unimportant.
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 an inquiry official put in the case file?
Under Section 139, the inquiry official must record the investigation and include all records, documents, and exhibits, including material forwarded by other officials on the same case, with a detailed inventory for physical objects.
Can an officer discard an earlier statement and redo it?
No. The Supreme Court has held that under Section 139 the inquiry official cannot claim an earlier record of a statement is unimportant after making a new one; all records obtained must be compiled into the file.
Why does the officer keep witness contact details?
Section 139 requires keeping a list of all witnesses with addresses, telephone numbers, or other contact channels at the inquiry official's office, so witnesses can be traced to attend on the court's appointed dates.