Section 151 — Power to order autopsy
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในเมื่อมีการจำเป็นเพื่อพบเหตุของการตาย เจ้าพนักงานผู้ทำการชันสูตรพลิกศพมีอำนาจสั่งให้ผ่าศพแล้วแยกธาตุส่วนใด หรือจะให้ส่งทั้งศพหรือบางส่วนไปยังแพทย์หรือพนักงานแยกธาตุของรัฐบาลก็ได้
English translation
Where there is a necessity to ascertain the cause of death, the official conducting the inquest has the power to order the corpse to be dissected and any part separated, or to order the whole corpse, or a part of it, to be sent to a physician or a government analyst.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This section equips the inquest official with the investigative power needed when a visual inquest cannot establish the cause of death, authorizing dissection and the dispatch of the body or samples for expert analysis. It follows naturally from the inquest duty in section 150 and feeds into section 152, which prescribes the report the physician or government analyst must produce. Together these provisions ensure the cause of death can be determined scientifically as part of the inquest file.
Why this matters in practice
For a family, this section explains why an autopsy or laboratory analysis may be ordered even without their consent: the inquest official has statutory power to do so where the cause of death is unclear. Understanding this can help set expectations about timing and the handling of the body. Where the death is contentious, families may also engage the participation rights and expert-opinion options set out in section 150 rather than only relying on the official examination.
Frequently asked questions
Can an autopsy be ordered without the family's consent?
Yes. Under section 151, where it is necessary to ascertain the cause of death, the official conducting the inquest has power to order dissection or to send the body or a part to a physician or government analyst.
Who orders the autopsy?
The official conducting the inquest, meaning the team carrying out the inquest under section 150, holds this power under section 151.