Section 165/1 — Court-Appointed Counsel at Preliminary Hearing
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในคดีที่มีอัตราโทษประหารชีวิต หรือในคดีที่จำเลยมีอายุไม่เกินสิบแปดปีในวันที่ถูกฟ้องต่อศาล
ในการไต่สวนมูลฟ้องตามมาตรา ๑๖๕ ถ้าจำเลยมาศาลเมื่อใด และจำเลยไม่มีทนายความ ก็ให้ศาลตั้งทนายความให้ในคดีที่มีอัตราโทษจำคุก
ในการไต่สวนมูลฟ้องตามมาตรา ๑๖๕ ถ้าจำเลยมาศาลเมื่อใด ให้ศาลถามจำเลยว่ามีทนายความหรือไม่
ถ้าไม่มีและจำเลยต้องการทนายความ ก็ให้ศาลตั้งทนายความให้ให้ศาลจ่ายเงินรางวัลและค่าใช้จ่ายแก่ทนายความที่ศาลตั้งตามมาตรานี้
โดยคำนึงถึงสภาพแห่งคดีและสภาวะทางเศรษฐกิจ
ทั้งนี้ ตามระเบียบที่คณะกรรมการบริหารศาลยุติธรรมกำหนดโดยความเห็นชอบจากกระทรวงการคลัง
English translation
In a case carrying the penalty of death, or in a case where the defendant is not over eighteen years of age on the day the charge is filed with the court, in the preliminary hearing under Section 165, whenever the defendant appears in court and has no counsel, the court shall appoint counsel for the defendant. In a case carrying a penalty of imprisonment, in the preliminary hearing under Section 165, whenever the defendant appears in court, the court shall ask the defendant whether the defendant has counsel; if not and the defendant wishes to have counsel, the court shall appoint counsel for the defendant. The court shall pay a fee and expenses to the counsel appointed by the court under this Section, having regard to the nature of the case and to economic conditions, in accordance with the regulations prescribed by the Judicial Administration Commission with the approval of the Ministry of Finance.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This provision sits in the Title on filing criminal charges and the preliminary hearing, and extends the right to court-appointed counsel to the preliminary hearing stage of cases prosecuted by a private person under Section 165. It mirrors the trial-stage guarantee in Section 173: mandatory appointment (regardless of the defendant's wishes) in capital cases and cases with defendants under eighteen, and appointment on request in imprisonment cases. The final paragraph directs the court to pay counsel a fee and expenses set by regulation of the Judicial Administration Commission with Ministry of Finance approval. It ensures a defendant is not left unrepresented while the court decides whether the private prosecutor's case has a prima facie basis to proceed.
Why this matters in practice
A privately prosecuted defendant should not assume the preliminary hearing is a mere formality: if the charge carries death or the defendant is under eighteen, the court must appoint a lawyer even without a request, and in imprisonment cases the defendant should affirmatively state that counsel is wanted. Because the appointed lawyer's fee is paid by the court, a defendant of limited means still gets representation while the court tests whether the case has merit. Anyone unsure how a Thai criminal hearing unfolds can review what to know before you go to court in Thailand.
Frequently asked questions
Does the court provide a free lawyer at a preliminary hearing?
Yes. Under Section 165/1, in death-penalty cases and cases with a defendant under eighteen the court must appoint counsel, and in imprisonment cases it must appoint one if the defendant asks. The court pays the lawyer's fee.
In an imprisonment case, will the court appoint a lawyer automatically?
No. In imprisonment cases the court asks whether the defendant has counsel and appoints one only if the defendant says they want a lawyer, unlike death-penalty or juvenile cases where appointment is mandatory.