Section 230/2 — Written Statement from Witness Abroad
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในกรณีที่ไม่อาจสืบพยานตามมาตรา
๒๓๐/๑ ได้ เมื่อคู่ความร้องขอหรือศาลเห็นสมควร
ศาลอาจอนุญาตให้เสนอบันทึกถ้อยคำยืนยันข้อเท็จจริงหรือความเห็นของผู้ให้ถ้อยคำซึ่งมีถิ่นที่อยู่ในต่างประเทศต่อศาลแทนการนำพยานบุคคลมาเบิกความต่อหน้าศาลได้
แต่ทั้งนี้ ไม่ตัดสิทธิผู้ให้ถ้อยคำที่จะมาศาลเพื่อให้การเพิ่มเติมบันทึกถ้อยคำตามวรรคหนึ่ง
ให้มีรายการดังต่อไปนี้
(๑)
ชื่อศาลและเลขคดี
(๒) วัน เดือน
ปี และสถานที่ที่ทำบันทึกถ้อยคำ
(๓)
ชื่อและสกุลของคู่ความ
(๔) ชื่อ สกุล
อายุ ที่อยู่ และอาชีพของผู้ให้ถ้อยคำ และความเกี่ยวพันกับคู่ความ
(๕) รายละเอียดแห่งข้อเท็จจริง
หรือความเห็นของผู้ให้ถ้อยคำ
(๖)
ลายมือชื่อของผู้ให้ถ้อยคำ และคู่ความฝ่ายผู้เสนอบันทึกถ้อยคำสำหรับลายมือชื่อของผู้ให้ถ้อยคำให้นำมาตรา
๔๗ วรรคสาม แห่งประมวลกฎหมายวิธีพิจารณาความแพ่ง มาใช้บังคับโดยอนุโลมห้ามมิให้แก้ไขเพิ่มเติมบันทึกถ้อยคำที่ได้ยื่นไว้แล้วต่อศาล
เว้นแต่เป็นการแก้ไขข้อผิดพลาดหรือผิดหลงเล็กน้อย
English translation
Where evidence cannot be taken under Section 230/1, upon a party's request or when the court sees fit, the court may permit the submission to the court of a written statement affirming facts or the opinion of a person who resides abroad, in lieu of bringing that person to testify before the court; provided that this does not preclude the right of the person giving the statement to come to court to give testimony in addition to the written statement. The written statement under paragraph one shall contain the following items: (1) the name of the court and the case number; (2) the date, month, year, and place where the statement was made; (3) the names and surnames of the parties; (4) the name, surname, age, address, and occupation of the person giving the statement, and his relationship with the parties; (5) the details of the facts or the opinion of the person giving the statement; (6) the signature of the person giving the statement and of the party submitting the statement. As for the signature of the person giving the statement, Section 47 paragraph three of the Civil Procedure Code shall apply mutatis mutandis. No amendment or addition may be made to a written statement already submitted to the court, except to correct a minor error or slip.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 230/2 is a fallback where a foreign-resident witness cannot testify even by video conference under Section 230/1. It permits a written statement of fact or opinion in place of oral testimony, subject to strict formal requirements listed in items (1) to (6) and a signature rule borrowing Section 47 paragraph three of the Civil Procedure Code. The provision preserves the witness's right to attend court to supplement the statement and bars later amendment except for minor corrections. Sitting in Book 5 General Principles, it forms the final tier of the remote-evidence hierarchy: live testimony, then Section 230/1 video conference, then a Section 230/2 written statement. Because criminal cases affect liberty, courts treat this exception narrowly.
Why this matters in practice
This is a last-resort tool when a witness abroad cannot appear live and video conference is not feasible. The statement must strictly meet the listed formalities and cannot be patched up afterward except for slips, so accuracy at drafting is critical. Note that the witness may still choose to come and testify in addition. Because it removes live cross-examination, expect the court to scrutinize such statements carefully and to weigh them cautiously. If your key witness is overseas, plan the evidence route early with your lawyer and prefer live or video testimony where at all possible.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 5598/2560 (2017)
Section 230/2 is the specific exception allowing a written statement from a witness residing abroad only where evidence cannot be taken by the video-conference method under Section 230/1; the general Civil Procedure Code provisions cannot be borrowed to admit statements outside these criteria.
The court emphasized that criminal cases affect liberty and that Section 230/2 sets out a specific exception for written statements from witnesses abroad only when evidence cannot be taken by video conference under Section 230/1, so the general Civil Procedure Code rules could not be applied to admit statements falling outside those criteria.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
When can a written statement replace live testimony?
Under Section 230/2, only where the witness resides abroad and cannot testify even by video conference under Section 230/1. The court may then accept a written statement of facts or opinion that meets the required formalities.
Can a written statement under this section be amended later?
No, except to correct a minor error or slip. The final paragraph of Section 230/2 prohibits amending or adding to a statement already submitted to the court.