Section 230 — On-Site Viewing and Commission to Take Evidence
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อคู่ความที่เกี่ยวข้องร้องขอหรือเมื่อศาลเห็นเป็นการสมควร ศาลอาจเดินเผชิญสืบพยานหลักฐาน หรือเมื่อมีเหตุจำเป็นไม่สามารถนำพยานหลักฐานมาสืบที่ศาลนั้น และการสืบพยานหลักฐานโดยวิธีอื่นไม่สามารถกระทำได้ ศาลมีอำนาจส่งประเด็นให้ศาลอื่นสืบพยานหลักฐานแทนให้ศาลที่รับประเด็นมีอำนาจและหน้าที่ดังศาลเดิม รวมทั้งมีอำนาจส่งประเด็นต่อไปยังศาลอื่นได้ภายใต้บังคับมาตรา ๑๗๒ และมาตรา ๑๗๒ ทวิ
ให้ส่งสำนวนหรือสำเนาฟ้อง
สำเนาคำให้การและเอกสารหรือของกลางเท่าที่จำเป็นให้แก่ศาลที่รับประเด็นเพื่อสืบพยานหลักฐาน
หากจำเลยต้องขังอยู่ในระหว่างพิจารณาให้ผู้คุมขังส่งตัวจำเลยไปยังศาลที่รับประเด็น
แต่ถ้าจำเลยในกรณีตามมาตรา ๑๗๒ ทวิ ไม่ติดใจไปฟังการพิจารณาจะยื่นคำถามพยานหรือคำแถลงขอให้ตรวจพยานหลักฐานก็ได้
ให้ศาลสืบพยานหลักฐานไปตามนั้นเมื่อสืบพยานหลักฐานตามที่ได้รับมอบหมายเสร็จสิ้นแล้ว ให้ส่งถ้อยคำสำนวนพร้อมทั้งเอกสารหรือของกลางคืนศาลเดิม
English translation
When a concerned party so requests, or when the court considers it appropriate, the court may proceed to view and take evidence on site; or, where there is a necessity such that the evidence cannot be taken at that court and taking the evidence by other means cannot be done, the court has the power to issue a commission to another court to take the evidence on its behalf. The court receiving the commission shall have the powers and duties of the original court, including the power to send the commission on to another court. Subject to Section 172 and Section 172 bis, the file, or copies of the charge, copies of the plea, and documents or material exhibits as far as necessary, shall be sent to the court receiving the commission for taking the evidence. If the defendant is detained during the trial, the custodian shall deliver the defendant to the court receiving the commission; but if a defendant in the case under Section 172 bis does not wish to attend the hearing, he may submit questions for the witness or a statement requesting examination of the evidence, and the court shall take the evidence accordingly. When the evidence-taking as assigned is completed, the record together with the documents or material exhibits shall be returned to the original court.
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 provides two mechanisms for taking evidence away from the trial venue: on-site viewing (doen phachoen sup) and issuing a commission to another court. The commission route is a last resort, available only where evidence cannot be taken at the trial court and no other means, such as video conference under Section 230/1, will work. The receiving court exercises the same powers as the original court, subject to Sections 172 and 172 bis on trial in the defendant's presence. Custodial defendants are produced unless a Section 172 bis defendant waives attendance and submits questions in writing. It sits in Book 5 General Principles and complements Section 229 on the court taking evidence in or out of court.
Why this matters in practice
This matters when a key witness or exhibit is in another province and cannot be brought to the trial court. Note that a commission is limited: the receiving court may only carry out the evidence-taking assigned to it, and its powers do not extend beyond that scope. A detained defendant is entitled to be produced before the receiving court, and a Section 172 bis defendant who does not attend can still submit questions for the witness. If witnesses are far away, discuss with your lawyer whether an on-site view, a commission, or video-conference testimony under Section 230/1 is the better route.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3420/2538 (1995)
A court receiving a commission under Section 230 has the powers and duties of the original court only within the scope of the evidence-taking assigned to it, and not the separate power under Section 221 to permit an appeal on questions of fact.
The court held that although Section 230 gives the receiving court the powers of the original court, this is limited to completing the assigned evidence-taking, and does not extend to the Section 221 power of the trial or appellate judge to permit an appeal on questions of fact.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 574/2487 (1944)
Section 230 covers both issuing a commission and on-site viewing of evidence; where the defendant does not attend an on-site examination and raises no objection when the record is read to him, the procedure is not defective.
The court held that Section 230 provides not only for commissions but also for on-site viewing, and that a defendant may choose not to attend the on-site examination; where no objection is raised when the record is later read to him, the trial is not rendered defective.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 623/2491 (1948)
When a commission is issued under Section 230 to take the prosecution's evidence, the defendant or defense counsel may follow the commission, send questions, or do neither, as the law does not compel attendance.
The court held that when a commission is sent to take the prosecution's evidence, the defendant and counsel are free to follow it, submit written questions, or do neither. Where the defense did not object at the time the record was read, later complaint about lack of notice failed.
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 is a commission to take evidence?
Under Section 230, where evidence cannot be taken at the trial court and no other means will work, the court may send the matter to another court, which takes the evidence with the same powers as the original court and returns the record.
Does a detained defendant get taken to the receiving court?
Yes. If the defendant is in custody during the trial, the custodian must deliver the defendant to the court receiving the commission, unless a Section 172 bis defendant chooses not to attend and instead submits written questions.