Section 259 — Petition for Royal Pardon
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ต้องคำพิพากษาให้รับโทษอย่างใด ๆ หรือผู้ที่มีประโยชน์เกี่ยวข้อง เมื่อคดีถึงที่สุดแล้ว ถ้าจะทูลเกล้าฯ ถวายเรื่องราวต่อพระมหากษัตริย์ขอรับพระราชทานอภัยโทษจะยื่นต่อรัฐมนตรีว่าการกระทรวงยุติธรรมก็ได้
English translation
A person subject to a judgment to serve any punishment, or a person having a related interest, may, once the case has become final, if wishing to submit a petition to the King for the grant of a royal pardon, file it with the Minister of Justice.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 259 opens Book 7 on pardon, commutation, and reduction of punishment, setting out who may seek a royal pardon and how. Standing extends beyond the convicted person to anyone with a related interest, and the right arises only once the case is final. The Minister of Justice is the channel for an individual pardon petition to the King. This provision connects to section 247, which makes completion of the pardon process a precondition to carrying out a death sentence.
Why this matters in practice
For anyone convicted, an individual royal pardon petition is a distinct post-final remedy: it does not reopen the trial, but seeks clemency through the Minister of Justice. Timing matters, the case must be final first, and standing is broad enough to include family or others with a related interest. In a capital case this route is especially significant because execution cannot proceed until the pardon process has run.
Frequently asked questions
Who can petition for a royal pardon?
Under section 259, a person subject to a judgment to serve punishment or a person with a related interest may petition once the case has become final.
Where is a royal pardon petition submitted?
Section 259 allows the petition to the King to be filed with the Minister of Justice.