Section 3 — Acting on behalf of an injured person
Statutory text (Thai original)
บุคคลดังระบุในมาตรา ๔, ๕ และ ๖ มีอำนาจจัดการต่อไปนี้แทนผู้เสียหายตามเงื่อนไขที่บัญญัติไว้ในมาตรานั้น ๆ
(๑) ร้องทุกข์
(๒) เป็นโจทก์ฟ้องคดีอาญา หรือเข้าร่วมเป็นโจทก์กับพนักงานอัยการ
(๓) เป็นโจทก์ฟ้องคดีแพ่งที่เกี่ยวเนื่องกับคดีอาญา
(๔) ถอนฟ้องคดีอาญาหรือคดีแพ่งที่เกี่ยวเนื่องกับคดีอาญา
(๕) ยอมความในคดีความผิดต่อส่วนตัว
English translation
The persons specified in Sections 4, 5 and 6 have power to do the following on behalf of the injured person, subject to the conditions provided in those Sections:
(1) to file a complaint;
(2) to be a plaintiff prosecuting a criminal case, or to join as co-plaintiff with the public prosecutor;
(3) to be a plaintiff prosecuting a civil case connected with the criminal case;
(4) to withdraw a criminal case, or a civil case connected with the criminal case;
(5) to compound a case in a compoundable offense (an offense against a private individual).
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 3 defines the scope of what a representative may do, while Sections 4, 5 and 6 define who those representatives are and on what conditions. The powers are important: (2) allows joining the prosecution as co-plaintiff, and (5) allows compounding, which in a compoundable offense extinguishes the right to prosecute under Section 39(2). Courts scrutinize whether the person acting truly holds representative status; a father who has lost parental authority after divorce, for example, is not a lawful representative under Sections 3 and 5(1).
Why this matters in practice
If you are acting for someone else, for example a parent for a minor or an heir for a deceased victim, your authority under Sections 4 to 6 has to be clear before you file, prosecute, withdraw or settle. A defect in that authority can invalidate a co-plaintiff application or a settlement, though courts will often allow the defect to be corrected first. Confirm your standing early to avoid losing the case on a technicality.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4536/2565 (2022)
A legal representative has authority to act for the injured person under Section 5(1) and a right to join as co-plaintiff under Section 3(2), but where the guardian is hostile to the minor the court may instead appoint a special representative.
The Court recognized that a lawful representative may act for the injured person under Section 5(1) and apply to join the prosecution as co-plaintiff under Section 3(2). But where, in a case involving a minor victim, the natural guardian is adverse to the child, the court may appoint a special representative for the case instead.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4217/2565 (2022)
A father who lost parental authority on divorce is not a lawful representative under Sections 3 and 5(1); the resulting defect in capacity does not require immediate dismissal but should be corrected first.
After the parents divorced and the mother was given parental power, the father was no longer the lawful representative under Sections 3 and 5(1). His application, on the minor's behalf, to join as co-plaintiff and seek compensation was therefore defective in capacity. The Court held the defect should be corrected under Civil Procedure Code Section 56 paragraph two rather than dismissed outright.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1288/2564 (2021)
A father, as representative of his minor child, may validly compound under Sections 3(5) and 5(1); in a compoundable offense this extinguishes the right to prosecute under Section 39(2).
The victim's father agreed that if the defendants paid compensation he would not pursue civil or criminal proceedings, and they complied. The Court held this was a valid compromise by the father on behalf of his minor child under Sections 3(5) and 5(1). As the unlawful-detention offense was compoundable, the right to prosecute was extinguished under Section 39(2).
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 can someone do on behalf of an injured person in a Thai criminal case?
Under Section 3, a lawful representative may file a complaint, prosecute or join as co-plaintiff, bring the connected civil claim, withdraw the case, and compound a compoundable offense.
Can a parent settle a criminal case for their minor child?
Yes, if the parent is a lawful representative under Sections 5(1) and 3(5). A valid compromise in a compoundable offense extinguishes the right to prosecute under Section 39(2).
Who counts as a representative under Section 3?
Section 3 only lists the powers. The persons who may exercise them, and the conditions, are set out in Sections 4, 5 and 6.