Section 48 — Returning property and ownership disputes
Statutory text (Thai original)
เมื่อศาลพิพากษาให้คืนทรัพย์สิน แต่ยังไม่ปรากฏตัวเจ้าของ เมื่อใดปรากฏตัวเจ้าของแล้ว ให้เจ้าหน้าที่ซึ่งรักษาของคืนของนั้นให้แก่เจ้าของไปในกรณีที่ปรากฏตัวเจ้าของ ให้ศาลพิพากษาสั่งให้เจ้าหน้าที่ซึ่งรักษาของคืนของนั้นให้แก่เจ้าของไปเมื่อมีการโต้แย้งกัน ให้บุคคลที่อ้างว่าเป็นเจ้าของอันแท้จริงในทรัพย์สินนั้นฟ้องเรียกร้องยังศาลที่มีอำนาจชำระ
English translation
When the court has adjudged that property be returned but the owner has not yet appeared, then whenever the owner appears the official who keeps the property shall return it to the owner. In a case where the owner appears, the court shall adjudge and order the official who keeps the property to return it to the owner. When there is a dispute, the person who claims to be the true owner of the property shall bring a claim before the court having jurisdiction.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 48 handles the return of property after a criminal judgment. Where return is ordered but the owner is absent, the custodian official hands it over when an owner appears; where the owner is present, the court orders the official to return it. The last part is the key rule for contested cases: a person who claims to be the true owner cannot simply reclaim the item inside the criminal case, but must sue in the court with jurisdiction. This is because criminal proceedings recognise only two sides, plaintiff and defendant (section 2(15)), leaving no room for a third-party claimant. It is distinct from confiscation, where a claimant uses Penal Code section 36; here the route is a fresh civil action.
Why this matters in practice
If you believe seized property is really yours but you are not a party to the criminal case, you generally cannot intervene to claim it there. The correct step is a separate civil action for ownership in the court with jurisdiction, so plan for that rather than filing motions in the criminal file that the court has no power to grant. Note this differs from a confiscation situation. Because these ownership disputes turn on proof of title, a consultation with a Thai lawyer before filing helps you use the right procedure.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 1336/2564 (2021)
A person claiming to be the true owner of seized property must proceed under the last paragraph of Section 48 by filing a civil case in the competent court, not by intervening in the criminal case.
The Court held that a claimant asserting true ownership of seized property must sue civilly in the competent court under the last paragraph of Section 48. Because a criminal case has only two parties under Section 2(15), with no third-party side, the claimant could not file a motion to join the case, and the lower courts rightly rejected it.
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 64/2531 (1988)
Where the court orders return of seized property to its owner, a claimant asserting true ownership must sue civilly under the last paragraph of Section 48, and cannot use Penal Code Section 36, which applies only to confiscation.
The Court held that when property is ordered returned to its owner, a person claiming to be the true owner must proceed under the last paragraph of Section 48 by filing a civil action in the competent court. He could not petition to reclaim the property in the original case under Penal Code Section 36, because that provision applies to confiscation, not to a return order.
-
Supreme Court Judgment No. 965/2504 (1961)
Where ownership of seized goods is disputed, the claimant must pursue the matter as his own civil case under Section 48, rather than have it resolved within the criminal proceedings.
During a smuggling prosecution a claimant sought return of goods he said were his, but his identity and ownership were disputed. The Court held that, with ownership in dispute, the claimant had to pursue his claim as a separate civil case under Section 48, rather than resolve it inside the criminal proceedings.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
I claim to own seized property but am not a party. Can I reclaim it in the criminal case?
No. Under Section 48 a person disputing ownership must file a separate civil action in the court having jurisdiction; a criminal case recognises only the plaintiff and the defendant.
When does the official return the property to the owner?
When the court has ordered return, the custodian official gives the property back once an owner appears. If the owner is already present, the court orders the official to return it.