Section 57 — Warrant required for arrest, detention, search
Statutory text (Thai original)
ภายใต้บังคับแห่งบทบัญญัติในมาตรา ๗๘ มาตรา ๗๙ มาตรา ๘๐ มาตรา ๙๒ และมาตรา ๙๔
แห่งประมวลกฎหมายนี้ จะจับ ขัง จำคุก หรือค้นในที่รโหฐานหาตัวคนหรือสิ่งของต้องมีคำสั่งหรือหมายของศาลสำหรับการนั้น
บุคคลซึ่งต้องขังหรือจำคุกตามหมายศาล
จะปล่อยไปได้ก็เมื่อมีหมายปล่อยของศาล
English translation
Subject to the provisions of Section 78, Section 79, Section 80, Section 92 and Section 94 of this Code, to arrest, detain, imprison, or search a private place in order to find a person or thing, there must be an order or warrant of the court for that purpose. A person who is detained or imprisoned under a court warrant may be released only when there is a release warrant of the court.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This is the foundational safeguard of the general part of the Code's chapter on orders and warrants: coercive measures against liberty and privacy require prior judicial authorisation. It expressly makes itself subject to the warrantless-action exceptions in Sections 78, 79, 80, 92 and 94, which cover situations such as arrest in flagrante delicto and searches justified by urgency. The final paragraph ties release of a court-detained person to a court release warrant, keeping control of custody within the judiciary. Together the provisions frame the balance between effective law enforcement and protection against arbitrary arrest, detention, and search.
Why this matters in practice
This section is the core protection to invoke if you are arrested or your home or premises are searched without a warrant and without one of the listed exceptions applying. Whether the police relied on a valid exception is often the decisive issue, so record what happened (time, place, whether any warrant was shown) as soon as possible. If you believe an arrest or search was unlawful, consult a Thai lawyer promptly, because challenges to the legality of custody are time-sensitive.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 741/2522 (1979)
Whether a nighttime arrest carried out inside a private place, without an arrest warrant or a search warrant, is lawful is tested against the warrant requirement in Sections 57 and 81.
The plaintiff argued that his arrest at night inside private commercial premises he rented, made without an arrest warrant or search warrant, was contrary to Sections 57 and 81. The Supreme Court treated this as a question of law turning on those warrant provisions and the facts found on the record.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Can Thai police arrest me or search my home without a warrant?
As a rule, no. Section 57 requires a court order or warrant, except in the situations listed in Sections 78, 79, 80, 92 and 94, such as arrest in flagrante or urgent searches.
How can a person detained under a court warrant be released?
Under Section 57, a person detained or imprisoned under a court warrant may be released only when the court issues a release warrant.