Article 317: Taking a child not over fifteen from its parents
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ใดโดยปราศจากเหตุอันสมควร พรากเด็กอายุยังไม่เกินสิบห้าปีไปเสียจากบิดามารดา ผู้ปกครอง หรือผู้ดูแล ต้องระวางโทษจำคุกตั้งแต่สามปีถึงสิบห้าปี และปรับตั้งแต่หกหมื่นบาทถึงสามแสนบาท ผู้ใดโดยทุจริต ซื้อ จำหน่าย หรือรับตัวเด็กซึ่งถูกพรากตามวรรคแรก ต้องระวางโทษเช่นเดียวกับผู้พรากนั้น ถ้าความผิดตามมาตรานี้ได้กระทำเพื่อหากำไร หรือเพื่อการอนาจาร ผู้กระทำต้องระวางโทษจำคุกตั้งแต่ห้าปีถึงยี่สิบปี และปรับตั้งแต่หนึ่งแสนบาทถึงสี่แสนบาท หมายเหตุ: [อัตราโทษ แก้ไขเพิ่มเติมโดยมาตรา ๑๑ แห่งพระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมประมวลกฎหมายอาญา (ฉบับที่ ๒๖) พ.ศ. ๒๕๖๐]
English translation
Whoever, without reasonable cause, takes a child not over fifteen years of age away from its parents, guardian or carer shall be liable to imprisonment from three to fifteen years and a fine from sixty thousand to three hundred thousand baht.
Whoever dishonestly buys, disposes of, or receives a child taken away under paragraph one shall be liable to the same punishment as the person who took the child away.
Where the offence under this Section is committed for profit or for an indecent purpose, the offender shall be liable to imprisonment from five to twenty years and a fine from one hundred thousand to four hundred thousand baht.
ThaiLawOnline translation, written from the Thai original and verified
Firm annotation
The elements of paragraph one are (1) taking a child not over fifteen years of age away, (2) from its parents, guardian or carer, and (3) without reasonable cause. The child's own consent is irrelevant at this age, which is what separates Section 317 from Sections 318 and 319, where the minor is over fifteen but not over eighteen and the minor's willingness determines which of those two sections applies. Paragraph two extends the same penalty to a person who dishonestly buys, disposes of or receives a child taken away under paragraph one, so dealing in the child is punished as heavily as the taking itself. The final paragraph raises the penalty where the offence was committed for profit or for an indecent purpose. The interest protected is the authority of the parent, guardian or carer over the child, which is why the offence can be complete even where the child comes to no harm and went along willingly.
Why this matters in practice
This is a high-exposure offence: three to fifteen years and a fine of 60,000 to 300,000 baht for the basic case, and heavier where the taking was for profit or for an indecent purpose. The element that surprises people is that the child's consent is no defence at all below fifteen, so a child who left willingly, or who asked to go, does not help the accused. Nor does an absence of harm, because the interest protected is the authority of the parent, guardian or carer. In family disputes the phrase "without reasonable cause" carries the weight, and a parent or relative acting under a genuine claim of right is arguing about that element. Anyone facing this charge should obtain early advice, because the sentencing floor of three years leaves little room.
Cited in 325 Supreme Court decisions (1977 to 2026)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 2055/2568 (2025)
- Decision 2429/2567 (2024)
- Decision 4798/2565 (2022)
- Decision 2425/2564 (2021)
- Decision 1194/2564 (2021)
- Decision 3431/2563 (2020)
- Decision 4057/2562 (2019)
- Decision 489/2561 (2018)
Cette liste est sélectionnée automatiquement, en privilégiant les jugements qui reposent sur cet article plutôt que sur ceux qui se contentent de le citer lors du prononcé de la peine. Elle n'a pas encore été examinée par le cabinet.
Le plus souvent cité aux côtés de
- Article 91 286
- Article 277 241
- Article 78 198
- Article 90 137
- Article 279 100
- Article 83 86
Sections qui apparaissent le plus souvent dans les mêmes jugements que celui-ci. Le chiffre correspond au nombre de décisions.
Calculé sur l'ensemble du corpus de 83 652 décisions de la Cour suprême du cabinet, de 1921 à 2026. Le décompte est exhaustif ; la plage d'années indiquée élimine les valeurs aberrantes rares afin de refléter la répartition réelle des citations. Ces chiffres sont calculés par nos soins et ne constituent pas des statistiques officielles de la Cour. Comment nous les comptons et ce que nous avons mesuré
Foire aux questions
Does a child's consent matter under Section 317?
No. Below fifteen the child's consent is no defence at all. A child who went willingly, or who asked to go, does not assist the accused, because the interest protected is the authority of the parent, guardian or carer.
What is the penalty under Section 317?
Imprisonment from three to fifteen years and a fine from 60,000 to 300,000 baht. A person who dishonestly buys, disposes of or receives a child taken away is punished in the same way, and the penalty is heavier where the taking was for profit or for an indecent purpose.
How does Section 317 differ from Sections 318 and 319?
By the age of the person taken. Section 317 covers a child not over fifteen, where consent is irrelevant. Sections 318 and 319 cover a minor over fifteen but not over eighteen, and there the minor's willingness decides which applies: Section 318 where the minor was unwilling, Section 319 where the minor was willing and the taking was for profit or for an indecent purpose.
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Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Penal Code, s. 317 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Penal Code (Thailand), s. 317. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-317/ (accessed 30 août 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.อ. มาตรา 317 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-317/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-317/"><p>Whoever, without reasonable cause, takes a child not over fifteen years of age away from its parents, guardian or carer shall be liable to imprisonment from three to fifteen years and a fine from sixty thousand to three hundred thousand baht. Whoever dishonestly buys, disposes…</p><footer>Penal Code, s. 317 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-317/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.