Article 389: Dropping objects or causing filth to be a nuisance
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ใดกระทำด้วยประการใด ๆ ให้ของแข็งตกลง ณ ที่ใด ๆ โดยประการที่น่าจะเป็นอันตรายหรือเดือดร้อนรำคาญแก่บุคคล หรือเป็นอันตรายแก่ทรัพย์ หรือกระทำด้วยประการใด ๆ ให้ของโสโครกเปรอะเปื้อนหรือน่าจะเปรอะเปื้อน ตัวบุคคล หรือทรัพย์ หรือแกล้งทำให้ของโสโครกเป็นที่เดือดร้อนรำคาญ ต้องระวางโทษจำคุกไม่เกินหนึ่งเดือน หรือปรับไม่เกินหนึ่งหมื่นบาท หรือทั้งจำทั้งปรับ หมายเหตุ: [อัตราโทษ แก้ไขเพิ่มเติมโดยมาตรา ๖ แห่งพระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมประมวลกฎหมายอาญา (ฉบับที่ ๒๒) พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๘]
English translation
Whoever does anything to cause a hard object to fall in any place, in a manner likely to be dangerous to a person or to cause a person annoyance, or likely to be dangerous to property, or does anything to cause filth to soil, or to be likely to soil, a person or property, or maliciously causes filth to be a nuisance, shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding one month, or a fine not exceeding ten thousand baht, or both.
ThaiLawOnline translation, written from the Thai original and verified
Firm annotation
The section has two distinct limbs. The first covers causing a hard object to fall anywhere, in a manner likely to be dangerous or annoying to a person, or dangerous to property. The second covers causing filth to soil, or to be likely to soil, a person or property, and deliberately making filth a source of nuisance. Neither limb requires that harm actually occur: the words "likely to" make the risk sufficient, which is why the section reaches things dropped or thrown from balconies and construction sites even where nobody below is struck. It is distinct from the public-way provisions in Sections 385 to 387, which deal with obstruction and with objects liable to fall onto a public way, and from mischief under Section 358, which requires damage to the property of another. The penalty is up to one month's imprisonment, or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.
Why this matters in practice
In practice this is the condominium and construction-site provision: objects falling from balconies and scaffolding, and water or waste discharged so that it soils people or property below. Because liability rests on likelihood rather than actual harm, a complaint can succeed without anyone being struck, which makes it a realistic route for a resident or a neighbour who cannot prove damage. A juristic person cannot be imprisoned, so in building cases the exposure usually falls on the individual who did the act. Where property is actually damaged, mischief under Section 358 is the heavier charge, and civil liability for things falling from a building rests separately on the possessor under Sections 434 and 436 of the Civil and Commercial Code.
Cité dans 1 décision de la Cour suprême (1999 à 1999)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 8/2542 (1999)
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.
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
What does Section 389 punish?
Two things. Causing a hard object to fall anywhere in a manner likely to endanger or annoy a person or to endanger property, and causing filth to soil, or be likely to soil, a person or property, or deliberately making filth a nuisance. The penalty is up to one month in prison, or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both.
Does something have to fall on a person for Section 389 to apply?
No. The statute says likely to be dangerous or annoying, so the risk is enough. That is why the section reaches objects dropped from condominium balconies and construction sites even where nobody below is struck.
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Citation simple
Penal Code, s. 389 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Penal Code (Thailand), s. 389. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-389/ (accessed 30 août 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.อ. มาตรา 389 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-389/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-389/"><p>Whoever does anything to cause a hard object to fall in any place, in a manner likely to be dangerous to a person or to cause a person annoyance, or likely to be dangerous to property, or does anything to cause filth to soil, or…</p><footer>Penal Code, s. 389 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-389/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.