Article 398: Cruelty to a dependent child, sick or aged person
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ใดกระทำด้วยประการใด ๆ อันเป็นการทารุณต่อเด็กอายุยังไม่เกินสิบห้าปี คนป่วยเจ็บหรือคนชรา ซึ่งต้องพึ่งผู้นั้นในการดำรงชีพหรือการอื่นใด ต้องระวางโทษจำคุกไม่เกินหนึ่งเดือน หรือปรับไม่เกินหนึ่งหมื่นบาท หรือทั้งจำทั้งปรับ หมายเหตุ: [อัตราโทษ แก้ไขเพิ่มเติมโดยมาตรา ๖ แห่งพระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมประมวลกฎหมายอาญา (ฉบับที่ ๒๒) พ.ศ. ๒๕๕๘]
English translation
Whoever does any act of cruelty to a child not over fifteen years of age, to a sick person, or to an aged person, who depends on that offender for subsistence or for any other matter, 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 elements are (1) an act of cruelty by any means, (2) directed at a child not over fifteen, a sick person or an aged person, and (3) a relationship of dependence, in that the victim depends on the offender for subsistence or for any other matter. The dependence requirement is what distinguishes this section from general assault: it targets the carer, the household member or the employer on whom the victim relies, and it reaches neglect and mistreatment falling short of bodily harm. It is the final section of the Penal Code and it is a substantive petty offence with its own penalty of up to one month, or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both. Where the conduct causes actual injury the offences against body from Section 295 onwards apply and are far heavier, and where a child is involved the Child Protection Act B.E. 2546 provides separate protective powers and penalties.
Why this matters in practice
This section matters more than its penalty suggests, because it is the Penal Code's dedicated provision for cruelty inside a relationship of dependence: elderly parents, sick relatives, children under fifteen, and live-in domestic staff who rely on an employer for board and lodging. The prosecution must establish the dependence, so evidence of who provided food, housing, money or care is usually decisive. The one-month maximum means that in serious cases the real charges lie elsewhere, in the offences against body, the Child Protection Act B.E. 2546, or the Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act, and Section 398 tends to be used where the mistreatment is real but does not amount to bodily harm.
Cited in 1 Supreme Court decisions (1992 to 1992)
Décisions de citation sélectionnées
- Decision 321/2535 (1992)
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
Que prévoit l'article 398 ?
It punishes any act of cruelty towards a child not over fifteen, a sick person, or an aged person who depends on the offender for subsistence or any other matter. The penalty is up to one month in prison, or a fine of up to 10,000 baht, or both. It is a substantive offence, not a rule about compounding or settlement.
What has to be proved under Section 398?
An act of cruelty, a victim who is a child under fifteen, a sick person or an aged person, and a relationship of dependence on the offender. The dependence is the element that separates this section from ordinary assault, so evidence of who provided food, housing, money or care is usually decisive.
Is a Section 398 case more serious than the penalty suggests?
Often yes. The one-month maximum means that in serious cases the real charges lie elsewhere, in the offences against body from Section 295 onwards, the Child Protection Act B.E. 2546, or the Domestic Violence Victim Protection Act.
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Citer cette section
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Citation simple
Penal Code, s. 398 (Thailand) -
Citation académique
Penal Code (Thailand), s. 398. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-398/ (accessed 30 août 2026). -
Citation thaïlandaise
ป.อ. มาตรา 398 -
Lien permanent
https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-398/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-398/"><p>Whoever does any act of cruelty to a child not over fifteen years of age, to a sick person, or to an aged person, who depends on that offender for subsistence or for any other matter, shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding one month,…</p><footer>Penal Code, s. 398 (Thailand): <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/fr/thai-penal-code/section-398/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.