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อัปเดตล่าสุดเมื่อ 5 กันยายน 2569
เอ fine (โทษปรับ, thot prap; the sum itself is kha prap) is one of the five criminal punishments listed in Section 18 of the Thai Criminal Code, alongside death, imprisonment, confinement and forfeiture of property. It is a sum paid to the state, not to the victim, which is why a fine and compensation are two separate things. Most offences a foreigner is likely to meet, from overstay and traffic matters to การหมิ่นประมาท and minor การขโมย, carry a fine either alone or as an alternative to prison, and many are dealt with by paying at a counter rather than in court.
สารบัญ
How the Criminal Code fixes and enforces a fine
Each offence states its own maximum. The sums in the Criminal Code were multiplied by 10 in 2015, so simple theft under Section 334 now carries up to 60,000 baht, simple defamation under Section 326 up to 20,000 baht and defamation by publication under Section 328 up to 200,000 baht. Where the section reads “imprisonment or fine or both”, the court chooses; where it reads “and”, both apply. Petty offences, the traffic-ticket tier of the Code, carry fines of up to 10,000 baht.
A convicted person must pay within 30 days of the judgment. If the fine is not paid, the court may seize property or order confinement in lieu of the fine, converted at 500 baht per day, to a maximum of 1 year, or 2 years where the fine exceeds 200,000 baht. A person who cannot pay may ask the court to substitute community service under Section 30/1. A fine is a conviction and appears on the criminal record in the same way as a prison sentence.
Where a foreigner pays a fine, and to whom
Most fines a foreigner meets are settlement fines, not court fines. For offences punishable by fine only, and for petty offences, the police and certain agencies may settle the case on the spot under the Criminal Procedure Code: the overstay charge is settled at the immigration counter at 500 baht per day, capped at 20,000 baht, the late รายงาน 90 วัน at 2,000 baht, and traffic offences at the police station or online. Paying the settlement extinguishes the case, and no court record is created.
Always take the receipt. Immigration and courts issue an official receipt (ใบเสร็จ) and the receipt is the only proof that the matter is closed; it is asked for at the next visa extension or when a criminal record check is run. The common mistake is to pay cash to an intermediary without a receipt, which leaves the record open and the offence technically unsettled.
Fine, compensation and civil damages compared
A fine goes to the state and punishes; it does not repay the victim. Compensation to the victim is a separate order or agreement: the injured person can claim damages in the criminal case itself under Section 44/1 of the Criminal Procedure Code, sue in การละเมิด under Section 420 of the ประมวลกฎหมายแพ่งและพาณิชย์, or accept a payment in return for withdrawing a compoundable offence. A court can therefore order a fine of 20,000 baht and, in the same judgment, 300,000 baht in damages. Paying the victim in full does not cancel the fine, though it commonly persuades the court to fine rather than imprison and to suspend any prison term.
คำถามที่พบบ่อย
What happens if you cannot pay a criminal fine in Thailand?
The court may seize and sell property, or order confinement in lieu of the fine at 500 baht per day, up to 1 year, or 2 years if the fine exceeds 200,000 baht. A person who genuinely cannot pay may ask the court to substitute community service instead of confinement. Paying part of the fine shortens the confinement proportionally.
Does a fine in Thailand give you a criminal record?
A fine imposed by a court on conviction is a criminal record. A settlement fine paid at the police station, at immigration or for a traffic offence ends the case without a conviction, so nothing is recorded against the person. Keep the receipt as proof of settlement.
ค่าปรับการอยู่เกินกำหนดในประเทศไทยราคาเท่าไหร่
500 baht per day of overstay, capped at 20,000 baht, paid at immigration when leaving or when applying to regularise the stay. It is a settlement fine, so paying it closes the case, but overstays of more than 90 days also trigger an entry ban, and an arrest for overstay leads to court, detention and deportation.
ดูเพิ่มเติม: โทษจำคุกรอลงอาญา, overstay, damages, criminal record, and the guides กฎหมายอาญาในประเทศไทย และ กระบวนการพิจารณาคดีอาญาในประเทศไทย.
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