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อัปเดตล่าสุดเมื่อ 5 กันยายน 2569
เอ compoundable offence (ความผิดอันยอมความได้, khwam phit an yom khwam dai, also translated as compounding offence) is a criminal offence under Thai law that the injured person can settle privately with the offender, and once settled or withdrawn the state can no longer prosecute it. The Criminal Code marks these offences one by one, usually with a closing section in each chapter. They cover most disputes foreigners actually meet in Thailand: defamation, fraud, embezzlement and trespass. The label decides whether paying the victim ends a case or merely softens the sentence.
สารบัญ
How the Criminal Code treats a compoundable offence
Two rules do the work. Under Section 96 of the Criminal Code the injured person must lodge a complaint within 3 months of learning both of the offence and of who committed it; after that, prosecution of a compoundable offence is barred by prescription. Under Section 39(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code the right to prosecute is extinguished when the complaint is withdrawn or the parties lawfully compromise. The withdrawal must happen before the judgment becomes final; it can be done at the police station, before the อัยการ files, during trial or while an appeal is pending.
The offence is compoundable only if the Code says so. Defamation is compoundable under Section 333, fraud under Section 348, embezzlement under Section 356 and trespass under Section 366. Theft is not, except that Section 71 makes theft, fraud and related property offences between close relatives compoundable and leaves spouses unpunished altogether. Offences against the state, drugs, public fraud under Section 343 and ลวงพระบรมราชานุภาพ are never compoundable.
What settlement means in practice for a foreigner
A settlement agreement (บันทึกข้อตกลง) is signed by both sides, usually in front of the inquiry official or the court, recording the payment and the victim’s withdrawal of the complaint. The court then strikes the case out. A private payment with nothing in writing settles nothing: the victim can still proceed, and the offender has no proof of compromise. For a foreigner facing a การหมิ่นประมาท or cheque complaint, this is normally the fastest exit, and it leaves no conviction on the record.
The common mistake on the victim’s side is the 3-month clock. Making an entry in the police daily record book is not a complaint; the injured person must expressly ask for the offender to be prosecuted. Many foreigners who have been defrauded discover, after months of negotiation, that the criminal route has closed and only a civil claim remains.
Compoundable and non-compoundable offences compared
For a non-compoundable offence, compensation still matters but only as mitigation: the court may reduce the sentence or suspend it, and a public prosecutor may weigh it, but the victim cannot end the case. That is why refunding a buyer in a public fraud case does not make the charge disappear.
| ความผิด | ส่วน | Compoundable |
|---|---|---|
| การหมิ่นประมาท | 326 to 328 | Yes (Section 333) |
| Fraud against a person | 341 | Yes (Section 348) |
| Public fraud | 343 | เลขที่ |
| การยักยอกทรัพย์ | 352 | Yes (Section 356) |
| การโจรกรรม | 334 | No, unless between relatives (Section 71) |
| การทำร้ายร่างกาย | 295 | เลขที่ |
| การบุกรุก | 362 | Yes (Section 366) |
คำถามที่พบบ่อย
What is a compoundable offence in Thailand?
It is a criminal offence that the injured person is allowed to settle with the offender. When the complaint is withdrawn or the parties compromise before the judgment is final, the right to prosecute is extinguished under Section 39(2) of the Criminal Procedure Code. The Criminal Code states which offences qualify, such as defamation, fraud and embezzlement.
How long does a victim have to file a complaint for a compoundable offence?
Three months from the day the victim learns of the offence and knows who committed it, under Section 96 of the Criminal Code. After that the criminal case is time-barred, although a civil claim for the loss may still be possible. The complaint must state that the victim wants the offender prosecuted; a simple police record entry is not enough.
Can paying compensation end a theft charge in Thailand?
Not on its own, because theft under Section 334 is not compoundable. Compensation can persuade the court to impose a fine or a suspended sentence instead of prison, but the prosecutor keeps the case. The only exception is theft between close relatives, which Section 71 makes compoundable.
ดูเพิ่มเติม: การหมิ่นประมาท, การฉ้อโกง, การขโมย, inquiry official, and the guides กฎหมายอาญาในประเทศไทย และ withdrawing a criminal complaint in Thailand.
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