Section 1304
Statutory text (Thai original)
สาธารณสมบัติของแผ่นดินนั้น รวมทรัพย์สินทุกชนิดของแผ่นดินซึ่งใช้เพื่อสาธารณประโยชน์หรือสงวนไว้เพื่อประโยชน์ร่วมกัน เช่น(๑) ที่ดินรกร้างว่างเปล่า และที่ดินซึ่งมีผู้เวนคืนหรือทอดทิ้งหรือกลับมาเป็นของแผ่นดินโดยประการอื่น ตามกฎหมายที่ดิน(๒) ทรัพย์สินสำหรับพลเมืองใช้ร่วมกัน เป็นต้นว่า ที่ชายตลิ่ง ทางน้ำ ทางหลวง ทะเลสาบ(๓) ทรัพย์สินใช้เพื่อประโยชน์ของแผ่นดินโดยเฉพาะ เป็นต้นว่า ป้อมและโรงทหาร สำนักราชการบ้านเมือง เรือรบ อาวุธยุทธภัณฑ์
Verbatim from the Royal Gazette / Office of the Council of State
คำแปลภาษาอังกฤษ
The domaine public of State includes every kind of State property which is in use for public interest or reserved for the common benefit, such as: (1) waste land and land surrendered , abandoned or otherwise reverted to the State according to the land law; (2) property for the common use of the people e.g., foreshores, water-ways, highways, lakes; (3) property for special use to the State e.g., a fortress or other military buildings, public offices, warships, arms and ammunition.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 1304 is part of Book 4 (Property) of the Thai Civil and Commercial Code. This entry is awaiting firm-authored commentary; the statutory text above is verbatim from the Office of the Council of State (OCS Krisdika) Thai source, with the English translation from the FAO/UN FAOLEX repository. Always rely on the Thai original for legal proceedings.
Why this matters in practice
Lawyers: state public-domain land is immune from adverse possession under section 1306; encroachment is a criminal offence under the Land Code. Laypersons: land categorised as public domain — forest reserve, public waterway, dedicated road — cannot be acquired by long occupation; improvements on such land remain at risk of removal by the State.
Legislative history
Part of the original Civil and Commercial Code codification; no major subsequent amendment.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 6120/2558 (2015)
Land within a national forest reserve is state public domain; private occupation, however long, cannot give rise to possessory or ownership rights.
Although the plaintiff purchased land and cultivated eucalyptus and bamboo on it, the land fell within the Chong Mek national forest reserve; occupation of national forest reserve land cannot confer possessory rights and the plaintiff therefore had no right to claim the disputed land.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 1360/2555 (2012)
A criminal conviction for trespass on public-domain land does not conclusively determine civil possessory rights; the civil court must assess the land's status independently.
A prior criminal conviction for encroachment on public-domain land used exclusively for state purposes did not automatically resolve the civil question of whether the applicant had acquired any possessory right; civil courts must determine the land's legal character independently.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 6712/2554 (2011)
Upon urgent expropriation declaration and deposit of compensation, the State acquires the right to take possession of the land immediately regardless of any dispute over the compensation amount.
In urgent expropriation proceedings, once the Cabinet declares urgency and the expropriation official pays or deposits compensation, the State takes possession immediately; failure to agree on the amount does not delay the State's right to enter.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.