Whoever does any act which amounts to bullying, coercion, intimidation, or causing unreasonable annoyance to another person without reasonable cause, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding five thousand Baht.
If the offence under paragraph one is committed in a public place, the offender shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding one month, or a fine not exceeding ten thousand Baht, or both.
Note: Sexual harassment provisions formerly addressed under this section are now governed by Sections 284/1 through 284/4 as added by Amendment Act No. 30, B.E. 2568 (2025).
Section 397 was significantly narrowed by Amendment Act No. 30 (B.E. 2568/2025). Previously, it covered all forms of harassment including sexual harassment. Now it applies only to non-sexual harassment, as sexual harassment is covered by the new dedicated Sections 284/1-284/4.
Act No. 30 (B.E. 2568/2025) removed the phrase 'sexually harasses' from Section 397 and created the dedicated framework in Sections 284/1-284/4 with higher penalties.
This change means sexual harassment now carries significantly higher penalties (up to 5 years for offenses against minors) compared to the old Section 397 (up to 1 month/10,000 Baht).
Section / มาตรา 284/1 —
General harassment (post-2568) vs sexual harassment (new Sections 284/1-4)(See alsoดูเพิ่มเติม)
Disclaimer: The English translation is unofficial and for informational purposes only. The authoritative text is in Thai as published in the Royal Thai Government Gazette (Ratchakitchanubeksa).ข้อสงวนสิทธิ์: คำแปลภาษาอังกฤษเป็นคำแปลอย่างไม่เป็นทางการ เพื่อวัตถุประสงค์ในการให้ข้อมูลเท่านั้น ข้อความที่เป็นทางการเป็นภาษาไทยตามที่ประกาศในราชกิจจานุเบกษา