Section 160 — Joining Multiple Counts in One Charge
Statutory text (Thai original)
ความผิดหลายกระทงจะรวมในฟ้องเดียวกันก็ได้ แต่ให้แยกกระทงเรียงเป็นลำดับกันไปความผิดแต่ละกระทงจะถือว่าเป็นข้อหาแยกจากข้อหาอื่นก็ได้ ถ้าศาลเห็นสมควรจะสั่งให้แยกสำนวนพิจารณาความผิดกระทงใดหรือหลายกระทงต่างหาก และจะสั่งเช่นนี้ก่อนพิจารณาหรือในระหว่างพิจารณาก็ได้
English translation
Several offences may be joined in a single charge, but each count shall be separated and arranged in sequence. Each count may be treated as a charge distinct from the others. If the court thinks fit, it may order that the trial of any one or more counts be separated into a distinct case, and it may make such an order before or during the trial.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
This section governs the joinder and severance of multiple counts in a criminal charge. It permits a single charge to carry several offences, provided each count is separately pleaded and numbered, and it lets the court sever counts into distinct cases in the interests of orderly trial management. Where related offences could have been brought together in one case, the joinder rule interacts with the Penal Code's cumulative-sentencing limits, such as Section 91, which caps aggregate imprisonment across counts. It gives the court flexibility to keep a manageable trial while preserving each count's separate identity.
Why this matters in practice
For defendants facing several counts, this section is where two practical issues meet: how the charge is structured, and how the sentences add up. Even where counts are joined, the aggregate imprisonment for related offences is capped by the Penal Code, so a long-looking indictment does not always mean an unlimited sentence. The court's power to sever counts can also affect strategy and timing. If you face a multi-count indictment, mapping the sentencing exposure count by count is essential.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4149/2567 (2024)
Where a charge alleges several offences with the times, quantities and values of each act separately described in sequence, they are several counts that may be joined in one charge under Section 160 paragraph one, provided each count is separated and arranged in order.
Employees were charged with repeatedly stealing from their employer, with each incident's date, quantity and value described in sequence. The Court held these were several counts properly joined in one charge under Section 160 paragraph one, and that reading the connected paragraphs together showed the counts were sufficiently pleaded.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 4943/2567 (2024)
Where two cases arose on the same day and at the same place and are so connected that they could have been filed as a single case under Section 160 paragraph one, consecutive sentencing is subject to the aggregate imprisonment cap in Penal Code Section 91(3).
Two cases with the same date and place were sufficiently connected to have been filed together under Section 160 paragraph one. The Court held that consecutive sentencing across the connected cases was therefore governed by the aggregate imprisonment cap under Penal Code Section 91(3).
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
Can several offences be charged in one criminal case in Thailand?
Yes. Section 160 allows several offences to be joined in a single charge, but each count must be set out separately and in sequence, and each may be treated as a distinct charge.
Can the court split off some counts into a separate case?
Yes. Under Section 160 the court may, if it thinks fit, order the trial of one or more counts to be separated into a distinct case, either before or during the trial.