Thai Penal Code (ป.อ.)
Most cited by the Supreme Court
- §78 Mitigating circumstances 6,875 decisions
- §91 Punishment for multiple offences 6,511 decisions
- §83 Co-principals in an offence 6,318 decisions
- §90 Single act violating several laws 3,371 decisions
- §29 Default of fine payment 3,210 decisions
- §30 Detention in lieu of a fine, at 500 baht a day 2,987 decisions
- §33 Forfeiture of crime instruments and proceeds 2,500 decisions
- §288 Murder 2,205 decisions
- §56 Suspended sentence and probation conditions 2,099 decisions
- §80 Attempt to commit an offence 1,785 decisions
- §32 Forfeiture of unlawful property 1,532 decisions
- §335 Aggravated theft 1,143 decisions
Counted across the firm's corpus of Supreme Court decisions. Procedural and sentencing provisions naturally sit near the top: they are recited in almost every judgment, which is not the same as being the most contested. How we count these
Book 1: General Provisions
Title 1: Provisions Applicable to General Offences
Chapter 1: Definitions
Chapter 2: Application of the Penal Code
- Section 2: No punishment without law
- Section 3: Later law more favourable to the offender
- Section 4: Offences within the Kingdom
- Section 5: Offences partly in the Kingdom
- Section 6: Participants acting from abroad
- Section 7: Offences abroad punishable in Thailand without a request
- Section 8: Offences abroad punishable on request
- Section 9: Official misconduct committed abroad
- Section 10: Foreign judgment on an act committed abroad
- Section 11: Foreign judgment on an offence in the Kingdom
- Section 12: Legality of safety measures
- Section 13: Cessation where a later law abolishes the measure
- Section 14: Later law changing the conditions of a safety measure
- Section 15: Punishment converted into a measure of safety
- Section 16: Revoking or suspending a measure of safety
- Section 17: General provisions apply to other laws
Chapter 3: Punishments and Measures of Safety
- Section 18: Types of punishment
- Section 19: Execution by lethal injection
- Section 20: Discretion to impose imprisonment only
- Section 21: Calculation of imprisonment term
- Section 22: When imprisonment starts and deduction of pre-trial detention
- Section 23: Confinement in lieu of imprisonment
- Section 24: Place of confinement, and confinement elsewhere
- Section 25: Rights of confined persons
- Section 26: Working while confined at a residence
- Section 27: Changing confinement into imprisonment
- Section 28: Payment of fine to court
- Section 29: Default of fine payment
- Section 30: Detention in lieu of a fine, at 500 baht a day
- Section 30/1: Community service in place of a fine
- Section 30/2: Revoking or changing a community service order
- Section 30/3: Finality of fine-service orders
- Section 31: Fines imposed per offender
- Section 32: Forfeiture of unlawful property
- Section 33: Forfeiture of crime instruments and proceeds
- Section 34: Forfeiture of bribes and rewards
- Section 35: Forfeited property vests in State
- Section 36: Return of forfeited property to owner
- Section 37: Enforcement of forfeiture orders
- Section 38: Death extinguishes punishment
- Section 39: Measures of safety listed
- Section 40: Definition of detention
- Section 41: Habitual offender detention criteria
- Section 42: Calculation of detention period
- Section 43: Filing for preventive detention
- Section 44: Prohibition from designated zone
- Section 45: Post-release zone prohibition
- Section 46: Bond to keep the peace, including environmental harm
- Section 47: Breach of a bond given under Section 46
- Section 48: Custody in a medical facility after Section 65
- Section 49: Order banning liquor or drugs after sentence
- Section 50: Prohibition of occupation
- Section 51: Ceiling on increased punishment
- Section 52: Reduction of the death penalty
- Section 53: Reduction of life imprisonment
- Section 54: Order of increase and reduction
- Section 55: Short imprisonment of three months or less
- Section 56: Suspended sentence and probation conditions
- Section 57: Breach of probation conditions
- Section 58: Activation of suspended punishment on reoffending
- Section 29/1: Execution against property to satisfy an unpaid fine
Chapter 4: Criminal Liability
- Section 59: Intention, negligence and criminal act
- Section 60: Transferred intent by aberration
- Section 61: Mistake as to the person
- Section 62: Mistake of fact, and knowledge required for a heavier penalty
- Section 63: Aggravating result must be ordinary
- Section 64: Ignorance of law is no excuse
- Section 65: Insanity and mental incapacity
- Section 66: Intoxication is not an excuse, except when involuntary
- Section 67: Necessity
- Section 68: Lawful self-defence
- Section 69: Excess of necessity or defence
- Section 70: Acting under an official's order
- Section 71: Property offences between spouses and close relatives
- Section 72: Provocation (heat of passion)
- Section 73: A child not over twelve is not punishable
- Section 74: Child aged 12 to 15: measures instead of punishment
- Section 75: Offender 15 to 18: discretion and half reduction
- Section 76: Young adult 18 to 20: discretionary reduction
- Section 77: Enforcing the requirement laid on a parent or guardian
- Section 78: Mitigating circumstances
- Section 79: Case ended by paying maximum fine
Chapter 5: Attempt
Chapter 6: Principals and Supporters
- Section 83: Co-principals in an offence
- Section 84: Instigating another to commit an offence
- Section 85: Public advertisement to commit an offence
- Section 86: Supporter or accessory to an offence
- Section 87: Liability where the offence exceeds what was instigated
- Section 88: Instigator or supporter preventing the result
- Section 89: Personal grounds versus offence-nature grounds
- Section 85/1: Reduced penalty for informing on an instigator
Chapter 7: Concurrence of Offences
Chapter 8: Repeat Offences
Chapter 9: Prescription
- Section 95: Prescription for criminal prosecution
- Section 96: Three-month complaint window
- Section 97: Prescription for preventive detention
- Section 98: Prescription of punishment enforcement
- Section 99: Time limit for enforcing a fine
- Section 100: Lapse of an order of detention
- Section 101: Two year limit on enforcing a bond
Title 2: Provisions Applicable to Petty Offences
Book 2: Specific Offences
Title 1: Offences Relating to the Security of the Kingdom
Chapter 1: Offences against the King, Queen, Heir-apparent and Regent
- Section 107: Killing the King
- Section 108: Act of violence against the King
- Section 109: Killing the Queen, Heir-apparent or Regent
- Section 110: Violence against the Queen, Heir-apparent or Regent
- Section 111: Supporter in an offence against the Sovereign or Regent
- Section 112: Lese-majeste: defaming the monarch
Chapter 2: Offences against the Internal Security of the Kingdom
Chapter 3: Offences against the External Security of the Kingdom
- Section 119: Ceding territory or impairing independence
- Section 120: Conspiring with an agent of a foreign State
- Section 121: A Thai national who wages war against Thailand or joins the enemy
- Section 122: Aiding the war operations of the enemy
- Section 123: Obtaining state secrets affecting national safety
- Section 124: Disclosing or obtaining State security secrets
- Section 125: Tampering with documents concerning the State's international interests
- Section 126: Dishonestly failing to carry out an entrusted State mission
- Section 127: Acts causing trouble to the country from outside
- Section 128: Preparation or attempt in this Chapter
- Section 129: Supporter in an offence in this Chapter
Chapter 4: Offences against Friendly Relations with Foreign States
- Section 130: Assault on a foreign head of state
- Section 131: Violence against an accredited foreign envoy
- Section 132: Killing or attempting to kill a foreign sovereign or envoy
- Section 133: Defaming a foreign monarch or head of State
- Section 134: Defaming an accredited foreign envoy
- Section 135: Insulting the flag or emblem of a friendly foreign State
Title 1/1: Offences of Terrorism
Title 2: Offences Relating to Public Administration
Chapter 1: Offences against Officials
- Section 136: Insulting an official
- Section 137: False statement to an official
- Section 138: Resisting or obstructing an official
- Section 139: Coercing an official
- Section 140: Aggravated resisting or coercing an official
- Section 141: Tampering with an official seal
- Section 142: Interfering with seized property
- Section 143: Trading in influence
- Section 144: Bribery of officials (offering a bribe)
- Section 145: Impersonating an official
- Section 146: Unauthorized use of uniform, rank or insignia
Chapter 2: Malfeasance in Office
- Section 147: Embezzlement by an official
- Section 148: Extortion by an official (abuse of power)
- Section 149: Bribery of an official (taking a bribe)
- Section 150: Acting on a benefit taken before appointment
- Section 151: Dishonest use of office over property
- Section 152: Official's conflict of interest in an undertaking
- Section 153: Official over-disbursing public money
- Section 154: Dishonest tax or fee collection by an official
- Section 155: Dishonest valuation for tax purposes
- Section 156: Dishonest account auditing for tax
- Section 157: Malfeasance or dereliction of duty by an official
- Section 158: Damaging property or documents in official's care
- Section 159: Officer damaging affixed official seals
- Section 160: Officer misusing an official seal
- Section 161: Official forgery of documents
- Section 162: Official false certification in documents
- Section 163: Postal officer tampering with mail
- Section 164: Officer disclosing official secrets
- Section 165: Officer obstructing enforcement of law
- Section 166: Officers jointly abandoning public work
Title 3: Offences Relating to Justice
Chapter 1: Offences against Judicial Officials
- Section 167: Bribing judicial and inquiry officials
- Section 168: Disobeying summons to give statement
- Section 169: Disobeying order to deliver or testify
- Section 170: Disobeying a court summons or order
- Section 171: Disobeying a court order to testify
- Section 172: False report of a criminal offence
- Section 173: False report that a crime occurred
- Section 174: Aggravated false accusation to officials
- Section 175: Bringing a false criminal charge
- Section 176: Repentance for a false charge
- Section 177: Perjury before a court
- Section 178: False interpretation for officials
- Section 179: Fabricating criminal evidence
- Section 180: Presenting false evidence in court
- Section 181: Aggravated penalties for false justice offences
- Section 182: Retraction before testimony ends
- Section 183: Retraction before judgment
- Section 184: Destroying evidence to help an offender
- Section 185: Tampering with court exhibits
- Section 186: Tampering with forfeited property
- Section 187: Tampering with seized or attached property
- Section 188: Destroying a will or another's document
- Section 189: Harboring an offender to avoid arrest
- Section 190: Escape from lawful custody
- Section 191: Freeing a person from custody
- Section 192: Harboring an escapee from custody
- Section 193: Family exemption for aiding an offender
- Section 194: Breach of court zone ban
- Section 195: Escape from court-ordered medical confinement
- Section 196: Breach of court prohibition order
- Section 197: Obstructing a court-ordered auction
- Section 198: Insulting a court or judge
- Section 199: Concealing or destroying a corpse to hide a death
Chapter 2: Malfeasance in Judicial Office
- Section 200: Prosecutor or investigator helping or framing a person
- Section 201: Bribery of a judge, prosecutor or investigating officer
- Section 202: Judicial or prosecuting officer acting on a pre-appointment bribe
- Section 203: Obstructing execution of a court judgment or order
- Section 204: Official allowing a person in custody to escape
- Section 205: Negligently allowing a detainee to escape
Title 4: Offences Relating to Religion
Title 5: Offences Relating to Public Peace
- Section 209: Membership of a secret society (angyi)
- Section 210: Criminal association (song chon)
- Section 211: Attending a meeting of a secret society or criminal association
- Section 212: Assisting a secret society or criminal association
- Section 213: Liability of members and leaders for the gang's offence
- Section 214: Habitually harbouring offenders
- Section 215: Assembly of ten or more causing a disturbance
- Section 216: Failing to disperse when ordered by an official
Title 6: Offences Causing Public Dangers
- Section 217: Arson of another person's property
- Section 218: Aggravated arson of listed property
- Section 219: Preparation to commit arson under Section 217 or 218
- Section 220: Causing a fire that endangers persons or property
- Section 221: Causing an explosion likely to endanger persons or property
- Section 222: Causing an explosion that endangers protected property
- Section 223: Property of little value and no danger to persons
- Section 224: Fire, explosion or flood causing death or grievous harm
- Section 225: Negligently causing a fire that damages property or endangers life
- Section 226: Endangering persons by damaging buildings or safety devices
- Section 227: Professional failure in building work endangering persons
- Section 228: Causing a flood or obstructing a public water supply
- Section 229: Damaging a public way, bridge or dam
- Section 230: Obstructing a railway or tramway
- Section 231: Interfering with traffic, navigation or aviation signals
- Section 232: Putting a vehicle in a condition dangerous to persons
- Section 233: Using a vehicle for hire in a dangerous condition
- Section 234: Disrupting the supply of electricity or water
- Section 235: Disrupting public postal, telegraph, telephone or radio communication
- Section 236: Adulterating food or drugs
- Section 237: Poisoning food or water provided for the public
- Section 238: Public danger offence causing death or grievous harm
- Section 239: Negligent public danger offences
Title 7: Offences Relating to Counterfeiting and Alteration
Chapter 1: Offences Relating to Currency
- Section 240: Counterfeiting currency and government bonds
- Section 241: Altering currency to inflate its apparent value
- Section 242: Debasing coins, and dealing in debased coins
- Section 243: Import of counterfeit or altered currency
- Section 244: Possessing counterfeit currency in order to use it
- Section 245: Passing on currency after learning it is counterfeit
- Section 246: Tools for counterfeiting or altering currency
- Section 247: Half penalty where foreign currency is involved
- Section 248: Single punishment for the counterfeiter who also uses
- Section 249: Making or disposing of objects resembling currency
Chapter 2: Offences Relating to Seals, Stamps and Tickets
- Section 250: Forging the Royal or State Seal
- Section 251: Forging an official or public body seal
- Section 252: Using a forged seal or Royal Signature
- Section 253: Unlawful use of a genuine official seal
- Section 254: Forging or altering a government stamp
- Section 255: Importing counterfeit seals, the Royal Signature or government stamps
- Section 256: Restoring a cancelled government stamp for reuse
- Section 257: Using or selling stamps produced under Section 254 or 256
- Section 258: Forging or restoring a public transport ticket
- Section 259: Where the ticket is a public admission ticket
- Section 260: Using or selling forged or altered tickets
- Section 261: Tools for counterfeiting stamps or tickets
- Section 262: Half penalty where a foreign government stamp is involved
- Section 263: Single punishment where the maker also commits a related offence
Chapter 3: Offences Relating to Documents
- Section 264: Forgery of a document
- Section 265: Forgery of a document of title or an official document
- Section 266: Forgery of a will, share certificate, bill or certificate of deposit
- Section 267: Causing a false statement to be recorded in an official document
- Section 268: Using a forged or falsified document
- Section 269: False certification by a member of a profession
Chapter 4: Offences Relating to Electronic Cards
- Section 269/1: Forging an electronic card
- Section 269/2: Making or possessing tools for forging an electronic card
- Section 269/3: Import or export of forged electronic cards or forging tools
- Section 269/4: Using, possessing or selling a forged electronic card
- Section 269/5: Unlawful use of another person's electronic card
- Section 269/6: Possessing another person's electronic card for unlawful use
- Section 269/7: Increased penalty for payment and cash withdrawal cards
Chapter 5: Offences Relating to Passports
- Section 269/10: Import or export of a forged passport
- Section 269/11: Unlawful use of another person's passport
- Section 269/12: Forging a visa seal, seal impression or visa sticker
- Section 269/13: Using a forged visa seal, seal impression or visa sticker
- Section 269/14: Import or export of a forged visa seal, seal impression or visa sticker
- Section 269/15: Unlawful use of a genuine visa seal, seal impression or visa sticker
- Section 269/8: Forging a passport
- Section 269/9: Using, possessing or selling a forged passport
Title 8: Offences Relating to Trade
Title 9: Offences Relating to Sexuality
- Section 276: Rape by coercion
- Section 276/2: Sexual intercourse with consenting child 13 to 15
- Section 277: Sexual intercourse with a child under 15
- Section 277/1: Rape causing grievous harm or death
- Section 277/2: Aggravated rape causing grievous harm or death
- Section 277/3: Consensual child intercourse causing harm or death
- Section 277/4: Definition of sexual intercourse
- Section 278: Indecent act by coercion
- Section 279: Indecent act against a child under 15
- Section 280: Aggravated indecent act
- Section 281: Compoundability of certain sexual offences
- Section 282: Procuring a person for indecency
- Section 283: Procuring for indecency by coercion
- Section 284: Taking a person away for indecency by coercion
- Section 284/1: Sexual harassment
- Section 284/2: Sexual harassment by a person in a position of power
- Section 284/3: Court order restraining further harassment
- Section 284/4: Court order to take down obscene data
- Section 285: Aggravated sexual offences by relationship
- Section 286: Living on earnings of prostitution
- Section 287: Obscene materials offence
- Section 287/1: Child obscene material offence
- Section 287/2: Trading in and distributing child pornography
- Section 280/1: Recording a sexual offence for unlawful gain
- Section 283/2: Taking a consenting minor aged 15 to 18 for indecency
- Section 285/1: No defence of ignorance of the child's age in sexual offences
- Section 285/2: Aggravated penalty where the victim cannot protect themselves
Title 10: Offences against Life and Body
Chapter 1: Offences against Life
Chapter 2: Offences against Body
Chapter 3: Offences of Causing Abortion
Chapter 4: Abandonment of Children, Sick Persons or Aged Persons
Title 11: Offences against Liberty and Reputation
Chapter 1: Offences against Liberty
- Section 309: Coercion by threat or force
- Section 310: Unlawful deprivation of liberty
- Section 311: Causing deprivation of liberty by negligence
- Section 312: Enslavement
- Section 313: Kidnapping for ransom
- Section 314: Supporting a kidnapping for ransom
- Section 315: Acting as a ransom intermediary
- Section 316: Reduced penalty for releasing the victim
- Section 317: Taking a child not over fifteen from its parents
- Section 318: Taking an unwilling minor aged 15 to 18
- Section 319: Taking a consenting minor aged 15 to 18 for profit or indecency
- Section 320: Taking or sending a person out of the Kingdom
- Section 321: Compoundable liberty offences
- Section 310/2: Forced labour by deprivation of liberty
- Section 312/2: Aggravated penalties where the victim is a child or is harmed
- Section 312/3: Receiving or procuring a minor aged 15 to 18
- Section 321/1: No defence of ignorance of the child's age in child-taking offences
Chapter 2: Offences of Disclosure of Private Secrets
Chapter 3: Offences of Defamation
- Section 326: Criminal defamation
- Section 327: Defamation of a deceased person
- Section 328: Defamation by publication
- Section 329: Good faith defences to defamation
- Section 330: Truth as a defence to defamation
- Section 331: Court statements privilege
- Section 332: Court orders after a defamation conviction
- Section 333: Defamation offences are compoundable
Title 12: Offences against Property
Chapter 1: Theft and Snatching
Chapter 2: Extortion, Blackmail, Robbery and Gang-Robbery
Chapter 3: Cheating and Fraud
- Section 341: Cheating and fraud
- Section 342: Aggravated fraud
- Section 343: Fraud on the public
- Section 343/1: Online public fraud
- Section 344: Fraud on labour
- Section 345: Taking food or lodging unable to pay
- Section 345/1: Fraud by electronic transfer
- Section 346: Inducing a disposal by exploiting weakness of mind
- Section 347: Insurance property fraud
- Section 348: Fraud offences are compoundable
Chapter 4: Cheating against Creditors
Chapter 5: Misappropriation
Chapter 6: Receiving Stolen Property
Chapter 7: Mischief
Chapter 8: Trespass
Title 13: Offences Relating to Dead Bodies
Book 3: Petty Offences
- Section 367: Refusing or falsifying name to an official
- Section 368: Disobeying a lawful official order
- Section 369: Destroying an official notice
- Section 370: Making a public nuisance by noise
- Section 371: Carrying a weapon in public
- Section 372: Quarrelling noisily or disturbing the peace in public
- Section 373: Neglecting a person of unsound mind
- Section 374: Failing to help a person in danger of death
- Section 375: Obstructing a public drain or sewer
- Section 376: Firing a gun in a town or village
- Section 377: Letting a fierce or dangerous animal go about
- Section 378: Drunk and disorderly in a public place
- Section 379: Drawing or brandishing a weapon in a quarrel
- Section 380: Fouling water kept for public use
- Section 381: Cruelty to animals
- Section 382: Overworking a sick, aged or young animal
- Section 383: Failing to help extinguish a fire when called by an official
- Section 384: Spreading a false report causing public alarm
- Section 385: Obstructing a public way
- Section 386: Digging or placing obstructions in a public way
- Section 387: Objects likely to fall onto a public way
- Section 388: Indecent exposure in public
- Section 389: Dropping objects or causing filth to be a nuisance
- Section 390: Negligent bodily or mental injury
- Section 391: Use of force without injury
- Section 392: Causing fear by threat
- Section 393: Insult in presence or by publication
- Section 394: Driving animals onto another's cultivated land
- Section 395: Allowing an animal to stray onto cultivated land
- Section 396: Dumping an animal carcass on a public way
- Section 397: Bullying, harassment or nuisance
- Section 398: Cruelty to a dependent child, sick or aged person