Section 124: Disclosing or obtaining State security secrets
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ใดกระทำการใด ๆ เพื่อให้ผู้อื่นล่วงรู้ หรือได้ไปซึ่งข้อความ เอกสารหรือสิ่งใด ๆ อันปกปิดไว้เป็นความลับสำหรับความปลอดภัยของประเทศ ต้องระวางโทษจำคุกไม่เกินสิบปี ถ้าความผิดนั้นได้กระทำในระหว่างประเทศอยู่ในการรบหรือการสงคราม ผู้กระทำต้องระวางโทษจำคุกตั้งแต่ห้าปีถึงสิบห้าปี ถ้าความผิดดังกล่าวมาในสองวรรคก่อน ได้กระทำเพื่อให้รัฐต่างประเทศได้ประโยชน์ ผู้กระทำต้องระวางโทษประหารชีวิต หรือจำคุกตลอดชีวิต
English translation
Whoever does any act in order that another person may learn, or may obtain, any statement, document, or thing kept secret for the safety of the country shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding ten years.
If the offence is committed while the country is engaged in fighting or in war, the offender shall be liable to imprisonment from five years to fifteen years.
If the offence referred to in the two preceding paragraphs is committed in order that a foreign State may benefit, the offender shall be liable to the death penalty or to imprisonment for life.
ThaiLawOnline translation, written from the Thai original and verified
Firm annotation
Section 124 criminalises the acquisition side of national security secrets and opens a small group of espionage-type provisions in the external-security chapter. Its elements are an act carried out for the purpose of obtaining a statement, document or article, and the requirement that the item be kept secret for the safety of the country. The focus is on the purpose of obtaining, so completion does not require that the secret was actually acquired or passed on. It works in tandem with Section 125 (disclosure), Section 126 (acting for a foreign state) and Section 127 (espionage), which increase the exposure in aggravated circumstances.
Why this matters in practice
Two questions dominate: whether the material really was kept secret for the safety of the country, and whether the accused acted with the purpose of obtaining it. Because the offence turns on purpose, even an unsuccessful attempt to obtain can fall within it. Exposure is up to ten years, rising sharply if the act was for a foreign state under Section 126 or in wartime under Section 128, and the offence is not compoundable. See criminal law in Thailand for an overview.
Frequently asked questions
Does the secret have to be actually obtained under Section 124?
No. The offence is defined by the purpose of obtaining the secret, so an act carried out with that aim can be complete even if the secret was never actually acquired.
How does Section 124 relate to Sections 125 to 127?
Section 124 covers obtaining a secret, Section 125 covers disclosing it, Section 126 raises the penalty when done for a foreign state, and Section 127 covers espionage.
Related guides on ThaiLawOnline
Cite this section
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Plain citation
Penal Code, s. 124 (Thailand) -
Academic citation
Penal Code (Thailand), s. 124. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-124/ (accessed 17 August 2026). -
Thai citation
ป.อ. มาตรา 124 -
Permalink
https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-124/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-124/"><p>Whoever does any act in order that another person may learn, or may obtain, any statement, document, or thing kept secret for the safety of the country shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding ten years. If the offence is committed while the country is…</p><footer>Penal Code, s. 124 (Thailand) — <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-124/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.