Section 135/1 — Terrorism offence
English translation
Whoever commits any of the following acts, which are criminal offences:
(1) using force, or doing any act that endangers life or causes grave danger to the body or liberty of any person;
(2) doing any act that causes grave damage to a public transport system, a telecommunications system, or infrastructure of public benefit;
(3) doing any act that causes damage to property of the State, a State agency, or any person, or to the environment, so as to constitute sabotage;
if such act is done with the purpose of intimidating or compelling the Thai Government, a foreign government, or an international organization to do or refrain from doing any act, or to create disturbance by instilling fear among the public, such person commits the offence of terrorism and shall be liable to death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment from three years to twenty years, and a fine from sixty thousand baht to one million baht.
An act committed during the flight of an aircraft, from the time the aircraft doors are closed before departure until the time the aircraft doors are opened after arrival, or, if the aircraft is forced to land at any place, from the time the aircraft doors are closed before departure until the competent officer takes charge of the aircraft and of the persons and property on board, shall also be deemed the offence of terrorism under paragraph one.
If the offender committing terrorism causes the death of another person, he shall be liable to death.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 135/1 opens the Title on Offences of Terrorism. The offence has two layers: a listed harmful act under (1) to (3), and a specific purpose, namely to intimidate or compel a government or international organization, or to instill fear in the public. Without that purpose element the conduct falls back to ordinary offences such as assault, arson or criminal damage; the purpose is what converts it into terrorism and triggers the far heavier scale up to death. Paragraph two extends the offence to acts committed aboard an aircraft in flight, and paragraph three fixes death as the penalty where the terrorist act causes death. Sections 135/2 (support and conspiracy), 135/3 (threats) and 135/4 (voluntary withdrawal) complete the scheme.
Why this matters in practice
This is among the most serious offences in the Penal Code, with exposure reaching death and a mandatory death penalty where a death results. In practice terrorism charges rarely stand alone: they are typically paired with firearms and explosives offences, secret-society and gang offences (Sections 209 and 210) and attempted murder (Sections 288 to 289), and the courts treat terrorism by force and mere conspiracy as separate acts drawing separate counts. The critical battleground is the purpose element, since the prosecution must prove the intent to coerce a government or terrorize the public, not just the violent act itself. Anyone caught up in such a case needs experienced criminal counsel immediately; see criminal law in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 685/2567 (2024)
Jointly committing terrorism by using force is an act that goes beyond a prior conspiracy; although committed in the same period, it differs in conduct, intent and purpose, so the two are separate offences with separate counts.
The prosecution charged two defendants under Sections 135/1, 210, 221, 224 and 289 together with firearms offences. The Supreme Court held that the offence of jointly committing terrorism by force went beyond the conspiracy, and that although both were committed in the same period they were different acts with different intent and purpose, making them separate offences on separate counts.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
What makes an act terrorism under Section 135/1?
A listed harmful act, such as violence endangering life or damaging public infrastructure, done with the purpose of coercing a government or international organization or instilling fear among the public.
What is the penalty for terrorism?
Death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment from three to twenty years, plus a fine of 60,000 to 1,000,000 baht; it is death where the act causes another person's death.
Is terrorism by force treated as one offence with conspiracy?
No. The Supreme Court has held that committing terrorism by force goes beyond the conspiracy and, though occurring in the same period, is a separate act with different intent, so they are separate offences.