Section 135/2 — Supporting or conspiring in terrorism
English translation
Whoever supports or assists a person committing the offence of terrorism, before or during the commission of the offence, by procuring or providing money or property, procuring lodging, procuring a hiding place, or doing any act to help the offender of terrorism to escape or to prevent the offender of terrorism from being punished, shall be liable to the same penalty as the offender of terrorism.
Whoever conspires to commit the offence of terrorism shall be liable to imprisonment from two years to ten years, and a fine from forty thousand baht to two hundred thousand baht.
If the offence of terrorism is committed by reason of the conspiracy, the conspirators shall be liable to the same penalty as a principal in that offence.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 135/2 attaches accessory and inchoate liability to the core terrorism offence in Section 135/1. Paragraph one covers material support (money, property, lodging, hiding places) and post-offence assistance to escape or evade punishment, punishing it at parity with the terrorist. Paragraphs two and three address conspiracy: bare conspiracy carries two to ten years, but if the planned terrorism is actually carried out because of the conspiracy, each conspirator is punished as a principal. Note the interaction with the general aiding provision (Section 86), the secret-society and gang offences (Sections 209 and 210), and Section 135/4, which allows a reduced penalty or none for a conspirator who voluntarily withdraws before the act succeeds.
Why this matters in practice
The reach here is broad: providing funds, shelter or a hiding place to a terrorism offender exposes a supporter to the full terrorism penalty scale, up to death, not a lesser accessory tariff. Conspiracy alone is separately punishable even if nothing is ultimately carried out. In prosecutions the courts have separated the secret-society or gang counts from the terrorism-support counts, treating them as distinct offences with distinct intent, so a single course of conduct can produce multiple convictions. The one relief valve is Section 135/4 for a conspirator who repents in time. Because sentencing outcomes turn heavily on the precise role played, early specialist advice matters; see criminal law in Thailand.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 3807/2563 (2020)
Where a single act supporting terrorism by force violates several provisions, it is punished under the heaviest applicable law by virtue of Section 90; supporting terrorism is charged under Section 135/2 read with the aiding provision in Section 86.
The defendant was charged under Sections 135/1, 135/2, 135/3 and 209 together with firearms offences. The courts found the conduct to be a single act violating several laws and applied the heaviest provision under Section 90, convicting for supporting terrorism by force under Section 135/2 read with the aiding provision Section 86.
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 penalty does a supporter of terrorism face under Section 135/2?
A person who materially supports or helps a terrorism offender faces the same penalty as the offender, which can reach death.
Is conspiring to commit terrorism a crime by itself?
Yes. Conspiracy carries two to ten years' imprisonment and a fine of 40,000 to 200,000 baht, and if the terrorism is carried out because of the conspiracy, conspirators are punished as principals.
Can support of terrorism and being in a secret society be charged together?
Yes. The courts have treated supporting terrorism and being in a secret society as separate offences with different intent, so both counts can be convicted.