Section 195 — Escape from court-ordered medical confinement
English translation
Whoever escapes from a medical facility in which the court has ordered him to be confined under Section 49, shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding six months, or a fine not exceeding ten thousand baht, or both.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
The elements are: (1) a court order confining the person in a medical facility under Section 49; and (2) escape from that facility. Section 49 is the general-part power allowing a court to order confinement or treatment in a medical facility, for example in place of or alongside another measure for certain offenders. Section 195 criminalizes breaking that court-ordered confinement. It carries the lightest penalty among the escape offenses in this Title (compare Section 190 on escape from ordinary custody), reflecting the therapeutic rather than punitive nature of the confinement.
Why this matters in practice
This is a low-exposure offense (up to six months) tied to a specific court order confining the person to a medical facility under Section 49, so the threshold question is whether a valid Section 49 order was in force. Because the underlying confinement is therapeutic, the person's mental state and capacity may be highly relevant both to the medical order itself and to any defense. Escape is charged separately from the original matter. Anyone whose family member is subject to court-ordered medical confinement should seek criminal law advice in Thailand to understand the conditions and consequences of breach.
Frequently asked questions
What is Section 49 medical confinement?
Section 49 is a general-part power that lets a court order an offender to be confined or treated in a medical facility. Escaping from that court-ordered confinement is the offense punished by Section 195.
How serious is the penalty under Section 195?
It is the lightest of the escape offenses in this Title: imprisonment not exceeding six months, a fine not exceeding 10,000 baht, or both.