Section 218 — Aggravated arson of listed property
English translation
Whoever sets fire to any of the following property:
(1) a building, ship, or raft in which a person dwells;
(2) a building, ship, or raft used for storing or manufacturing goods;
(3) a theatre or an assembly hall;
(4) a building that is public property of the State, a public place, or a place for the performance of religious ceremonies;
(5) a railway station, an airport, or a public parking or mooring place for vehicles or vessels;
(6) a steamship or a motor vessel with a tonnage of five tons or more,
shall be liable to death, imprisonment for life, or imprisonment from five years to twenty years.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Within the chapter on offences causing public danger, this section aggravates the basic arson of Section 217 by reference to the type of property burned. The listed targets in items (1) to (6) share a heightened danger to human life or public interest: places where people live or gather, stores of goods, public and religious buildings, transport hubs, and vessels of five tons or more. Where the burned property does not fall within any listed category, the offence reverts to the lighter Section 217, so classifying the property is decisive. The severe penalty range, up to death, reflects the risk that fire in such places poses to many people at once.
Why this matters in practice
Exposure here is at the top of the scale, up to death, so the classification of the burned property is often the single most important issue, and the Supreme Court reads the listed categories narrowly, keeping property that does not truly fit within Section 217 instead. If the fire also endangers or kills people, further offences carrying grave penalties are typically charged alongside. Given the stakes, anyone accused should obtain specialist defence at once; you can arrange a consultation with a Thai lawyer.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 8064/2556 (2013)
Section 218(2) covers only buildings used for storing or making trade goods; a shed holding straw for the owner's own cattle is not such a building and falls under Section 217 instead.
The Court held that straw kept to feed the victim's own cattle was not trade goods, so the shed did not qualify as a goods store within Section 218(2). The property was ordinary property of another under Section 217, not the aggravated arson category.
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 property does Section 218 cover?
Setting fire to listed high-risk property: inhabited buildings, ships or rafts, goods stores, theatres or assembly halls, public or religious buildings, transport stations, and vessels of five tons or more.
How severe is the penalty under Section 218?
It is among the most severe in the Code: death, life imprisonment, or imprisonment from five to twenty years.
What if the burned property does not fit the listed categories?
Then the lighter Section 217 applies instead. The Supreme Court has held, for example, that a shed storing straw for the owner's own cattle is not a goods store under Section 218(2).