Section 228 — Endangering water traffic
English translation
Whoever causes danger to water traffic by destroying, damaging, or rendering unusable the signalling marks used for water traffic, the lights, or other marks provided for the safety of water traffic shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding five years, or a fine not exceeding one hundred 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
Section 228 is the water-traffic counterpart to Section 226 (land) and Section 230 (air) within the Chapter on Offences Causing Public Dangers. Its elements are an act that causes danger to water traffic by destroying, damaging, or rendering unusable the signalling marks, lights, or other marks provided for the safety of water traffic. The protected interest is the reliability of navigation aids, so the offence is complete when a safety mark is disabled and danger to water traffic results, without any particular vessel accident. It carries imprisonment up to five years, a fine up to 100,000 baht, or both.
Why this matters in practice
Interfering with buoys, navigation lights, or channel markers is treated as a public-danger crime because faulty aids can cause serious maritime accidents, so the state prosecutes and the offence is not compoundable. Because a fine may replace or accompany imprisonment, penalties scale with the seriousness of the interference and the danger created. Defence work usually addresses whether the item was truly a water-traffic safety mark, whether the accused caused the damage, and intent, and any resulting injury or death would trigger heavier aggravated provisions in the same Chapter. See our overview of criminal law in Thailand for further context.
Frequently asked questions
What does Section 228 protect?
The safety of water traffic. It punishes destroying, damaging, or disabling navigation signalling marks, lights, or other safety marks used for water traffic.
What is the penalty under Section 228?
Imprisonment of up to five years, a fine of up to 100,000 baht, or both.