Section 267 — False statement in an official record
English translation
Whoever causes an official acting in the course of duty to record a false statement in a public document or an official document intended to serve as evidence, in a manner likely to cause damage to another person or to the public, shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding three years, or a fine not exceeding sixty 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 267 is a form of indirect forgery: rather than falsifying a document himself, the offender causes a genuine document to contain a false statement by lying to the recording official. Its elements are: (1) informing an official acting in the course of duty; (2) causing a false statement to be recorded in a public or official document intended as evidence; and (3) a manner likely to cause damage to another or the public. It differs from the direct forgery of Sections 264 to 266 because the document itself is authentic; the falsity lies in its content. It is frequently charged with Section 137 (giving false information to an official) and, where the false record is later used, with Section 268.
Why this matters in practice
This offence commonly arises in land registry transactions, company registrations, and civil status records, where a party induces the officer to enter false particulars. Penalty exposure is up to three years, but suspended sentences with a fine are common for first offenders, as illustrated by dika practice. Where the false record is then used, prosecutors add Section 268; a single act violating both is punished under the heavier applicable provision. A frequent defence is that the statement was in fact true, or that the recorded matter was not one the official had a duty to accept as evidence. The likelihood of damage, not actual damage, is enough for the offence.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2630/2567 (2024)
Causing a land official to record a false statement in an official title document, in a manner likely to cause damage, supports conviction under Section 267 together with Section 137.
In connected proceedings the defendant was found guilty under Sections 137 and 267 and sentenced to six months imprisonment and a 3,000 baht fine, the prison term suspended for two years, arising from false particulars in a land title matter.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2086/2567 (2024)
Using a document that resulted from causing an official to record a false statement is punishable under Section 268 read with Section 267; where one act violates several provisions, punishment follows the use offence under Section 268.
The defendant, after initially denying then confessing, was convicted under Sections 137, 267, and 268 paragraph one read with Section 267 as a single act violating several provisions, and punished for using the false document under Section 268.
Curated decisions with case numbers verified against the Supreme Court database. English renderings are the firm's editorial translation for study.
Frequently asked questions
How is Section 267 different from ordinary forgery?
In Section 267 the document is genuine but its content is false because someone lied to the recording official. Ordinary forgery under Sections 264 to 266 involves faking or altering the document itself.
Is it a crime to give false information for a land title record?
Yes. Inducing a land officer to record false particulars in an official document intended as evidence can be an offence under Section 267, often charged together with Section 137, with exposure of up to three years imprisonment.