Section 286 — Living on earnings of prostitution
English translation
Whoever, being over sixteen years of age, subsists, even in part, on the earnings of a person engaged in prostitution shall be liable to imprisonment from seven to twenty years and a fine from one hundred forty thousand to four hundred thousand baht, or imprisonment for life.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
Section 286 targets the person who lives off the earnings of prostitution, commonly the pimp or someone financially dependent on another's sex work. The elements are that the offender is over sixteen years of age and subsists, even in part, on the income of a person engaged in prostitution. The penalty is severe, from seven to twenty years and a fine, up to imprisonment for life. It sits within the Title on Offences Relating to Sexuality alongside the procuring offences of Sections 282 and 283, and in practice is prosecuted together with the Prevention and Suppression of Prostitution Act and the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act; its penalty provisions have been amended over time, so where an offence predates a change the more favourable law applies under Section 3.
Why this matters in practice
Exposure under Section 286 is high, starting at seven years and reaching life imprisonment, which surprises many who assume that merely living off another's income is a minor matter. The prosecution must show the offender subsisted, even in part, on prostitution earnings, so the source and dependence of income is the contested element. Because the section is routinely bundled with anti-prostitution and anti-trafficking charges, and its penalties have changed over time, timing and the exact statutory basis matter; the firm's overview of criminal law in Thailand gives useful context.
Supreme Court decisions interpreting this section
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 7142/2562 (2019)
Living on the earnings of prostitution under Section 286 is prosecuted alongside anti-trafficking and anti-prostitution statutes, and where the penalty was later amended the more favourable law applies under Section 3.
The defendants were charged under Sections 282, 283 bis, 284, and 286 together with the Anti-Trafficking and Anti-Prostitution Acts; the court applied the former Section 286 and noted the amended law was favourable only as to the term of imprisonment.
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Supreme Court Judgment No. 2421/2564 (2021)
Section 286 is charged in organised prostitution operations together with labour, child-protection, entertainment-venue, anti-prostitution, and anti-trafficking statutes.
In an organised prostitution operation the defendants pleaded guilty to charges that included Section 286 alongside the Labour Protection Act, the Child Protection Act, the Entertainment Places Act, and the Anti-Prostitution and Anti-Trafficking Acts.
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 is the penalty under Section 286?
Imprisonment from seven to twenty years and a fine from one hundred forty thousand to four hundred thousand baht, or imprisonment for life.
Who does Section 286 target?
It targets a person over sixteen who subsists, even in part, on the earnings of a person engaged in prostitution, such as a pimp or someone financially dependent on that income.