Section 30: Detention in lieu of a fine, at 500 baht a day
Statutory text (Thai original)
ในการกักขังแทนค่าปรับ ให้ถืออัตราห้าร้อยบาทต่อหนึ่งวัน และไม่ว่าในกรณีความผิดกระทงเดียวหรือหลายกระทง ห้ามกักขังเกินกำหนดหนึ่งปี เว้นแต่ในกรณีที่ศาลพิพากษาให้ปรับตั้งแต่สองแสนบาทขึ้นไป ศาลจะสั่งให้กักขังแทนค่าปรับเป็นระยะเวลาเกินกว่าหนึ่งปีแต่ไม่เกินสองปีก็ได้ ในการคำนวณระยะเวลานั้น ให้นับวันเริ่มกักขังแทนค่าปรับรวมเข้าด้วยและให้นับเป็นหนึ่งวันเต็มโดยไม่ต้องคำนึงถึงจำนวนชั่วโมง ในกรณีที่ผู้ต้องโทษปรับถูกคุมขังก่อนศาลพิพากษา ให้หักจำนวนวันที่ถูกคุมขังนั้นออกจากจำนวนเงินค่าปรับ โดยถืออัตราห้าร้อยบาทต่อหนึ่งวัน เว้นแต่ผู้นั้นต้องคำพิพากษาให้ลงโทษทั้งจำคุกและปรับ ในกรณีเช่นว่านี้ ถ้าจะต้องหักจำนวนวันที่ถูกคุมขังออกจากเวลาจำคุกตามมาตรา ๒๒ ก็ให้หักออกเสียก่อนเหลือเท่าใดจึงให้หักออกจากเงินค่าปรับ เมื่อผู้ต้องโทษปรับถูกกักขังแทนค่าปรับครบกำหนดแล้ว ให้ปล่อยตัวในวันถัดจากวันที่ครบกำหนด ถ้านำเงินค่าปรับมาชำระครบแล้ว ให้ปล่อยตัวไปทันที
English translation
In detention in lieu of a fine, the rate shall be five hundred baht per day; and whether the case concerns a single count or several counts, the detention must not exceed one year, except that where the court imposes a fine of two hundred thousand baht or more, the court may order detention in lieu of the fine for a period exceeding one year but not exceeding two years.
In calculating that period, the day on which the detention in lieu of the fine begins shall be included and shall be counted as one full day, without regard to the number of hours.
Where the person sentenced to a fine was held in custody before the court gave judgment, the number of days of that custody shall be deducted from the amount of the fine at the rate of five hundred baht per day, except where that person is sentenced to both imprisonment and a fine. In that case, if the days of custody are to be deducted from the term of imprisonment under Section 22, they shall first be deducted from the imprisonment, and only the remainder shall be deducted from the fine.
When the person sentenced to a fine has completed the term of detention in lieu of the fine, that person shall be released on the day following the day on which the term expires. If the fine is paid in full, that person shall be released immediately.
ThaiLawOnline translation, written from the Thai original and verified
Firm annotation
Section 30 completes the fine-enforcement scheme by fixing the exchange rate and ceilings for detention in lieu of a fine: five hundred baht per day, capped at one year, or up to two years when the fine is two hundred thousand baht or more. The rate lets any fine be translated into a maximum number of detention days. The second paragraph coordinates with Section 22 on credit for pre-judgment custody: detention already served is credited against the fine at the same daily rate, but where the sentence includes both imprisonment and a fine, the custody is applied to the imprisonment first and only the remainder reduces the fine. This ordering ensures a defendant is not shortchanged when both penalties are imposed.
Why this matters in practice
This section lets you calculate the worst case for an unpaid fine: divide the fine by five hundred baht per day to see the maximum detention, subject to the one-year cap (two years for fines of two hundred thousand baht or more). If you were held before judgment, insist that those days be credited, against the imprisonment first and then the fine where both are imposed. Because detention in lieu is capped and creditable, and instalments or community service may be available, defaulting is rarely the best option; take advice before letting a fine go unpaid.
Cited in 2,987 Supreme Court decisions (1964 to 2026)
Selected citing decisions
- Decision 7422/2568 (2025)
- Decision 6267/2568 (2025)
- Decision 5398/2568 (2025)
- Decision 3139/2568 (2025)
- Decision 1552/2568 (2025)
- Decision 1327/2568 (2025)
- Decision 1120/2568 (2025)
- Decision 1037/2568 (2025)
This list is selected automatically, weighted towards judgments that turn on this section rather than ones that merely recite it when passing sentence. It has not yet been reviewed by the firm.
Most often cited alongside
- Section 29 2,983
- Section 78 1,916
- Section 91 1,575
- Section 56 1,563
- Section 83 1,115
- Section 90 891
Sections that appear in the same judgments as this one most often. The figure is the number of decisions.
Counted across the firm's corpus of 83,652 Supreme Court decisions, 1921 to 2026. The count is complete; the stated year range trims rare outliers so it describes where the citations actually sit. These figures are computed by us and are not official court statistics. How we count these, and what we measured
Frequently asked questions
How is detention in lieu of a fine calculated?
Under Section 30, detention in lieu of a fine is counted at five hundred baht per day, so the fine is divided by that rate to find the number of days, subject to the caps.
What is the maximum detention for an unpaid fine?
Detention in lieu of a fine cannot exceed one year, except that where the fine is two hundred thousand baht or more, the court may order up to two years.
Is pre-judgment detention credited against a fine?
Yes. Under Section 30, pre-judgment detention is credited at the same daily rate, but where both imprisonment and a fine are imposed, it is deducted from the imprisonment first and only the remainder from the fine.
Related guides on ThaiLawOnline
Cite this section
-
Plain citation
Penal Code, s. 30 (Thailand) -
Academic citation
Penal Code (Thailand), s. 30. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-30/ (accessed 17 August 2026). -
Thai citation
ป.อ. มาตรา 30 -
Permalink
https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-30/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-30/"><p>In detention in lieu of a fine, the rate shall be five hundred baht per day; and whether the case concerns a single count or several counts, the detention must not exceed one year, except that where the court imposes a fine of two hundred…</p><footer>Penal Code, s. 30 (Thailand) — <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-30/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.