Section 355: Converting hidden found property
Statutory text (Thai original)
ผู้ใดเก็บได้ซึ่งสังหาริมทรัพย์อันมีค่า อันซ่อนหรือฝังไว้โดยพฤติการณ์ซึ่งไม่มีผู้ใดอ้างว่าเป็นเจ้าของได้ แล้วเบียดบังเอาทรัพย์นั้นเป็นของตนหรือของผู้อื่น ต้องระวางโทษจำคุกไม่เกินหนึ่งปี หรือปรับไม่เกินสองหมื่นบาท หรือทั้งจำทั้งปรับ หมายเหตุ: [อัตราโทษ แก้ไขเพิ่มเติมโดยมาตรา ๔ แห่งพระราชบัญญัติแก้ไขเพิ่มเติมประมวลกฎหมายอาญา (ฉบับที่ ๒๖) พ.ศ. ๒๕๖๐]
English translation
Whoever finds valuable movable property that is hidden or buried under circumstances in which no person can claim to be its owner, and dishonestly converts that property to himself or to another person, shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding one year, or a fine not exceeding twenty 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 355 is a lesser form of misappropriation dealing with found property. Its elements are: the property is valuable movable property, it was hidden or buried in circumstances where no one can claim ownership, the offender found it, and he dishonestly converted it to himself or another. It sits alongside Section 352 but carries a lighter penalty, one year rather than three, because the found property has no identifiable present owner in possession. The provision covers items such as concealed treasure or valuables uncovered by chance, and like the rest of the chapter it is compoundable under Section 356.
Why this matters in practice
Penalty exposure here is low, capped at one year or a twenty thousand baht fine, and the offence is compoundable under Section 356, so settlement usually resolves it. The dishonesty element is the practical battleground: a finder who takes reasonable steps rather than secretly keeping valuable hidden property has a defence. Because the property is by definition without a present claimant, disputes often turn on who, if anyone, can lawfully assert ownership. Anyone unsure whether a find has crossed into criminal territory should review the general position on criminal law in Thailand.
Cited in 5 Supreme Court decisions (1966 to 2012)
Selected citing decisions
- Decision 19816/2555 (2012)
- Decision 1210/2542 (1999)
- Decision 2197/2516 (1973)
- Decision 1558/2509 (1966)
- Decision 987/2554 (2011)
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 83 3
- Section 78 3
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 Section 355 different from ordinary misappropriation?
It applies specifically to valuable movable property that was hidden or buried and has no claimable owner, and it carries a lighter penalty of up to one year rather than the three years under Section 352.
Is keeping valuable found property always a crime?
Only if the finder acts dishonestly. Section 355 requires dishonest conversion of hidden or buried valuables, so a finder who behaves reasonably rather than secretly keeping the property has a defence.
Related guides on ThaiLawOnline
Cite this section
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Plain citation
Penal Code, s. 355 (Thailand) -
Academic citation
Penal Code (Thailand), s. 355. ThaiLawOnline, https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-355/ (accessed 17 August 2026). -
Thai citation
ป.อ. มาตรา 355 -
Permalink
https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-355/ -
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<blockquote cite="https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-355/"><p>Whoever finds valuable movable property that is hidden or buried under circumstances in which no person can claim to be its owner, and dishonestly converts that property to himself or to another person, shall be liable to imprisonment not exceeding one year, or a fine…</p><footer>Penal Code, s. 355 (Thailand) — <a href="https://www.thailawonline.com/thai-penal-code/section-355/">ThaiLawOnline</a></footer></blockquote>
The Thai text is authoritative. The English is an unofficial translation by ThaiLawOnline, free to reuse with attribution.