Section 370 — Making a public nuisance by noise
English translation
Whoever makes a sound, causes a sound to be made, or creates a clamour without reasonable cause, so as to cause annoyance and disturbance to the public, shall be punished with a fine not exceeding one thousand baht.
This English translation is provided for reference only and has not yet been firm-verified — always rely on the Thai original.
Firm annotation
The elements are (1) making a sound, causing a sound, or creating a clamour, (2) without reasonable cause, and (3) causing annoyance and disturbance to the public. The requirement of an absence of reasonable cause distinguishes ordinary and lawful noise, such as permitted works or events, from a punishable nuisance, and the disturbance must affect the public rather than a single private person. Carrying the lowest fine in this Title, it is the general public-nuisance-by-noise provision and sits among the petty offences protecting public order and comfort.
Why this matters in practice
With a maximum fine of 1,000 baht this is among the lightest offences in the Code, and it typically features in disputes over parties, loudspeakers, bars, construction and roadside commerce. The central defence is reasonable cause, for example a licensed event or works within permitted hours, or that the noise did not in fact disturb the public at large. In practice complaints are often resolved administratively or by warning; the value of the section is as a baseline public-order tool rather than a source of significant penalty exposure.
Frequently asked questions
Is making loud noise a crime in Thailand?
Under Section 370 making noise or a clamour without reasonable cause so as to disturb the public is a petty offence, punishable by a fine of up to 1,000 baht.
What if the noise came from a licensed event?
Reasonable cause, such as a licensed event or works within permitted hours, is a defence, since the offence requires the noise to be without reasonable cause.