The Criminal Code of Thailand

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Document Information:

  • Year:
  • Country: Thailand
  • Language: English
  • Document Type: Domestic Law or Regulation
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A person shall be criminally punished only when the act done by such person is provided to be an offence and the punishment is defined by the law in force at the time of the doing of such act, and the punishment to be inflicted upon the offender shall be that provided by the law.
If, according to the law as provided afterwards, such act is no more an offence, the person doing such act shall be relieved from being an offender; and, if there is a final judgment inflicting the punishment, such person shall be deemed as not having ever been convicted by the judgment for committing such offence. If, however, such person is still undergoing the punishment, the punishment shall forthwith terminate.
Section 3. If the law in force at the time of committing the offence is different from that in force after the time of committing the offence, the law which is, in any way, more favorable to the offender, shall be applied, unless the case is final. But, in the case where it is final as follows:
(1) If the offender has not yet undergone the punishment, or is undergoing the punishment, and the punishment determined by the judgment is heavier than that provided by the law afterwards, when it appears to the Court from the file of the case, or when the offender, the legal representative or guardian of such person, or the Public Prosecutor makes a request, the Court shall re-determine the punishment according to the law as provided afterwards. In re-determining the punishment by the Court, if it appears that the offender has undergone a part of the punishment, the Court, when having regard to the punishment as provided by the law afterwards, may, if it thinks fit, determine less punishment than the minimum punishment as provided by the law afterwards, if any, or if it is of opinion that the punishment already undergone by the offender is sufficient, the Court may release the offender;
(2) if the Court has passed the judgment of death upon the offender, but, according to the law as provided afterwards, the punishment to be inflicted upon the offender is not as high as death, the execution of the offender shall be suspended, and it shall be deemed that the punishment of death according to the judgment has been changed to be the highest punishment to be inflicted according to the law as provided afterwards. Section 4. Whoever, committing an offence within the Kingdom, shall be punished according to law.
The offence committed in any Thai vessel or airplane irrespective of any place of Thai vessel or airplane shall be deemed as being committed within the Kingdom.
Section 5. Whenever any offence is even partially committed within the Kingdom, or the consequence of the commission of which, as intended by the offender, occurs within the Kingdom, or by the nature of the commission of which, the consequence resulting therefrom should occur within the Kingdom, or it could be foreseen that the consequence would occur within the Kingdom, it shall be deemed that such offence is committed within the Kingdom.
In case of preparation or attempt to commit any act provided by the law to be an offence, even though it is done outside the Kingdom, if the consequence of the doing of such act, when carried through to the stage of accomplishment of the offence, will occur within the Kingdom, it shall be deemed that the preparation or attempt to commit such offence is done within the Kingdom.
Section 6. Any offence has been committed within the Kingdom, or has been deemed by this Code as being committed within the Kingdom, even though the act of a co-principal, a supporter or an instigator in the offence has been committed outside the Kingdom it shall be deemed that the principal, supporter or instigator has committed the offence within the Kingdom.