Thailand Law Library

by Thailand Lawyer

Chapter 4: Criminal Liability

Intoxication on account of taking liquor or any other intoxicant may not be raised as an excuse under Section 65, except where such intoxication is caused without the knowledge or against the will of the offender, and such person has committed the offence at the time of not being able to appreciate the nature of illegality of his act or not being able to control himself, the offender shall then be exempted from the punishment for such offence. But, if such person is still partially able to appreciate the nature or illegality of his act, or is still partially able to control himself, the Court may inflict less punishment to any extent than that provided by the law for such offence.

Any person shall not be punished for committing any offence on account of necessity:

1. When such person is under compulsion or under the influence of a force such that such person cannot avoid or resist; or
2. When such person acts in order to make himself or another person to escape from an imminent danger which could not be avoided by any other means, and which such person did not cause to exist through his own fault. Provided that no more is done than is reasonably necessary under the circumstances.

Whoever commits any act for the defense of his own right or other person's right in order to except from a danger arising out of violence tortuous to the law and such danger to be imminent, if reasonably having committed under the circumstance, such act is a lawful defense, and such person shall not have a quilt.

In the cases as provided in Sections 67 and 68, if the act committed is in excess of what is reasonable under the circumstances or in excess of what is necessary, or in excess of what is necessary for the defense, the Court may inflict less punishment to any extent than that provided by the law for such offence. But, if such act occurs out of excitement, fright or fear, the Court may not inflict any punishment at all.

Any person does an act done in accordance with the order of an official, even though such order is unlawful, if such doer has the duty or believes in good faith that having the duty to comply with such order, that person shall not punished, unless that person Knows that such order is unlawful.

If the offences as provided in Section 334 to Section 336, first paragraph, and Section 341 to Section 364 are committed by a husband against his wife, or by a wife against her husband, the offender shall not be punished.

If the aforesaid offences are committed by an ascendant against his descendant, or by a descendant against his ascendant, or by a brother or sister of the same parents against each other, the offences shall, even though not provided by the law as compoundable offences, be deemed as compoundable offences. Moreover, the Court may inflict less punishment to any extent than that provided by the law for such offences.

Whenever any person commits an offense against the person who causes provocation at the time of being provoked, the Court may impost upon such person less punishment to any extent than that provided by the law for such offense.