Thailand Royal and Etiquette Laws: Section 112 Carries 3 to 15 Years

Section 112 carries 3 to 15 years in prison for insulting the King, Queen, heir-apparent or regent, and acts against the flag to insult the nation carry up to 2 years or THB 40,000. A Buddha image leaving Thailand needs a Fine Arts Department licence. Head, feet, monk and anthem rules are customs with no penalty stated.

Will a slip get you in trouble? Rarely, but two royal rules are criminal law and both carry prison time, so show respect to the monarchy and the flag. Taking a Buddha image home needs a licence, and the rest, from heads to feet to monks, is custom with no penalty attached.

What is law and what is just manners

Section 112 of the Criminal Code carries imprisonment of 3 to 15 years. Section 118 carries up to 2 years or a fine of up to THB 40,000. Everything else below is either a licence rule, a house rule at a temple or palace, or custom.

Insulting the monarchy (section 112)

Section 112 covers defaming, insulting or threatening the King, Queen, heir-apparent or regent, and the penalty is imprisonment of 3 to 15 years. If you take one thing from this page, make it this: do not joke about, criticise or share anything insulting about the royal family while you are in Thailand.

พระมหากษัตริย์ พระราชินี รัชทายาท หรือผู้สําเร็จราชการแทนพระองค์ ต้องระวางโทษจําคุกตั้งแต่ … สามปี ถึงสิบห้าปี

Section 112 sets imprisonment from three years to fifteen years for the offence against the King, Queen, heir-apparent or regent.

Criminal Code B.E. 2499, section 112, Council of State consolidated text

Disrespecting the flag (section 118)

Any act against the flag or another emblem of the state, done to insult the nation, carries up to 2 years in prison or a fine of up to THB 40,000. The wording is about intent to insult, but the safe habit is simple: treat the flag with care.

ผู้ใดกระทําการใด ๆ ต่อธงหรือเครื่องหมายอื่นใดอันมีความ … เพื่อเหยียดหยามประเทศชาติ … เกินสองปี หรือปรับไม่เกินสี่หมื่นบาท

Whoever does any act against the flag or other emblem that signifies the State, in order to insult the nation, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding two years or a fine not exceeding forty thousand baht.

Criminal Code B.E. 2499, section 118, Council of State consolidated text

Taking a Buddha image home

If you want to buy a Buddha statue as a souvenir, plan for paperwork: Buddha images, artifacts and antiques need a Fine Arts Department permit, and the licence covers anything antique or an object of art leaving the country. Ask the shop whether they handle it for you, and use the word Thai people use, that an image is “invited” to a new home, not “shipped”.

You apply on Form Sor Kor 6, in person or online. The department gives 8 days in total, including an examination by a committee. The fee is charged for each image and depends on its age and size:

The manual lists more rows between these. For the wider list of what you can and cannot carry out, see the customs guide.

What to wear at the palace and temples

At the Grand Palace you must dress appropriately, because it is a place of reverence for the Thai people. Sleeveless shirts, vests, short tops, see-through tops and short pants are not allowed, and neither are torn pants, tight pants, bike pants, mini skirts, pants skirts and sleeping suits.

Wat Arun asks for no shorts, sleeveless tops, open shoulders or flip-flops, and at Wat Pho shoes come off before religious buildings. Each site publishes its own list, so the one at the gate is the one that counts. Prices and hours are in the Grand Palace guide, the Wat Pho guide and the Wat Arun guide.

Everyday customs

None of these carries a penalty on the page that states it, but locals notice them:

• Head. Do not touch another person’s head or pass things over your own.
• Feet. Do not use your feet to push or point at things, and do not step over people or over food or books.
• Monks. Under Thai tradition, women are forbidden from touching monks in any way. The same goes for novices, and at Wat Pho women may not touch monks at all.
• Buddha images. Photos are fine in temples, but never step on an image.
• Anthem. It plays at 8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. every day, and the custom is to stand straight when you hear it.

Where to read more

The fines you meet on the road, in shops and at checkpoints are in the guide to Thai laws and fines for tourists. If something goes wrong at a temple or a shop, the tourist police guide has the contact line.

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Not confirmed: The separate Flag Act is not quoted; Criminal Code section 118 is. Penalties for damaging banknotes under the Currency Act were not found. The penalty for exporting a Buddha image without a licence is not in the Fine Arts manual.

General information checked against the sources listed above. Prices, opening hours and other details change; confirm them with the provider before you act. See how guides are checked.

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