What You Should Know About the Offenses of Misappropriation in Thailand 您應該知道的泰國侵占罪

The offenses of misappropriation happens when a person in a position of trust misappropriates funds or property entrusted to their care. The offenses of misappropriation is a serious offense in Thailand, it is often seen in corporate settings, where employees or executives divert company funds for personal use, falsify accounts, or create fictitious expenses.

當受託人挪用委託保管的資金或財產，就會發生侵佔罪。侵佔罪在泰國是一項嚴重犯罪，常見於公司環境，員工或高階主管將公司資金轉作個人用途、偽造帳目或編造虛構費用。

Many people may be confused about whether embezzlement is a criminal or civil offense, as this act affects individuals and involves issues of possession rights.

許多人可能對侵占是刑事犯罪還是民事犯罪感到困惑，因為這種行為影響個人並涉及佔有問題。

The offenses of misappropriation is regulated in Sections 352 to 356 of Thai Criminal Code. Sections 352 and 353 provide for general protection against misappropriation. Misappropriation is being in possession of a property belonging to another person, or which another person is a co-owner, and having a dishonest intention to convert such property to himself or a third person.

泰國《刑法》第 352 至 356 條對侵佔罪進行規定。第 352 條和第 353 條規定防止侵占的一般保護。侵占是指佔有屬於他人或他人共同擁有的財產，並具有不誠實的意圖將該財產轉給自己或第三方。

According to Section 325, whoever, being in possession of a property belonging to the other person, or of which the other person is a co-owner, dishonestly converts such property to himself or a third person, is said to commit misappropriation, and shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding three years or fined not exceeding six thousand Baht, or both. If such property comes under the possession of the offender on account of being delivered to him, by another person mistake, by any means whatever, or being a lost property found by him, the offender shall be liable to one-half of the punishment.

根據第 325 條，任何人佔有他人財產或他人作為共同所有人的財產，不誠實地將此財產轉讓給自己或第三人，即構成侵占罪，將被處以不超過三年的監禁或不超過 6,000 泰銖的罰款、或兩者併罰。若該物因他人以任何方式錯誤交付而被犯罪人佔有、或為犯罪人發現的遺失財物，犯罪人應受二分之一的處罰。

Some people may get confused between the offence of misappropriate, stealing, and fraud. Fraud involves deliberate deception to secure unfair or unlawful gain. In Thailand, fraud can take various forms, including financial fraud, insurance fraud, and corporate fraud. Fraud in Thailand can violate civil or criminal law. In civil cases, the fraud victim may sue the offender and to enter into a compromise agreement to recover monetary compensation. The government may prosecute and imprison the offender in criminal proceedings.

有些人可能會對侵占、偷竊和詐欺等罪行感到困惑。詐欺涉及故意欺騙以獲取不公平或非法收益。詐欺在泰國有多種形式，包括金融詐欺、保險詐欺和公司詐欺。詐欺在泰國可能違反泰國民商法或泰國刑法。在民事案件中，詐欺受害者可以起訴犯罪者並簽署和解協議以獲取金錢賠償。政府可以透過刑事訴訟起訴並監禁罪犯。

On the other hand, stealing means a person dishonestly takes away the thing of another person or the thing of another person being co-owner. The same action of stealing and offense of misappropriation is dishonest taking something from someone else. The difference between them is that misappropriation always starts with being in possession of something which belongs to someone while stealing isn’t. It means misappropriation is when someone takes away something from someone else while the thing is in his/her possession. Stealing is when someone takes away something from someone else while the thing isn’t in his possession.

另一方面，偷竊是指一個人不誠實地拿走另一個人的東西或另一個人共有的東西。偷竊和侵占的行為相同，都是不誠實地從別人那裡拿走東西。兩者之間的差異在於，侵占總是始於擁有屬於某人的東西，而偷竊則不然。這意味侵占是指某人在他人擁有某物時拿走該東西。偷竊是指某人從他人手中拿走一些不屬於他/她自己的東西。

The significant key to classify which act will commit the offence of misappropriation is to consider possession of property. A person has the right to possess whether by duty under an agreement or by the belief of an injured party to deposit such property before he/she embezzles it dishonestly. Additionally, embezzlement is a private offence. Provided that, parties can negotiate the case from court.

對哪一種行為構成侵占罪進行分類的重要關鍵是考慮財產的佔有。一個人有權佔有，無論是根據協議規定的義務、或是根據受害方的信念，在他/她不誠實地侵占該財產之前將其存放起來。此外，侵占是一種私人犯罪。前提是，雙方可以在法院協商案件。

In the case of Supreme Court Judgment No. 233/2504, the act of depositing money with the intention of preserving it, followed by a request for a refund after more than a year, only to be informed by the depositor that the funds have been spent, constitutes a civil matter rather than a criminal offence of misappropriation.

在最高法院第233/2504號判決，存入資金並打算保留資金，一年多後要求退款，卻被儲戶告知資金已被使用的行為，構成民事案件，而不是侵占的刑事犯罪。

In the case of Supreme Court Judgment No. 1286/2505, the defendant, acting in the capacity of a ticket clerk tasked with handling lottery tickets, unlawfully withheld proceeds from the sale of lottery tickets for personal gain. This action constitutes a straightforward offenses of misappropriation under Section 352, rather than under Section 353 or Section 354. Given that multiple offenses with equivalent severity carry similar punishments, the court may elect to convict the defendant on one count only. Therefore, the court has the discretion to prosecute the defendant for any of the offenses committed, but not for multiple counts of the same offense.

在最高法院第1286/2505號判決，被告以負責處理彩票的票務員的身份，非法截留彩票銷售收益以謀取個人利益。根據第 352 條，這項行動構成直接的侵占罪，而不是根據第 353 條或第 354 條。鑑於同等嚴重程度的多項犯罪行為有類似的處罰，法院可以選擇僅對被告定罪。因此，法院有權就被告所犯的任何罪行起訴被告，但不能就同一罪行的多項罪名起訴。

Punishment

懲罰

Theft, shall be maximum imprisoned not exceeding three years AND maximum fine of six-thousand Baht. Misappropriation, shall be maximum imprisonment not exceeding three years OR fined not exceeding six-thousand Baht, OR both.竊盜罪最高可判處不超過三年的監禁並處以最高六千泰銖的罰款。侵占罪，最高可處以不超過三年的監禁或不超過六千泰銖的罰款，或兩者併罰。

The following individuals will be held liable if they commit embezzlement:

下列人員如有侵占行為，依法追究其責任：

• Estate managers

物業經理

• Executors of wills

遺囑執行人

• Individuals who run businesses trusted by the public, such as lawyers, accountants, etc.

經營受公眾信任的企業的個人，例如律師、會計師等。

If any of the above individuals or groups engage in embezzlement, they will be penalized. The perpetrator can be sentenced to imprisonment for up to five years, fined up to one hundred thousand baht, or both, according to Section 354 of the Criminal Code, as it is considered a betrayal of public trust.

上述個人或團體如有侵占行為將受到處罰。根據《刑法》第 354 條，加害人可被判處最高五年監禁、最高十萬泰銖罰款，或兩者併罰，因為這被視為背叛公眾信任。

For example, an estate manager, as per a will, uses the deceased person's assets for personal benefit instead of fulfilling their duties to manage the estate as specified in the will.

例如，遺產管理人根據遺囑，將亡者的資產用於個人利益，而不是履行遺囑中規定的管理遺產的職責。

Please note that stealing is a 10 years prescription while misappropriation is only 3 months for prescription. When misappropriation has happened, please consult a lawyer and start the case immediately.

請留意偷竊的時效為 10 年，而侵佔罪的有效期僅為3個月。當發生侵占行為時，請立即諮詢律師並立案。

Compoundable and non compoundable offenses:

可繞過司法程序及不可繞過司法程序的罪行:

This makes a big difference between the two of them. Theft is non compoundable offenses, when the case initiated by public judicial services, the injured person can not stop the case. But the misappropriation is a compoundable offense whether the prosecution initiated by public juridical servicer or the injured person’s lawyer, the injured person has a right to stop the case at any time before the final judgment.

這使得兩者之間有很大的不同。竊盜是不可繞過司法程序的犯罪，當案件由公共司法部門提起，受害人無法阻止案件。但無論是公共司法服務人員或受害人的律師提起公訴，侵占都是可繞過司法程序的犯罪，受害人有權在最終判決前隨時停止案件。

Initial negotiation in criminal case is very important, starting with scheduling a meeting in a neutral and appropriate location to ensure smooth negotiations or compromises. Both parties will be able to present their positions and proposals to resolve the issue until they can reach an agreement in principle. Afterward, a settlement agreement shall be made, outlining important details such as the parties' information, the disputed property, payment methods, and relevant conditions.

刑事案件調解的初步談判非常重要，首先要在中立且適當的地點安排會議，確保談判順利或妥協。雙方將能夠提出解決問題的立場和建議，直到原則上達成協議。之後應簽訂和解協議，概述當事人資訊、爭議財產、付款方式和相關條件等重要細節。

After mediation, if an agreement is reached, the victim must submit a written withdrawal of the complaint and notify the investigating officer to terminate the case. It is also necessary to follow up on the implementation of the agreement continuously. If there is a failure to comply, the settlement agreement can be used as evidence in further legal proceedings.

調解後如達成協議，受害人必須提交書面撤訴，並通知調查人員終止案件。也需要持續跟進協議的落實情況。如果沒有遵守，和解協議可以作為進一步法律訴訟的證據。

Successful mediation helps both parties to avoid lawsuits and maintain a good relationship with each other. However, if an agreement cannot be reached, the parties may still proceed with the case through the normal judicial process. The choice of dispute resolution method should be based on the situation and readiness of all parties involved.

調解成功有助於雙方避免訴訟並維持良好的關係。但如不能達成協議，雙方仍可透過正常司法程序繼續審理。爭議解決方法的選擇應基於各方的情況和準備。

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