Statutory maximum
The ceiling sentence permitted by the statute creating the offence — the number that defines the "Max" half of "Plead or Max".
A statutory maximum is the upper sentence limit written into the legislation that creates an offence. It is not the same as an average or typical sentence. Thai statutory maxima are notably high by comparative standards — particularly for speech (§112: 15 years per message, stackable), drugs (Category-1 trafficking: life or death), and human trafficking (life or death where the victim dies). The comparator on this site is built around these maxima because they are what the defendant faces if convicted after refusing to plead; the discounted sentence is what they walk away with if they confess.