Capital punishment
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that t ...
in
Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...
is a legal penalty, and the country is, as of 2021, one of 54 nations to retain capital punishment both in legislation and in practice. Of the 10
ASEAN
ASEAN ( , ), officially the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, is a political and economic union of 10 member states in Southeast Asia, which promotes intergovernmental cooperation and facilitates economic, political, security, militar ...
nations, only
Cambodia
Cambodia (; also Kampuchea ; km, កម្ពុជា, UNGEGN: ), officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochinese Peninsula in Southeast Asia, spanning an area of , bordered by Thailand t ...
and the
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
have outlawed it, though
Laos
Laos (, ''Lāo'' )), officially the Lao People's Democratic Republic ( Lao: ສາທາລະນະລັດ ປະຊາທິປະໄຕ ປະຊາຊົນລາວ, French: République démocratique populaire lao), is a socialist ...
and
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
have not conducted executions for decades.
Thailand retains the death penalty, but carries it out only sporadically. Since 1935, Thailand has executed 326 people, 319 by
shooting
Shooting is the act or process of discharging a projectile from a ranged weapon (such as a gun, bow, crossbow, slingshot, or blowpipe). Even the acts of launching flame, artillery, darts, harpoons, grenades, rockets, and guided missiles can ...
(the latest on 11 December 2002), and 7 by
lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main application for this procedure is capital puni ...
(the
latest on 18 June 2018). As of March 2018, 510 people are on death row.
As of October 2019, 59 are women and 58 are for drug-related crimes.
Bang Khwang Central Prison contains the nation's primary
death row
Death row, also known as condemned row, is a place in a prison that houses inmates awaiting Capital punishment, execution after being convicted of a capital crime and sentenced to death. The term is also used figuratively to describe the state of ...
, but death rows are present for both men and women in provincial prisons.
Thai law
The laws of Thailand are based on the civil law, but have been influenced by common law (see also world legal systems).
Sources of law
The Rattanakosin Kingdom and the four traditionally counted preceding kingdoms, collectively called Siam ...
permits the imposition of a death sentence for 35 crimes, including treason, murder, and drug trafficking.
History
During the Rattanakosin period, Thailand—then called Siam—was under the "
Law of the Three Seals", also called ''Kotmai Tra Sam Duang''. This system was codified in 1805 during the reign of King Rama I and remained in place until Thailand transitioned to a constitutional monarchy following a bloodless revolution in 1932. There were 21 different forms of capital punishment under the Law of the Three Seals, many of them cruel. For example, those convicted of treason would be wrapped in oil-soaked cloth and set ablaze. Execution methods have changed over the years. In 1938, for example, convicts were executed using a single shot rifle. In later years, the condemned were handcuffed to a cross and an executioner fired a machine gun at their back on command, as described in 1955 when three men were executed (for killing king
Ananda Mahidol
Ananda Mahidol ( th, พระบาทสมเด็จพระปรเมนทรมหาอานันทมหิดล; ; 20 September 1925 – 9 June 1946), posthumous reigning title Phra Athamaramathibodin ( th, พระอั ...
) "with their arms fixed to the cross bar and their hands clasped in a traditional
wai
Wai or WAI may refer to :
Places
* Wai, Maharashtra, a small town in India
** Wai (Vidhan Sabha constituency), a Maharashtra Legislative Assembly constituency centered around the town
* Wao State (Vav, Wai, Way), a former princely state in Banas K ...
. In their hands were placed
incense stick
Incense is aromatic biotic material that releases fragrant smoke when burnt. The term is used for either the material or the aroma. Incense is used for aesthetic reasons, religious worship, aromatherapy, meditation, and ceremony. It may also be ...
s, flowers and candles. The executioner fired a barrage from a
sub machine gun at each condemned man's heart".
One convict, a woman who had organised a kidnapping, was put on the cross twice as she survived the first volley. In 2001 five convicts were executed by firing squad in a
public execution
A public execution is a form of capital punishment which "members of the general public may voluntarily attend." This definition excludes the presence of only a small number of witnesses called upon to assure executive accountability. The purpose ...
, provoking strong criticism from human rights groups.
On 19 October 2003, Thailand officially abolished shooting and adopted
lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, paralytic, and potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main application for this procedure is capital puni ...
as the sole means of execution.
According to a statement by the
Corrections Department on 18 June 2018, there have been a total of 326 people legally executed under the modern Penal Code since its enactment in 1935, of whom 319 were executed by means of shooting, and seven by lethal injection.
The last execution by shooting was on 11 December 2002 and the first
execution by lethal injection
Lethal injection is the practice of injecting one or more drugs into a person (typically a barbiturate, Neuromuscular-blocking drug, paralytic, and potassium chloride, potassium solution) for the express purpose of causing rapid death. The main ...
was on 12 December 2003.
The most recent execution occurred on 18 June 2018, when the death sentence of a 26-year-old man guilty of robbery resulting in death was carried out. This is the first execution in nine years and the man was the country's seventh person to be executed by means of lethal injection.
Public opinion
A 2014 ''
Bangkok Post
The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...
'' article said that Mahidol University lecturer Srisombat Chokprajakchat's survey indicated "more than 41% of Thais nationwide want to keep the death penalty on the books, but only 8% want to scrap capital punishment, with the majority undecided...most of those who favoured execution as a legal punishment felt it was the most effective deterrent against capital crimes, including murder and rape".
The ''
Bangkok Post
The ''Bangkok Post'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Bangkok, Thailand. It is published in broadsheet and digital formats. The first issue was sold on 1 August 1946. It had four pages and cost one baht, a considerable amount ...
'' in 2018 asked whether the death penalty should continue to be enforced. A majority, 92.49%, agreed and 7.51% disagreed.
Another survey indicated that 41% wanted to retain the death penalty as a sentencing option.
Prime Minister
Prayut Chan-o-cha
Prayut Chan-o-cha (sometimes spelled Prayuth Chan-ocha; th, ประยุทธ์ จันทร์โอชา, ; born 21 March 1954) is a Thai politician and retired Royal Thai Army, army officer who has served as the Prime Minister of T ...
in 2018 said that the death penalty is necessary to maintain peace and order and deter severe crimes.
See also
*
Crime in Thailand
Crime in Thailand has been a defining issue in the country for decades, inspiring years of policy and international criticism. Drug use and corruption make up the majority of the crime in Thailand and due to this, many Thai administrations attempte ...
*
Law of Thailand
The laws of Thailand are based on the civil law, but have been influenced by common law (see also world legal systems).
Sources of law
The Rattanakosin Kingdom and the four traditionally counted preceding kingdoms, collectively called Siam ...
*
Execution of Thai royalty The execution of Thai royalty ( th: การสำเร็จโทษด้วยท่อนจันทน์; RTGS: ''kan samret thot duai thon chan''; the act of executing royalty by using a sandalwood cudgel) was the process of executing Th ...
References
{{Asia in topic, Capital punishment in
Law enforcement in Thailand
Law of Thailand
Death in Thailand
Human rights in Thailand