Capital punishment in Thailand
Capital punishment in Thailand 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 nations, only Cambodia and the Philippines have outlawed it, though Laos and Brunei have not conducted executions for decades.[1]
Thailand retains the death penalty, but carries it out only sporadically. Since 1935, Thailand has executed 326 people, 319 by shooting (the latest on 11 December 2002), and 7 by lethal injection (the latest on 18 June 2018). As of March 2018, 510 people are on death row.[2] As of October 2019, 59 are women and 58 are for drug-related crimes.[3]: 31 Bang Khwang Central Prison contains the nation's primary death row, but death rows are present for both men and women in provincial prisons.[1]
Thai law permits the imposition of a death sentence for 35 crimes, including treason, murder, and drug trafficking.[4]
Public opinion[edit]
A 2014 Bangkok Post 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".[13]
The Bangkok Post in 2018 asked whether the death penalty should continue to be enforced. A majority, 92.49%, agreed and 7.51% disagreed.[14] Another survey indicated that 41% wanted to retain the death penalty as a sentencing option.[1] Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha in 2018 said that the death penalty is necessary to maintain peace and order and deter severe crimes.[2]