Death penalty is the punishment for offenders who commit a serious offence prescribed with the maximum penalty in the society from the past until now. In the old times, it was the punishment with cruel methods in order to significantly revenge an offender commits crime, including the threat and the suppression of crime with the aim of responding to government actions on keeping peace and fairness in the society. In present, the objectives of punishment have been changed by emphasizing the punishment for the rehabilitation of offenders.

         Whenever a serious crime occurs, people in Thai society always discuss whether the death penalty should exist or not. Opinions are divided into 2 sides:

          The first opinion, the death penalty is still necessary. If the case has no death penalty by law, there are many demands for the death penalty on the ground of establishing the feeling of security and safety among people and ultimately the peaceful society.

          The ones on another side disagree with the existence of death penalty. If the death penalty is applied by laws, the abolition of death penalty is needed on the ground of violating right to life, torturing people physically and mentally, being against the religious principles and having no effect on reducing crimes.

          The possibility of the abolition of death penalty significantly depends on the social current. If the society deems that an offence is started by an action, such action should be stopped, not an offender’s life (End Crime, Not Life). The abolition of death penalty is not difficult to implement. If concerns on safety in life are more significant than the abolition of death penalty, it seems to be impossible.

         All this, the abolition of death penalty needs time to fine the attitude of people in the society and the readiness of law, justice administration and correctional system, including the safety-building system for the society. On 11th May 2016, the head of Thai delegation made a statement after joining the meeting and providing the verbal report on UPR under the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Switzerland, and took recommendations provided by member states on the abolition of death penalty back for consideration according to the National Human Rights Plan No. 3 (B.E. 2557 - 2561).

 National Human Rights Commission of Thailand
23rd May 2016
 

23/05/2016