Join our movement today. Key changes include a reduction of penalties, and the removal of minimum sentences, for most drug offences. The courts and other agencies, including Thailands National Human Rights Commission, have proven ineffectual in addressing police misconduct. We set up a plainclothes officer to buy some ya ice from him at his apartment. said a tourist police, And we found him in possession of four packages of the drug with a total weight of 2.45 grams.. These five punishments are all severe and coincide with the crime that has been committed. [9], The last execution by shooting was on 11 December 2002 and the first execution by lethal injection was on 12 December 2003. Thailand has the highest share of people in prison for drug . Hayward, Fellows, and Sinclair were sent to Klong Prem Central Prison, moved to several other prisons until they ended up in Bang Kwang Central Prison. [5], One convict, a woman who had organised a kidnapping, was put on the cross twice as she survived the first volley. In Thailand, the Thai Criminal Code states that any person who kills another person shall be punished by death or imprisonment for a period of 15-20 years. adroll_currency = "USD"; Drug and narcotic abuse have long been a distressing issue in Thailand. Please Reset Password to avoid being locked out, 10. Paweekorn Khammarieo. 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. Under the Thai laws, any person licensed to produce or import drugs is required first to apply or register the drug to be produced or imported. 1. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. According to Irans Anti-Narcotics Law, the possession of narcotics is a felony that can be punished by death or life imprisonment if the accused is found in owning more 30 grams (1.1 ounces) of heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, morphine, LSD, or similar hard drugs. [1], Thailand retains the death penalty, but carries it out only sporadically. Motorcycle rider dies after crashing into . It even criminalizes the consumption of shisha. The legalization of marijuana by several states has sent the imposition of federal laws in further disarray. Thailand is a party to the United Nations Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, which obligates governments to investigate and prosecute acts of torture and other ill-treatment. By Jirapart Limaksorn, IDPC volunteer. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. Thai police had already been monitoring the couple, and when they saw Blake and Hudson hand over a large sum of money to a Thai man in an exchange of 8 packets of drugs, which they stuffed in their babys stroller, they went in for the arrest. In their hands were placed incense sticks, flowers and candles. In the US, controlled substances are ranged in Schedules from I to V, which describe and classify the substances in order of their severity. Help us continue to fight human rights abuses. 7. and 6. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". adroll_pix_id = "SXV6T2OPF5AGTHKBGMQWSP"; Capital punishment in Thailand is a legal form of punishment. Extrajudicial executions or killings by public officials and others are totally illegal, unlike the death penalty imposed by a court. Sex Crimes/Rape: Iran is a country that has legalized capital punishment for sex crimes and rape. I knew it would be something like this. Reports say that Barry caught the attention of police for selling weed on the Internetin different varieties, such as Chocolate Thai, Acapulco, Maui Waui, and Gold. Thailand practices capital punishment, and the death sentence is carried out by lethal injection . Up to 10 years imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 . The new law proposes the death sentence as maximum punishment for producing, smuggling, distributing and using more than 5 gm of meth and other drugs. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. The traveler is not allowed to sell nor supply medications to another. 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. Share this via Printer. However, the information available on the International Federation of Human Rights website claims that drugs crimes can still be punished by the death penalty in Myanmar, in theory. Beginning in 2003 under then-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, Thai police carried out a notorious war on drugs that resulted in the deaths of at least 2,819 suspected drug traffickers, many of which appeared to be extrajudicial killings. Australian Paul Hayward was a professional rugby player for the Newton Jets. In 1987, Australian Nola Blake was arrested in Thailand for drug smuggling. . Road deaths 7 hours ago. However, you may visit "Cookie Settings" to provide a controlled consent. Media reported that, on August 5, the police physically assaulted Jeerapong Thanapat, a 24-year-old drug suspect, during an interrogation in an attempt to force him to reveal hidden methamphetamines and to pay a two million baht (US$61,000) bribe for his release. Introduction: The Kingdom of Thailand strictly enforces a draconian set of drug laws. In practice, however, all executions in Taiwan since the early 2000s have been for murder. If you plead not guilty, they give you the big one. Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe. After 4 failed attempts, you will be locked out for 30 minutes. 6. Over the past seven decades in Thailand, about 320 people have been executed, the most recent being in 2018.About a decade ago, the Thai criminal code was amended to abolish the death penalty for people under 18 years of age. Looking for the best budget stays in Bangkok? A capital punishment advocate holds up a sign while observing a re-enactment of a murder case in Bangkok. For having a smaller amount, you can be fined, deported, or jailed for years. Coutelas is known as the first Australian arrested under the Thai Martial Law. If caught, you will find yourself sentenced to awfully long imprisonment in a camp. You can be sentenced to death for many capital crimes, including for carrying a specified amount of drugs within Brunei territory. A prosecution fully independent of the Thai police is needed if there is any hope of justice in the torture and killing of Jeerapong Thanapat, said Brad Adams, the Asia Director at Human Rights Watch. Is the article 10 foreigners caught with drugs in Thailand? 67.5% of all inmates on death row were convicted of drug trafficking under section 39 (b) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952, an offence that does even meet the threshold of "most serious crimes" under international law. The Philippines has the strictest drug laws you will find anywhere in the world. Due to the efforts of Harm Reduction International, however, an amendment was made in 2014 that made it optional for the judge to award capital punishment. He also said that he bought diazepam to help him sleep after taking too much energy drink. These include murder, drug trafficking, terrorism, and the possession of unauthorised firearms, ammunition or explosives. [12], The Bangkok Post in 2018 asked whether the death penalty should continue to be enforced. The same shall apply to an attempt to commit torture and to an act by any person which constitutes complicity or participation in torture. The government should also make these offences punishable by appropriate penalties, which take into account their grave nature.. I hope to carry out the first hanging within a month or two, he said. Please give now to support our work, Prosecute Officers Responsible for Police Station Killing, Share this via Facebook If you are found with narcotics, you could spend ten . As of March 2018, 510 people are on death row. (Photo by Pattanapong Hirunard) One of the interesting developments in Thailand is . Historically, laws that govern illegal or prohibited drugs have been enacted since 1360. The law also presumes that a person possesses drugs if he the keys to a building containing the drugs are found on him, or if he is seen leaving a site known for the administration of drugs. Malaysia is known as one of the toughest countries on drug possessors and traffickers. Bahrain also reserves the right to capital punishment for drug trafficking if the intoxicant exceeds a certain amount. Despite having no idea about the law on diazepams prescription requirement, Laird was forced to stay in a juvenile community for 6 weeks to wait for a court decision. 5 Top Canadian Online Divorce Services to Get a DIY Divorce, 9 Types of Business Corruption: An In-Depth Look, The 8 Main Types of Contract Law Explored. All other methods of execution are considered repugnant and are prohibited. For example, those convicted of treason would be wrapped in oil-soaked cloth and set ablaze. Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3)nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808. Check out our guide to Bangkok for further information. Fortunately, drug laws aren't quite as draconian as they were just a few years ago. You have entered an incorrect email address. Aircraft hijacking. It does not store any personal data. They are charged with malfeasance causing damage to another person, colluding with five people or more in the coercion of another person, and collusion in killing another person by torture. You can follow us on Twitter or Facebook for further updates! In 1978, after the end of the football season, he was recruited by his brother-in-law, Neddy Smith, a notorious drug lord in Sydney, to arrange a heroin shipment in Bangkok with Warren Fellows. Thailand's criminal code now forbids the death penalty in regard to pregnant women. Fellows had already been working for Smith as a drug trafficker, but this would be his first international job. On the other hand, his family also claimed that Whitmore was not in his right mind when he dealt with illegal drugshe was still grief-stricken after losing his 25-year-old fiance to meningitis. Criminal JusticeCriminal LawDeath PenaltyDrug Trafficking. In 2018, upon enough public outrage over these killings, the government began talks to legalize cannabis for medicinal use, which . February 8, 2022. Addicted to Drugs Thailand Death Penalty? She served 4 years in the Lard Yao womens facility within the Klong Prem Central Prison, and in 1997 was transferred to UK to serve her remaining 21 years of jail time. The country takes its drug laws very seriously that law enforcement officials even conduct nightly searches in nightclubs to inspect if anyone, citizen or not, is in possession of illegal drugs. The torture and killing of a drug suspect in Nakhon Sawan province is not an isolated incident by rogue police officers, Human Rights Watch said. The number of countries where drug offences are punishable by death increased from 22 in 1985 to 26 in 1995;11 currently 33 countries or territories prescribe the death penalty for drug-related offences, 12 which include eight in South-East Asia. 10. The reform momentum was driven largely by serious problems with prison overcrowding and a burgeoning prison population. Thailand is known to be strict when it comes to drug related cases. Speak to a lawyer with regards to Section 72 of the Drugs Act, a person is prohibited to produce, sell, or import the following drugs: Fake Drugs: any drug/substance which is considered as an imitation of a genuine drug, partly or wholly; or any drug which shows name of another drug, or one that bears an expiration date which is not correct; or any drug bearing a false description of the producer and its location; or any drug which falsely show that the contents are in accordance with the formula for which it was registered; or drugs which are produced with active substances which quantity or strength is lower by 20% than the minimum or higher by 20% than the maximum standards set by the registered formula; Substandard Drugs: any drug produced with active substances which quantity or strength are lower than the minimum standards prescribed in the registered formula; or any drug produced so that their purity or other characteristics which are important to their quality differ from the standards prescribed in the registered formula; Deteriorated Drugs: an expired drug; a drug which has so denatured as to have the characteristics of a fake drug or a drug which differs from the minimum standards set by the registered formula; Drugs produced and imported by a licensee which registration formula has been cancelled; Drugs which formula registration has been ordered cancelled by the Minister.