Polls point to strong backing among Thais for death penalty

[Zack61]

Death penalty will be a punishment meted out to the poor only. What would the response have been if this was highlighted in the poll questions? 

Thailand does not apply laws equally across the classes and it won’t deter the real scum who kill out of a perverse sense of privilege. 

For a Buddhist country there is little regard for human life on so many levels. 

[bluesofa]

8 minutes ago, arithai12 said:

I don't know what you are trying to say, but since you quoted me: my comment was that "people believe" doesn't mean much.

I quoted you about "believe in ghosts and amulets", trying to point out it was more likely superstition than Buddhism that the people supporting the death penalty believed.

That was all it was. Sorry.

 

[seajae]

until you have one of your own die due to the callousness of one of these low life scum then you really have no idea what its like. My 14 y/o daughter was raped and killed by a drug dealer, due to the law he had bugger all done to him, at the inquest he looked at me and laughed, did I want him dead, you bet I did but the law was no help. Do I want to see these criminal low life's given the death sentence, you bet I do, its what they deserve

Edited June 21, 2018 by seajae

[jgarbo]

5 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Considering some of the heinous crimes frequently reported on here, I can't agree with it being an effective deterrent.

Already proved that the death penalty is no deterrent, since most murders are committed in anger, ie no thinking. 

Furthermore, no justice system is perfect, mistakes are made, new evidence appears, which is useless if you've killed the convict. Imprisonment always leaves a way to save an innocent person.

Strange that "Buddhist" Thailand, "all life is precious", yada yada, wants the death penalty. I'll stick to atheist humanism. We don't kill people.

[garet]

5 hours ago, poohy said:

Fair enough their tent their circus!

SO

Will someone then kindly explain why they wont put the unwanted unhealthy dogs down.

 

Something doesnt add up in this bankrupt Buddhist paradise

Stray dogs haven't killed anyone. There is no logical comparison here to stray dogs and convicted killers.

[Easy Come Easy Go]

31 minutes ago, HHTel said:

There have been cases where 'there is no doubt of guilt' only later to be found innocent. A wrong that can never be put right. Therefore the the levels of appeal and review must be allowed. I think that's the reason why it's been said that a death penalty can cost much more than a life sentence.

I read recently that since the '70s 161 people have been exonerated from 'death row' in the states. Wrongful executions have happened everywhere. One of the more well known ones in the UK was Timothy Evans of the 'Christie murders'. It took years before he was found to be innocent but the guy had already been hanged. With the level of corruption in the justice system of Thailand, there is more of a chance of it happening here.

The death penalty is too fraught with error and can never be reversed. There is no evidence that it is a deterrent. In fact the states in the US without a death penalty showed a bigger decrease in violent crime than those with the death penalty.

There is little point in trying to make people see. Most people seek revenge and thus they stoop lower morally in doing so. The evidence and numbers prove time and rime again, a trend in statistics cannot be ignored; the death penalty does not work at what it sets out to do

 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by Easy Come Easy Go

[bluesofa]

7 minutes ago, garet said:

Stray dogs haven't killed anyone. There is no logical comparison here to stray dogs and convicted killers.

I can follow your thinking. However, we're in the wrong country for logic.

 

[Rimbuman]

“The death penalty is a cruel and inhumane punishment, which fails to act as a deterrent and represents an unacceptable denial of human dignity and integrity,” the EU said.

 

What about the cruel and inhumane crimes committed and the denial of human dignity and integrity for the victims?

[Hooliganzone]

5 hours ago, poohy said:

Fair enough their tent their circus!

SO

Will someone then kindly explain why they wont put the unwanted unhealthy dogs down.

 

Something doesnt add up in this bankrupt Buddhist paradise

 Thai bashing time again.....(Something doesn't add up in this bankrupt Buddhist paradise)...

Yes your right, its us we are not Thai not educated in the Buddhist way of life and therefore we do not have Thai mentality so we can't fully grasp and understand the way of life here.

Thailand is a paradise compared with many places in this world and is far from being bankrupt

 

Back to the original thread....(Will someone then kindly explain why they wont put the unwanted unhealthy dogs down).

Simple, Dogs do not commit extremely grave crimes in-fact they do not commit any crimes at all so they do not deserve the capital punishment.

The same as many a beggar unwanted and unhealthy on the street, what do we do kill all of them to put them out of their misery.

Think about it.

 

 

[neeray]

2 hours ago, DavidJow said:

A big leap backwards ;

 
Before this, I thought Thailand really wanted to change its image, and become more civilized and human, although we are still light years away from the Norwegian judicial system on this country, I think Thailand will soon become like the Philippines, with extrajudicial executions or very harsh laws like in Malaysia / Singapore / Indonesia, .. 

 

In Singapore, you can go to death penalty, if the key you have, can coincidentally open a lock, that have drugs inside.

 

Death sentences are also mandatory under the Act:

"any person who is proved to have had in his possession or custody or under his control —

(a) anything containing a controlled drug;

(b) the keys of anything containing a controlled drug;

(c) the keys of any place or premises or any part thereof in which a controlled drug is found; or

(d) a document of title relating to a controlled drug or any other document intended for the delivery of a controlled drug,

shall, until the contrary is proved, be presumed to have had that drug in his possession."

In Indonesia, you can go to dealth penalty, if you check-in a room of hotel, and that may a drug or dealer forget 15 grammes of drugs under the bed, if some Police knock your door just after that, you can say good bye to the freedom forever !

Indonesia definitely a bit overkill. Whew, I guess I was lucky having spent a month there, no problem. Nothing that didn't belong was in my bed.

[skippy]

What have stats from the states have to do with what goes on in Thailand?

[Bangkok Barry]

2 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I have trouble following the results of this poll, seeing as the majority of the population claim to be Buddhists. One of the five Precepts is to refrain from killing.

Or is it acceptable as long as someone else is doing it to support your opinion, as long as it's not you personally doing the killing?

 

 

Thailand is Buddhist in name only. Many wouldn't have a clue what the Precepts are and would have no hesitation in breaking them anyway if that suited their needs.

 

[malibukid]

shows you that the Thai's are just as Buddhist as the Christians are Christians in America where they wind up god on Sunday or just skip church altogether.  if you think Thailand is a Buddhist country think again.  it really is self serving and not all encompassing.  the values that the Buddha taught are not practiced. this poll reflects this

Edited June 21, 2018 by malibukid

[NextStationBangkok]

Jail should be open a rice farm or fruit farm, so that Thailand can make them work, and at least pay for the families of the criminals. It will increase food production, and income for the family of the criminal, also some savings after the criminal is released.

 

In this way the death penalty can be commuted to life time imprisonment and allow them to correct themselves.

 

Some argue death is good for crimes. In fact death is easy freedom for them. Rather punishment should be severe. No one is born to know when he is going die.

 

Criminals can be make work hard on open Agricultural fields, manual labors and should be allowed to speak to TV interviews, so that no should think about such crime again.

 

[Ajarnbrian]

Expect most people around the world would want the death penalty for such killings. However, most people would surely also want a police and judicial system that finds the correct person guilty. Unless the police and judges are working to a very high standard, it is better not to have people executed.

[DM07]

The usually well- informed Thai- populace presents us with yet another, well worked out poll.

 

Just a few points:

- it is a myth, that it will cost the tax- payer less to execute a person, than keeping them in prison for life.

- some countries (or states) have capital- punishment for decades. If it really keeps anyone from committing a crime, you would think, the violent crime -statistics would be close to zero, by now! Well...spoiler-alert: they are not! In fact, often the rate in violent crime is much higher than in states (or countries) without the death- penalty!

- 4 out of 100 criminals, who got handed out a death- sentence in the USA, proved to be innocent. With some of them, it showed after they were executed! 4 is too many! 1 is too many! If you execute an innocent person, you are a murderer! Period!

- in a super-flawed justice system like Thailand (one law for the rich, another for the poor/ totally corrupt police/ totally corrupt judges/ totally backwards laws etc), capital punishment is even worse!

 

 

[evadgib]

I would welcome a return of capital punishment at home for certain offences but there's no way I could support it under the charade that passes for justice here.

[KiwiKiwi]

You might just as well ask Thais if they agree with The General Throry of Relativity.

 

They don't have the wit or education to make a useful comment on that either. Thanks to the deliberate decisions successive Thai governments over the last 80 or so years and wanting to create some kind of low-IQ Shangri-la in Thailand while the rest of the world goes sailing right on by.

[KiwiKiwi]

23 minutes ago, malibukid said:

shows you that the Thai's are just as Buddhist as the Christians are Christians in America where they wind up god on Sunday or just skip church altogether.  if you think Thailand is a Buddhist country think again.  it really is self serving and not all encompassing.  the values that the Buddha taught are not practiced. this poll reflects this

One of the best comments today, and absolutely correct. Thank you.

[jesimps]

The deterrent question doesn't bother me and in my opinion, shouldn't be a factor. Take a life, forfeit your own, the choice is ours. Now that's as plain as day, deterrent or not.

 

People also mention the danger of being wrongly convicted. How about the innocents killed by re-offenders who could be walking around now if the death penalty had been applied? According to the BBC News website, between 2000 and 2010, 29 released murderers murdered again. Another six committed manslaughter.

 

Also, something the bleeding-hearts won't like, is the revenge aspect. Human nature needs revenge for closure. If someone murdered one of my family and carried on using oxygen, that would not bring closure to me.

 

I repeat what I said in my first para, the choice is ours.

[TEFLKrabi]

3 hours ago, vogie said:

It is not a Thai thing, more people in the UK believe in capital punishment. 

Not sure that’s strictly true.

[KiwiKiwi]

3 minutes ago, TEFLKrabi said:

Not sure that’s strictly true.

 

I'm sure it isn't true, strictly or not.

 

 

[grkt]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Considering some of the heinous crimes frequently reported on here, I can't agree with it being an effective deterrent.

 

Especially when it's clear all over the world that death penalty does not stop crime. But not surprising that small empty brains as the one found here cannot understand the truth and know what is really a good decision or not.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by grkt

[KiwiKiwi]

18 minutes ago, jesimps said:

The deterrent question doesn't bother me and in my opinion, shouldn't be a factor. Take a life, forfeit your own, the choice is ours. Now that's as plain as day, deterrent or not.

 

People also mention the danger of being wrongly convicted. How about the innocents killed by re-offenders who could be walking around now if the death penalty had been applied? According to the BBC News website, between 2000 and 2010, 29 released murderers murdered again. Another six committed manslaughter.

 

Also, something the bleeding-hearts won't like, is the revenge aspect. Human nature needs revenge for closure. If someone murdered one of my family and carried on using oxygen, that would not bring closure to me.

 

I repeat what I said in my first para, the choice is ours.

 

 

I'm very glad that the decision of whether or not to commit a capital crime is so simple.

 

I thought it was a complex equation involving psychology upbringing and education. I was clearly wrong.

 

I was unaware that the human needs revenge for closure. Learn something new every day I suppose. Cutting their heads off in the village square seems only right somehow, a bath in arterial blood does wonders for the psyche.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by KiwiKiwi

[KiwiKiwi]

8 minutes ago, grkt said:

 

Especially when it's clear all over the world that death penalty does not stop crime. But not surprising that small empty brains as the one found here cannot understand the truth and know what is really a good decision or not.

 

 

 

Small, empty brains...

 

Occam's razor; what I was thinking but did not have the cohones to say. Well done you.

Edited June 21, 2018 by KiwiKiwi

[vogie]

7 minutes ago, TEFLKrabi said:

Not sure that’s strictly true.

This is the most up to date graph I could find, it's dated 2014, but either way I suspect it will still be pretty close.

 

 

[lvr181]

7 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Considering some of the heinous crimes frequently reported on here, I can't agree with it being an effective deterrent.

Not as effective as it could/should be.

 

But more abhorrent are those, all too often, who have more sympathy for the criminal than the victims! 

[Robbess]

Never give any government the permission to kill - it will only produce a pile of dead bodies, and nothing else. 

 

The death penalty produces nothing except a job for an executioner, and that’s a negative.

[Robbess]

12 minutes ago, lvr181 said:

Not as effective as it could/should be.

 

But more abhorrent are those, all too often, who have more sympathy for the criminal than the victims! 

Don’t conflate criminals with those accused by the State. Numerous people on death row have been recused with DNA evidence after decades in a cage. 

[lvr181]

3 minutes ago, Robbess said:

Never give any government the permission to kill - it will only produce a pile of dead bodies, and nothing else. 

 

The death penalty produces nothing except a job for an executioner, and that’s a negative.

Nevertheless, some people by their horrendous crimes have forfeited their "rights" to freely live among us.

 

If capital punishment is not considered to be the option then those convicted should be given a life sentence (until the end of their days, hard labour - no parole) and their only 'rights' are a roof over their heads, food and medicine NOTHING else!