Why Thailand needs the death penalty

[Confuscious]

3 hours ago, Eligius said:

You are right, Samui. And the Thai state not only makes 'mistakes', but deliberately engages in miscarriages of justice. Think of the two powerless Burmese guys (falsely) convicted of rape and murder on Koh Tao and awaiting execution. What a disgrace that is. And of course it has the gracious support of a certain kind-hearted General ...

 

 

Do you doubt about the work of the RTP?

Do you have doubts when the RTP concludes that someone committed "Suicide" by shooting himself/herself a bullet in the head whilst wearing a plastic bad over his/her head and having his/her hands tied behind their back?

The RTP does a fine job in Thailand.

[fantom]

15 minutes ago, hansnl said:

In fact the death penalty seems to be reserved for poor people.

That is enough to stop state killings.

The man killed this week has always denied he did do the deed.

What about the two Burmese guys?

Enough reasons to stop state killings.

And the outcome of the polls?

Just shows Thai don't honour life and are not far away in thought from the followers of a death loving religion.

It surely makes me sad.

This is getting worse, according to another Thai English language newspaper today, police in Trang are reviewing the evidence and searching for the alleged accomplice, apparently the second, unidentified accomplice ran off with the possessions.

Also the article says there were 2 attackers.

 

So, after the execution, the police are reopening the case,at the very least this suggests unease about the original conviction.

[Bob12345]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

Meanwhile, in an online opinion survey, 96 per cent of the 78,000 respondents showed support for the execution of convicted murderers

At the same time around 96% of the Thai population is willing to kill someone if that person makes them lose face, for example by using their horn when they cut them off in their car.

 

This just does add up.

[Chris Lawrence]

It is a vote catcher, supported by evidence. Usually doesn't have any affect on the annual murder rate, except when a mass murderer comes along, again supported by evidence. Doesn't change what happened. Can sometimes get the wrong person. The poor are at greater risk, just ask Boss. Polls straight after a death penalty usually indicates a positive for the death penalty, again evidence to this fact. Keeping a person in goal for a very long time usually is cheaper than the death penalty, proven in most western societies.

 

This is a very emotive issue, some TV' are affected. My comment's do not imply that people should change their views. I put down issues that I have learned over the years to shape my view.

[Ceruhe]

I'm overall in favor of capital punishment, however, the amounts of asterisks that requires is a whole different issue from actually permitting the goverment to do it. Chances are most people would be all up in arms discussing the "what ifs" but totally neglect the part with giving the goverment such power.

[sammieuk1]

Everyone is sentenced to death driving here.

[JAG]

24 minutes ago, fantom said:

This is getting worse, according to another Thai English language newspaper today, police in Trang are reviewing the evidence and searching for the alleged accomplice, apparently the second, unidentified accomplice ran off with the possessions.

Also the article says there were 2 attackers.

 

So, after the execution, the police are reopening the case,at the very least this suggests unease about the original conviction.

It illustrates one of the fundamental arguements against the death penalty.

All judicial systems are capable of "unsafe convictions", whether through errors, political or social pressure, or malicious intent.

[Bob12345]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

It’s wise to show leniency to first-time criminals and those who commit criminal offences out of rage or perceived necessity. But when it comes to repeat offenders and seasoned criminals, can we really see the possibility of reform?

This is an interesting point.

 

I would like to see a comparison between Thailand and modern European countries showing how many people are repeat offenders.

 

My guess is that especially Scandinavian countries, but also my home country of the Netherlands, have much lower repeat offender rates for serious crimes even though the penalties are much lower. This has probably a lot to do with what you have prisoners do during their jail time: do you lock them up with 40 in a room for 18 hours a day and nothing to do or do you offer them an education or opportunities to get skills with more private cells? And once their sentence is over, do you just kick them out and let them find out how to stay alive or do you offer them a job and housing with a support network?

 

Instead of putting 100% of the blame of repeat offenders on the person, the government (and society) should share part of the blame for not doing anything to avoid people to repeat their offences.

[Srikcir]

Does Thailand want to be the Hub of Death Penalties in southeast Asia?

It has the death penalty for 35 crimes¹ including regicide; sedition or rebellion; offenses committed against the external security of Thailand; murder or attempted murder of a foreign head of state or a member of the royal family; bribery; high treason; espionage; terrorism acts; terrorism; arson; rape; murder; aggravated murder; drug trafficking; kidnapping; robbery resulting in death; certain military offences; illegal use of firearms or explosives.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capital_punishment_by_country

Who can say that many of these crimes have been deterred by capital punishment?

¹ https://www.fidh.org/IMG/pdf/Thailand411-2.pdf

[Khun Paul]

The biggest problem here, is almost lack of accountability amongst all walks of life here from Politicians to the lowly street cleaner , many just slope shoulders and say not my problem or it is not my duty, or nothing to do with me, I live on the other side of the street. 

Coupled with the also almost lack of enforcement across the board, lets talk and compromise, after I got attacked the Police said would you talk to the offender, I said yes in Court after he has been arrested and charged, they said you should forgive, I said I amy forgive but never forget, why do you not do your job. You are paid to do it, so do it, needless to say I was considered a bad foreigner. 

After a talk to the then Police General they were bad policemen. here with the Forensic evidence almost always destroyed by too many people , and investigation is so bad that, people commit crimes knowing they will get away with it, The Police know this, The Lawyers know this and the Criminals know it as well.  

With the incompetent RTP any guilty verdict is suspect, reform the Police make them accountable then by all means if the death penalty is the sentence we can be reasonably sure the offender did it, nowadays not so sure because of Corruption and lkack of accountability .  

[DavisH]

It's a punishment. Not a deterrent. 

[monkfish]

Now Mr P now he will have more negotiating power with EU

[DM07]

4 hours ago, ezzra said:

There are no sure thing for everything we do in life, for the moment we wake up to the time we go to bed, perpetrators of heinous crimes where it was proved to be a crime of disproportions and unnecessary cruelty, should be met with capital punishment, not only as a deterrent, bus as in the bible, an eye for an eye, a life for a life....

Oooooh...the bible!

Or as I call it "God's big book of bad ideas"!

Since you follow the bible, your neighbors must live in a state of terror every Sunday, when you try to stone them, for working on the Lord's day!

 

[Vacuum]

5 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

When you allow the State to kill someone, you can not fix it later if there is a mistake.

Well, in this case, the perpetrator stabbed his victim 24 times with a knife. Mistake, I don't think so.

[TEFLKrabi]

4 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I dont think this statement tells the story. It's not about deterring other offenders, it's about dealing with the one you are holding.

Which is perhaps the main part of the story. Should a person who shows no sign of reforming their ways be kept in prison for 50 years at the taxpayer's expense? Its a dilemma with no obvious easy answer. 

I dont like the idea that a govt has the right to put someone to death, especially in a system so open to abuse as the Thai one. But I still dont know what we should do with an obviously dangerous psychopath. Add religion into the mix and the argument will go on for a long time!

So are you saying that once they’ve dealt with, i.e. executed, all the people on death row, they can stop capital punishment?

[Lungstib]

45 minutes ago, TEFLKrabi said:

5 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I dont think this statement tells the story. It's not about deterring other offenders, it's about dealing with the one you are holding.

Which is perhaps the main part of the story. Should a person who shows no sign of reforming their ways be kept in prison for 50 years at the taxpayer's expense? Its a dilemma with no obvious easy answer. 

I dont like the idea that a govt has the right to put someone to death, especially in a system so open to abuse as the Thai one. But I still dont know what we should do with an obviously dangerous psychopath. Add religion into the mix and the argument will go on for a long time!

So are you saying that once they’ve dealt with, i.e. executed, all the people on death row, they can stop capital punishment?

Not sure how you derived that from my post. The article is about Thais being angry over people disagreeing with this persons death sentence. Hard working, poor farming Thais who get very little from their govt maybe dont think its right that a killer should get a room, bed, 3 meals a day and maybe more, for the rest of his living days. I can understand that feeling despite not wanting to sentence him to death myself. In a country where 26,000 deaths from road accidents a year seem to be acceptable, I'm not surprised that Thai citizens have no wish to spend millions of baht on a killer. I never actually made a statement at all. I didn't give a personal opinion, just tried to understand the locals point of view.

[marko kok prong]

Of course if you have money and connections,this does not apply to you,example's ;Boss the red bull hier,and miss Na ayuthya in her case nine dead and she gets community service[which i think was quietly cancelled on appeal]

[Krataiboy]

7 hours ago, stanleycoin said:

Somchai only understands the big stick.

it needs to be used on many different levels in Thailand.

This place is special.

 

 

There, there - the char wallah will be along in a moment with a soothing cup of Darjeeling and tiffin.

[DrTuner]

It'll come handy when the current usurpers are convicted of treason.

[KhunFred]

I do not believe that capital punishment is a "deterrent", however, I believe it is revenge and closure for the family. Society needs revenge and the family deserves closure, Lethal injection is humane and no worse than being put under for an operation (except you don't wake up. Those who are opposed to the death penalty are doing no favours for society.

[hgma]

'Thailand last year'

A person was arrested in connection of the rape and murder of a 3 year young girl, which the parents left in their car unattended........he confessed to 3 (or 4) more rapes and murders, all children between 3-7........his only explanation was .....

"I was drunk and aroused seeing the girls alone".

He hanged himself after being convicted to die.

Too early ,he should have been put to death as punishment!!

 

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by hgma

[Ks45672]

7 hours ago, kannot said:

That would be quite some row though?

The bodies laid out would stretch from bkk to chang and back again if they executed all the corrupt people in positions of power

[varun]

Monkey-brained Somchai knows all too well that a wai, some cash and one week of monk-hood solves everything.

 

This is why the death penalty may be the only effective deterrent in Thailand for some crimes -

rape, voluntary manslaughter and homicides committed under jealous acts of rage

 

[DrTuner]

35 minutes ago, Ks45672 said:

The bodies laid out would stretch from bkk to chang and back again if they executed all the corrupt people in positions of power

Well they did manage to cut the necks of 40k last time around.. just bring back the good old shaving kit:

 

http://ultimatehistoryproject.com/executions-the-guillotine-and-the-french-revolution.html

 

[maximillian]

9 hours ago, Lungstib said:

I dont like the idea that a govt has the right to put someone to death, especially in a system so open to abuse as the Thai one. But I still dont know what we should do with an obviously dangerous psychopath. Add religion into the mix and the argument will go on for a long time!

 

Your first sentense sums it up. The death penalty is a very sharp sword in a governents arsenal, that can too easily be used against undesirable people that have not commited crimes others than opposing and critisizing a government. First come the accusations, then the constructed evidence.

Infact, sometimes I also tend to say this or that person who commited murder, or rape should be executed. But then again, if we all think like that we are lowering ourselves down to the level of the perpetraitors. Remember, everything we do either originates from the level of Love or from the level of Hate. The seed of hate tends to grow and spread very fast.

Inequality in a society's wealth distribution, lack of humanistic education, lack of opportunities, lack of employment, lack of empathy, corruption on every level... are creating criminals.

Better for a society to invest in a good future for everybody, than to build prisons and gallows.

BTW, dangerous psychopaths are often in very high positions, even presidents. And they have armies, bombs, rockets, tanks, drones, secret services... not knives only. Or they preside as CEOs over thousands of staff that must be exploited in order to create max profit.

 

Edited June 21, 2018 by maximillian

[maximillian]

5 hours ago, Vacuum said:

Well, in this case, the perpetrator stabbed his victim 24 times with a knife. Mistake, I don't think so.

 

How can you be so sure ?  You only read about it. Now they're talking about a second suspect still at large. Maybe he was the killer.

 

[unblocktheplanet]

We are a Buddhist country in name only! Abortion is illegal, cherishing the life of the mother, and capital punishment is just fine. Upside-down!