Bangkok, Paris, 27 March 2025. The 59-page report found that no progress was made concerning the implementation of a regulation that would allow certain inmates to serve their sentences outside prisons. In addition, the adoption of measures that could allow a suspect or defendant to be detained in other locations besides prisons remained stalled.
In late 2024, two United Nations (UN) bodies, the Committee Against Torture and the Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, cited Thailand’s prison overcrowding among the key issues of concern pertinent to their respective mandates.
"Thai authorities are aware of the severe overcrowding that plagues the prison system but they have dragged their feet over the adoption of effective solutions. Tougher drug policies recently enacted may result in even more people being incarcerated. The Thai government must implement without delay alternative measures to incarceration in line with international standards and ensure its drug policies prioritize rehabilitation over punishment", said FIDH Vice-President Fatia Maulidiyanti.
Thailand’s total prison population increased for the second consecutive year and the overall number of prisoners exceeded the official maximum capacity by 12%, with 102 (or 71%) of the 143 correctional facilities operating above their intended capacity. In addition, the number of prisoners under death sentence (364) increased for a second consecutive year and was the highest since 2020.
Despite a decline in the number of prisoners convicted for drug-related offenses for the third consecutive year, the number of inmates incarcerated for drug-related offenses continued to account for the vast majority (73%) of the total prison population. The Thai government’s move in June 2024 to lower the limits on possession of methamphetamines and amphetamines for personal use may reverse the decline in the number of convictions of drug-related offenses.
Meanwhile, according to testimonies by inmates and former inmates, prison conditions remained poor, with reported challenges and human rights violations that included: overcrowded cells; forms of punishment and disciplinary sanctions that could amount to ill treatment and torture; differential treatment of inmates based on their socio-economic status; the lack of protection for transgender women; restrictions on the supply of water and insufficient provision of basic hygiene products; meals of poor quality and not sufficiently nutritious; the lack of quality physical and mental healthcare services; inadequate response to medical emergencies; unfair labor practices; strictly controlled access to news and external information; limited opportunities to engage in recreational and rehabilitative activities; and ineffective complaint mechanisms amid inmates’ fear of retaliation.
The consequences of the inadequate response to medical emergencies in prisons was illustrated by the death of detained woman human rights defender, Netiporn Sanesangkhom (aka Bung), on 14 May 2024.
Among the few positive developments in 2024 was the availability for female inmates of bras, underwear, and menstrual hygiene products, even if the frequency and quantity of the supply of sanitary pads varied greatly depending on the prison.
Now in its fourth edition, FIDH-UCL’s annual prison report is the only independent and comprehensive assessment of prison conditions in Thailand. The report makes numerous practical recommendations for the improvement of prison conditions and the treatment of prisoners in accordance with relevant international standards.