Thailand has long maintained some of the harshest drug laws in the world. Rooted in a decades-long war on drugs, the country enforces strict punishments for even minor narcotics offenses. Possession of small quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, or cannabis can lead to decades in prison, and trafficking convictions may result in life imprisonment or, in extreme cases, the death penalty. These severe measures were designed to deter crime, but they have instead contributed to a massive prison crisis. Thailand has one of the highest incarceration rates in Asia. Around 70–80% of inmates are behind bars for drug-related offenses, most of them low-level users or couriers rather than major traffickers. Sentences are lengthy, parole is limited, and court backlogs delay justice. As a result, prisons are dangerously overcrowded. Some facilities operate at two to three times their official capacity, forcing inmates into cramped, unsanitary conditions. Limited access to healthcare, poor nutrition...
Thailand has long maintained some of the harshest drug laws in the world. Rooted in a decades-long war on drugs, the country enforces strict punishments for even minor narcotics offenses. Possession of small quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, or cannabis can lead to decades in prison, and trafficking convictions may result in life imprisonment or, in extreme cases, the death penalty. These severe measures were designed to deter crime, but they have instead contributed to a massive prison crisis. Thailand has one of the highest incarceration rates in Asia. Around 70–80% of inmates are behind bars for drug-related offenses, most of them low-level users or couriers rather than major traffickers. Sentences are lengthy, parole is limited, and court backlogs delay justice. As a result, prisons are dangerously overcrowded. Some facilities operate at two to three times their official capacity, forcing inmates into cramped, unsanitary conditions. Limited access to healthcare, poor nutrition...