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9 - The New Narcotics Code of Thailand

A Promising Law?

from Part IV - States in Transition

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  07 August 2025

Wing-Cheong Chan
Affiliation:
Singapore Management University
Mai Sato
Affiliation:
Birkbeck, University of London
Michael Hor
Affiliation:
The University of Hong Kong
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Summary

In November 2021, Thailand revised its legal framework on illegal drugs by promulgating a new Narcotics Code to replace twenty-four previous legislation. The new Code was enacted to consolidate and modernise Thailand’s approach to illegal drugs as well as to provide for an efficient licensing regime for drugs that are essential for the advancement of medical, scientific, and industrial innovations. The new Code seeks to impose appropriate punishments for drug offences and adopt alternatives to incarceration for drug users. However, the Code still retains the death penalty for some offences which contradicts the requirement in international law that the death penalty must not be imposed on drug offences. This chapter reviews the new Code and discusses the challenges which lie ahead.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2025

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References

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