BANGKOK, Thailand – A government working group will meet on August 24 to review proposed changes to Thailand’s prison regulations that would increase the minimum time serious offenders must actually serve before becoming eligible for sentence reductions, parole or other benefits.
The proposed rules are aimed at closing gaps that could allow prisoners convicted of the most serious crimes to be released too quickly. Under the draft, prisoners sentenced to death would have to serve at least 25 years, while those sentenced to life imprisonment would need to serve at least 20 years before being eligible for a class upgrade.
The proposal would also introduce minimum imprisonment periods for prisoners convicted in high-profile, violent or shocking cases under Section 91 of the Criminal Code. Depending on the total sentence, the minimum periods proposed range from five to 20 years. The working group is reviewing international practices, with current figures showing minimum actual prison terms of around 20–25 years in the United States, 15–30 years in England and at least 15 years in Germany.
The meeting on August 24 will consider the study and proposed criteria before the draft is submitted to the Board of Corrections. If approved, it will then go to the Justice Minister and Cabinet before being published in the Royal Gazette and taking effect. The proposed changes would apply specifically to prisoners receiving the most serious sentences, while ordinary offences would continue to follow the existing system for sentence reductions and parole.
