Soaring prison population prompts Thailand to re-think 'lost' drug war

Institute for Criminal Policy Research data showed Thailand has the eighth highest incarceration rate in the world
Reuters (UK)
Monday, July 18, 2016

thailand-prisonMore than a decade after Thailand declared a "war on drugs", the country is admitting defeat. As the prison population soars, Justice Minister Paiboon Koomchaya is looking at changes to the country's draconian drug laws. "I want to de-classify methamphetamine but Thailand is not ready yet," said Paiboon, meaning downgrading the drug, popularly known as "meth", from a Category 1 substance, which would reduce jail time for possession or dealing. Thailand has approximately 40 percent of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations' prison population, despite having only 10 percent of the bloc's total population.