Overview of Human Rights in Thailand

The human rights situation in Thailand has worsened in recent years. Widespread government and security force corruption, and discrimination against minorities, make Thailand’s ability to improve the situation extremely difficult.

Violence in Thailand’s southern provinces has increased so much that the government has placed certain areas under martial law, which has since evolved to emergency decree. Ethnic Malay insurgents continue to perpetrate acts of violence against representatives, symbols of government authority and some civilians in the provinces of Narathiwat, Yala, Songkhla, and Pattani. It is estimated that over 600 people have been killed by both sides; insurgent groups, military and paramilitary forces, and the police. While a special commission was convened to investigate some of the deaths, the actual prosecution of government officials for their involvement in the deaths of innocent civilians during these violent clashes has not taken place.

While Thailand was once a safe haven for Burmese refugees, that is no longer the case. The government has relocated Burmese refugees from urban areas to refugee camps along the Thai-Burma border. Financial assistance and the renewal of protection certificates are revoked for those who do not comply with the move.

Meanwhile, freedoms of press and assembly are restricted by the government. Most television and radio stations are owned, at least in part, by the government, or related agencies. Media outlets  not owned by the government are rewarded for towing the line with the disbursement of corporate and government advertising. Those who choose to combat the government face the withdrawal or termination of operating licenses. Peaceful demonstrations against the government are often broken up by police through the use of excessive and unwarranted force.

At the societal level, the eradication of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is being undermined by Thailand’s war on drugs. Drug users are arbitrarily harassed, arrested and detained. Drug users, a population vulnerable to the HIV/AIDS virus, are abused by the authorities -- forcing many users into hiding where they are unable to get proper medical aid. Many drug users choose to avoid treatment for fear of arrest and/or murder by police forces.

Other human rights abuses such as forced labor, child labor, and inadequate protection and implementation of workers’ rights are areas of concern to human rights organizations and the international community. 

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank:

74th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.