25 April 2001 :

An opinion poll conducted by Assumption University found that the death penalty in Thailand has the support of 88.6 percent of Bangkok residents, with 71.3 percent believing executions help curb drug smuggling. The poll also revealed that almost 60 percent of 1,357 Bangkok residents agreed with the government's policy of publicising executions and allowing the media to film condemned prisoners before they are executed. Only 4.1% were against the death penalty. Asked about the advantages of capital punishment 48.8% of respondents said it made people fear the consequences of breaking the law, 34.6% said it prevented crime, 26.9% said it strengthened the law, 17.2% said it helped establish a new social order and 6.8% said it helped reduce the number of prisoners in jail. When asked about the disadvantages of capital punishment 23.6% of respondents said it was too cruel and violent, while 21.9% expressed concern that it might mistakenly punish the innocent. A further 11.5% said the death penalty was against their religion, while 8.1% said it caused mental anguish for the condemned's relatives. More than half of respondents (55.6%) said executions lead to more violence, while 14.9% opposed the view. However, 43.8% said the death penalty would reduce crime. 71.3% of those polled believed the death penalty would decrease drug trafficking, while 22.9% said otherwise. Of the people polled, 58.4% agreed with public executions because of the intimidation factor.