20 April 2001 :

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said capital punishment was a convincing deterrent against drug trafficking despite human rights groups called it legalised violence.
Mr Thaksin said the four drug traffickers executed on April 18, destroyed the future of a large number of young Thai people and deserved to die. "Even the United States, where people enjoy the most rights and freedom, carries out executions every now and then," Mr Thaksin said.