Thai PM Anutin Submits Two Drug Bills to Parliament: Possession Would Be Presumed Dealing, With Investigative Detention Extended From Three Days to Seven
Thailand's Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul submitted two bills to Parliament in Bangkok on October 21, presenting them with Bhumjaithai Party lawmakers to House Speaker Sophon Sarum. The bills would amend the Narcotics Code and the law governing criminal proceedings in drug cases. Anutin also serves as interior minister and leads the Bhumjaithai Party.
Under the proposals, a person found possessing illegal drugs would be presumed to hold them for distribution, giving authorities a legal starting point for pursuing dealing allegations, and penalties connected with drug offences involving young people would be increased. Narcotics Suppression Bureau officers could ask the Criminal Court for permission to obtain information needed for investigations, officials of the Office of the Narcotics Control Board could request records from central databases for prosecutions, treatment and rehabilitation, and officials could remove online material that encourages drug use. Caregivers could also request treatment and rehabilitation on behalf of people suspected of using drugs.
The second bill would extend the maximum investigative detention period in drug cases from three days to seven. Anutin said investigators need more time both to investigate an arrest and to pursue connections beyond the person initially detained, rather than ending an investigation with the first arrest.
On the night before the submission, October 20, a drug operation in Phetchaburi province ended in an exchange of gunfire. Police said two suspected smugglers, Chatrin Klanpradit and Rung-arun Boonchuay, both 27, were killed, and that officers found 500 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine in their vehicle. Anutin sought rapid parliamentary consideration and Sophon said he would push for urgent consideration; the bills must still complete the parliamentary process before they can become law. (Compiled from Asia Daily, October 21)
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 泰国总理阿努廷肖像。图片来源：Wikimedia Commons 文件 Anutin Charnvirakul - 2023 (52638148766) (cropped).jpg，Rory Arnold / No 10 Downing Street 摄，CC BY 2.0 授权
