The new Thai government, led by Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, has been urged by Human Rights Watch to take decisive steps to reverse years of deteriorating human rights conditions. Since taking office in September 2025, Anutin has been called on to prioritize human rights by ending repressive practices, revoking abusive laws, and clearing charges against people prosecuted for peaceful expression. Human Rights Watch emphasized the need for swift government action to demonstrate genuine commitment to reform.
Human rights restrictions have tightened significantly since the 2014 military coup. Authorities have prosecuted nearly 2,000 people for peaceful expression and assembly, including at least 284 charged under stringent lese majeste laws. Many individuals accused of insulting the monarchy have been held in prolonged pretrial detention without bail. Human Rights Watch urged major reforms to this law, a halt to ongoing prosecutions, and an amnesty that includes monarchy critics.
Thousands of people also remain entangled in legal cases linked to Covid-19 emergency measures, even though pandemic restrictions ended in 2022. At least 1,469 people are still facing prosecution, and rights groups are calling for all such charges to be dismissed immediately. Additionally, Thailand’s failure to address killings and enforced disappearances of human rights defenders continues to stain its human rights record. Cases involving activists such as Chaiyaphum Pa-sae, Porlajee Rakchongchareon, and Somchai Neelapaijit remain unresolved, reflecting systemic impunity.
Rights defenders continue to face reprisals, including SLAPP lawsuits filed by state agencies and private companies to silence criticism. Recent death threats and online attacks against public figures such as Senator Angkhana Neelapaijit and Human Rights Watch adviser Sunai Phasuk highlight the growing dangers for those speaking out about abuses, including in the context of the Thailand-Cambodia border conflict.
Human Rights Watch also urged the government to enforce laws designed to prevent torture and enforced disappearances, noting that allegations of police and military abuse frequently go unpunished. None of the cases involving enforced disappearances of Thai dissidents abducted abroad have been resolved. International bodies have raised concerns about cross-border transfers of dissidents and the fate of those taken from neighboring countries.
Thailand has repeatedly violated the global ban on refoulement by forcibly returning asylum seekers and refugees to countries where they risk persecution and torture. Individuals from Bahrain, Cambodia, China, Laos, Myanmar, Turkey, Vietnam, and others have been sent back in recent years, undermining Thailand’s reputation as a place of refuge. A recent case involved 40 Uyghur men deported to China, where they face severe risks. The murder of a Cambodian opposition figure in Bangkok has also heightened fears among exiled activists living in Thailand.
Despite these concerns, the government has taken one positive step by allowing Myanmar refugees living in long-established border camps to work legally. However, rights groups stress the urgent need for a broader protection framework for newer arrivals fleeing violence and instability in Myanmar.
Human Rights Watch concluded that Prime Minister Anutin has a critical opportunity to change course and address long-standing abuses. To restore public trust and improve Thailand’s human rights record, the government must adopt and implement a clear plan for reform without delay.
