Asian Crime and Society Review

THAILAND'S ABORTION LAW TRANSFORMATION: CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS, PUBLIC HEALTH, AND THE GLOBAL JURISPRUDENCE OF ROE AND DOBBS

Pimpatsorn Na NAKORN — 2026-03-17

This article traces the profound transformation of Thai abortion law from a restrictive criminal framework (1957 Penal Code) to a progressive, rights-based public health model. Historically, reform efforts faced significant political and moral opposition, leading to widespread unsafe practices. A crucial turning point emerged with the 2005 Medical Council's expanded interpretation of legal abortion grounds, aligning with the UK's medicalized approach. The decisive shift occurred in 2020 when the Constitutional Court ruled that criminalizing abortion violated women's constitutional rights to equality and liberty. This catalyzed subsequent legislative amendments that legalized abortion on request up to 20 weeks and codified broad therapeutic grounds, marking a significant move towards reproductive autonomy. The essay analyzes the nuanced influence of comparative jurisprudence. While the UK’s health-based model structurally informed Thailand’s regulatory changes, US jurisprudence, particularly the Dobbs decision, served a symbolic cautionary role, reinforcing the necessity of robust legal protections and highlighting the fragility of rights. Thailand’s unique trajectory, grounded in explicit constitutional principles of equality and public health rather than privacy, offers a distinctive model for reproductive justice in Southeast Asia. The article concludes by discussing ongoing challenges in implementation, ensuring equitable access, and safeguarding against potential regression.

EVALUATING GAMBLING LEGALIZATION: A READINESS INDEX FOR POLICY AND CRIME PREVENTION

Puthisat NAMDECH — 2026-04-20

The rapid expansion of the global gambling industry presents a critical dilemma for modern policymakers: balancing economic revenue against severe social harms and criminogenic risks like money laundering. Rejecting the binary approach of total prohibition versus unfettered deregulation, this study advocates a rational state-management framework. By synthesizing global policy experiences from 2001 to 2025, the research contrasts successful regulatory ecosystems in Singapore and the Nordic countries with systemic failures in the United States and Ukraine. We find that safe legalization requires robust institutional resilience, stringent oversight, and preemptive public health infrastructure. Consequently, this article introduces the Legalization Readiness Index (LRI), a novel diagnostic tool evaluating state preparedness across six dimensions: institutional, public health, legal, economic, public engagement, and digital capacities. The LRI specifically empowers governments to systematically identify infrastructural deficits before enacting complex legislative reform. This comprehensive framework provides a vital strategic roadmap for emerging economies to integrate gambling into formal economic sectors while decisively safeguarding public security and sustainable social welfare.

DECIPHERING THE POST-SECULAR TURN: RELIGIOUS RESILIENCE, IDENTITY POLITICS, AND GLOBAL ADAPTATION

Phrawachirahamakun — 2026-04-20

This article systematically challenges classical secularization theories by examining the multifaceted evolution of global religions during the first quarter of the twenty-first century. Arguing that faith is undergoing a profound "post-secular turn," the study shows how religious institutions demonstrate remarkable resilience rather than an inevitable decline. The analysis is organized around four interrelated dimensions driving this contemporary transformation: institutional adaptation, decoupling faith from rigid historical structures, the demographic and geographic re-centering of religious gravity toward the Global South, the pervasive instrumentalization of religious beliefs in nationalist and identity politics, and the unprecedented acceleration of digital mediatization reshaping spiritual communities. Synthesizing extensive documentary research across Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, and Buddhism, the findings reveal that religion remains a deeply contradictory yet vital force. Furthermore, by critically assessing cross-religious phenomena such as interfaith dialogue and women's evolving leadership roles, this study underscores the urgent need for collaborative engagement. A nuanced comprehension of these dynamics is essential for navigating the complex intersections of faith, political power, and technological innovation.

SECURING THE DESTINATION: EVALUATING TOURIST PERCEPTIONS OF SAFETY MANAGEMENT IN CHONBURI PROVINCE, THAILAND

Patchara Santad — 2026-09-03

This study empirically evaluates tourists’ perceptions of security management across Chonburi Province, Thailand, a premier international coastal destination, to determine how these viewpoints directly influence sustainable tourism development. As global travel destinations increasingly face diverse crime and safety challenges, understanding visitor confidence remains undeniably critical for effective destination governance. Using a quantitative research design, the study systematically administered structured questionnaires to 1,500 participants, including 1,250 domestic and 250 international tourists. The research comprehensively assessed satisfaction across four pivotal dimensions: tourist attractions, transportation infrastructure, service establishments, and active security personnel. The empirical findings show generally positive security perceptions among all respondents, although international tourists reported slightly higher satisfaction with staff preparedness and visible safety measures. Furthermore, the analyzed data suggest that destination familiarity and risk tolerance significantly shape how different visitor demographics interpret local safety protocols. Ultimately, this research concludes that sustaining destination competitiveness requires adaptive and collaborative governance. By improving strategic communication, strengthening stakeholder coordination, and implementing proactive risk mitigation, policymakers can reinforce tourist confidence and support resilient growth.

CONFRONTING ONLINE GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE IN THAILAND: STRUCTURAL VULNERABILITIES AND INSTITUTIONAL POLICY RESPONSES

Pimpatsorn Nanakorn — 2026-09-03

This article critically examines the proliferation of online gender-based violence (OGBV) in Thailand, conceptualizing digital abuse as a manifestation of entrenched structural inequalities. Utilizing a qualitative methodology comprising focus groups and in-depth interviews, the study captures the lived experiences of survivors—including women, youth, and LGBTQ+ individuals—alongside critical insights from legal and social practitioners. The empirical findings reveal that technological affordances, such as user anonymity and rapid viral dissemination, severely amplify traditional patriarchal harassment. Consequently, victims frequently endure profound psychological trauma and intense social stigmatization, which are further exacerbated by fragmented institutional responses and the absence of a dedicated regulatory framework. To break this self-reinforcing cycle of digital marginalization, the research strongly advocates comprehensive structural reforms. Key policy recommendations explicitly include enacting specific OGBV legislation, establishing a centralized national agency focused on digital victim support, enhancing societal digital literacy, and fostering collaborative governance directly with technology platforms. Ultimately, securing the modern digital ecosystem requires seamlessly integrating robust legal protections with transformative cultural shifts to ensure fundamental human dignity actively.

ABOLISHING CAPITAL PUNISHMENT FOR ARSON: PROPORTIONALITY, HUMAN RIGHTS, AND THAI JUSTICE REFORM

Thanyaphat Thongmusit — 2026-09-18

This qualitative study investigates the abolition of the death penalty for arson-related property crimes in Thailand, evaluating its alignment with contemporary human rights standards and penal theories. Utilizing documentary analysis and in-depth, semi-structured interviews with fourteen correctional executives and legal experts conducted between January and August 2024, the research examines the legal and empirical realities of capital punishment. The findings reveal that imposing the death penalty for non-lethal arson is disproportionate, violates fundamental human dignity, and lacks substantial empirical evidence of effectively deterring crime when compared to severe custodial sentences. Furthermore, retaining capital punishment for property offenses fundamentally contradicts international human rights instruments, particularly the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which restricts execution solely to the most serious crimes involving intentional killing. Consequently, the study strongly recommends abolishing the death penalty for arson, proposing proportionate alternatives such as life imprisonment or a minimum of twenty years of incarceration, coupled with robust preventive measures. This essential reform securely aligns with Section 77 of the Thai Constitution, promoting transparent, evidence-based, rehabilitative, and restorative criminal justice policies.

UNLOCKING ASEAN'S LEGAL CAGE: ULTRA VIRES, INSTITUTIONAL PARALYSIS, AND HUMAN RIGHTS IMPUNITY

Nattapat Limsiritong — 2026-09-18

This article rigorously investigates the profound institutional and legal limitations paralyzing the ASEAN Intergovernmental Commission on Human Rights (AICHR). Utilizing a doctrinal legal research methodology, the study critically analyzes the normative conflict between the ASEAN Charter and the AICHR Terms of Reference (TOR). The findings reveal that the AICHR TOR unlawfully dilutes the mandatory protection mandate established in Article 14 of the ASEAN Charter. Consequently, creating the AICHR TOR constitutes an ultra vires act that deliberately undermines regional human rights enforcement. Furthermore, the strict application of non-interference principles and consensus-based decision-making constructs a restrictive legal cage, actively granting abusive states an implicit veto to block vital investigations. This deliberate structural failure fosters a deeply entrenched culture of impunity and exacerbates the severe justice deficit across Southeast Asian societies. To dismantle these formidable socio-legal barriers, the research urgently recommends elevating the AICHR TOR into a legally binding protocol. Additionally, adopting a Qualified Majority Voting mechanism is essential to override consensus rules in cases involving gross human rights violations and state-sponsored crimes.

ADVANCING POLICE GOVERNANCE: APPLYING ISO QUALITY STANDARDS TO RESOLVE SYSTEMIC CHALLENGES IN THAILAND

Manassanan KANTASRI — 2026-09-18

This qualitative study critically examines the systemic operational challenges within Thai police stations and explores the transformative potential of integrating ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 54002:2025 quality management systems. Using an interpretivist design, the research analyzes data from semi-structured interviews with 21 police executives and frontline officers, as well as a focus group of 10 governance experts. The rigorous empirical findings reveal five deeply entrenched institutional deficiencies: heavily fragmented standard operating procedures, an overreliance on individual workforce rather than sustainable organizational systems, chronic resource shortages, counterproductive quantity-driven performance evaluations, and uncoordinated digital applications. By applying ISO 54002 as a contemporary analytical lens, the study demonstrates that generic police reforms remain merely symbolic unless fundamentally linked to process standardization, citizen-centric outcomes, and robust accountability. Consequently, the article strongly advocates for consolidating disjointed digital tools into a unified core system, institutionalizing transparent operational protocols, and rebalancing performance metrics toward community trust and public value creation. Ultimately, adopting these international quality frameworks offers a strategic governance pathway to definitively shift Thai policing from short-term bureaucratic targets toward long-term sustainable institutional legitimacy.

FORGING PEACE TOURISM: COMMUNITY-BASED HOLISTIC SECURITY INITIATIVES IN THAILAND'S SOUTHERN BORDER PROVINCES

Nantharat Namburi — 2026-09-18

This study investigates the development of a holistic security management system at Ban Piyamit 5, a historical tourism destination within the fragile socio-political context of Thailand's Southern Border Provinces. Using a mixed-methods design integrated with Participatory Action Research (PAR), the study engaged 15 key community stakeholders and 297 tourists to identify security vulnerabilities and systematically develop localized interventions. Initial empirical findings revealed critical deficiencies in specialized safety personnel and emergency response protocols. To efficiently address these operational gaps, the community established a volunteer tourism security task force, supported by an eight-dimension safety manual and specialized emergency training. Post-intervention evaluations showed a significant 58.52% increase in volunteers' security knowledge and a "very good" tourist satisfaction rating. This research demonstrates that synergizing physical safety with psychological security through community empowerment is vital for building resilient tourism environments. The framework offers a scalable, evidence-based model for policymakers to advance sustainable "peace tourism" in complex, conflict-sensitive regions.