OVERVIEW OF THE COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT SYSTEM
OF THAILAND
Santi Rittirat＊

I. INTRODUCTION TO COMMUNITY-BASED TREATMENT IN THAILAND
A. Historical Development of Community-Based Treatment
In Thailand, the early seeds of modern community-based corrections were sown in 1952 with thepractice of supervision on probation which was applied to the juvenile justice system. In 1979, the Probation
Procedure Act was promulgated and the first probation office, the Central Probation Office, was established in Bangkok as a division of the Office of Judicial Affairs, Ministry of Justice.
Regarding the legal basis of probation, when a court finds an offender guilty, the offender may be put
on probation. There are two types of court decision for probation, but the contents of probationary supervision are the same. Basic requirements of probation provided in the Thai Penal Code (Section 56) are as thefollows:
Whenever any person commits an offence punishable with imprisonment and in such case the Court
shall punish with imprisonment not exceeding three years, if it does not appear that such person
has received the punishment of imprisonment previously, or it is the punishment for an offence
committed by negligence or a petty offence, the Court may, when taking into consideration the age,past record, behaviour, intelligence, education and training health, condition of the mind, habit, occupation and environment of such person or the nature of the offence, or other extenuating circumstances, pass judgment, if it thinks fit, that such person is guilty, but the determination of the punishment is to be suspended, or the punishment is determined, but the determination of punishment
is to be suspended, and then release such person with or without conditions for controlling his
behaviour, so as to give such person an opportunity to reform himself within a period of time to be
determined by the Court, but it shall not exceed five years as from the day on which the Court
passes judgment.
Later, probation services were spread throughout the country and many probation officers were established in regional areas. The Central Probation Office was then upgraded to the Department of Probationon 15 March 1992 in accordance with the Act of Adjustment of Ministry Departments 1992 (fifth
amendment) and the Act of Transfer of Authority and Affairs of the Office of Judicial Affairs to the Department of Probation, 1992.
Ten years later, in July 2002, a cabinet resolution promoted the Department of Probation as the main
agency for administering probation during pre-trial, trial and post-trial stages for juvenile and adultoffenders, and also assigned to it the assessment and rehabilitation of drug addicts in accordance with the
Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act 2002, with a new concept in solving drug problems. That is, drug
addicts should be considered as patients rather than criminals. According to government the announcement, ‘…In dealing with aggravating drug crisis, emphasis placed on the prevention, should not be lessthan the suppression. Drug addicts shall be treated, while drug producers or traffickers shall be harshly
punished…’ Therefore, the DOP has become the agency to enforce this act.
Moreover, in 2003, the Penal Code 1956 was amended and enabled judges to impose Community
Service Orders in lieu of fines, supervised by probation officers. Thus, by the end of October 2003, the organizational structure of the Department of Probation had been modified to cover probation sanctions
Expert in Supervision, Department of Probation, Ministry of Justice, Thailand.

＊100159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS
against adult and juvenile offenders on probation and early release at different stages of adjudication
resulting in a comprehensive mechanism for developing the community-based treatment of offenders.
In 2005, the DOP became a key part of the historic forming of local Community Justice Networks nationwide under the Ministerial Strategy―“Justice for All, All for Justice”. Central to the initiative was toencourage the community to work in partnership with the DOP and other criminal justice agencies in preventing crime and protecting their own communities.
B. Legal Basis of Community Corrections
⿟⿟ Criminal Code, Section 30, 30/1-30/3, sections 56-58, and sections 74-75
⿟⿟ Proceedings of Probation under the Criminal Code Act, B.E. 2522 (1979)
⿟⿟ Proceedings of Probation under the Criminal Code Act (No. 2), B.E. 2550 (2007)
⿟⿟ The Juvenile and Family Court Act B.E. 2553 (2010), section 90, 100, 132, 138/1, 138/2, 140, 143,
and 142/2
⿟⿟ Correction Act, B.E. 2479 (1936), section 32/5-32/8, section 43
⿟⿟ Ministerial Regulation of Ministry of Interior issued under section 58 of the Correction Act, B.E.
2479 (1936), section 46 and section 91-98
⿟⿟ Ministerial Regulation of Ministry of Interior No. 8, B.E. 2521 (1987) issued under the Correction
Act, B.E. 2479 (1936)
⿟⿟ Ministerial Regulation of Ministry of Interior No. 13 B.E. 2550 (2007) issued under the Correction
Act, B.E. 2479 (1936)
⿟⿟ Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act, B.E.2545 (2002)
C. Organization and Personnel
1. Responsible Agencies
The Department of Probation, Ministry of Justice is the main agency for administering probation
during pre-trial and post-trial stages and is assigned to assess and rehabilitate drug addicts in accordancewith the Drug Addict Rehabilitation Act 2002. In 2013, the DOP’s vision is to be professional in protectionof society by rehabilitating and reintegrating offenders into the community.
According to the Ministerial Regulation on the Division of the Department of Probation 2008, the department has a duty to conduct social investigation, supervision, and rehabilitation; provide aftercare
services for offenders and ex-offenders; provide drug rehabilitation services for drug addicts in the compulsory treatment system in accordance with the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act; develop a system andprogramme for the treatment of offenders; administer according to the Ministry’s policies and plan as well
as monitor and evaluate the performance of the department’s agencies; and coordinate the participation of
the community in the treatment of offenders. In 2014, there were 106 probation offices countrywide.
2. Organizational Structure
For a chart of the Ministry’s organizational structure, see part C of the Appendix.
3. Personnel
Probation Officers: probation officers are full-time government officials employed by the DOP who are
engaged in probation, parole, and drug-addict rehabilitation in the compulsory treatment services. To
qualify to serve as a probation officer, the candidate must have graduated with a degree in social science,such as psychology, social work, law, political science, sociology, anthropology, or other related fields. Thereare 2,485 probation officers.

101

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96
Administrative and Clerical Staff: Administrative and clerical staff are full-time government officials
employed by the DOP who are engaged in all general administrative and clerical work in probation offices.
To qualify, candidates must have undergraduate degrees in administration and other fields. There are 1,673
administrative and clerical staff.
D. Main Tasks
1. Pre-sentence and Post-sentence Investigation
A key role of probation officers is to prepare the social investigation report for the court at the pre-sentence stage and the parole board at the post-sentence stage. The investigation process aims to collect andanalyse material relating to the offender’s background and case in order to make recommendations for appropriate punitive and rehabilitation measures. This will ultimately both protect society and reduce recidivism.
2. Supervision and Rehabilitation of Offenders
Supervision of offenders consists of monitoring and assisting offenders to comply with their conditions.
During the probation period, probation officers also help in rehabilitating offenders through various
treatment programmes, such as vocational training, moral education, counselling, group therapy andbehaviour modification. Community service can also be applied with the offender’s consent.
3. Welfare Service for Offenders and Ex-offenders
Some offenders on probation are classified as socially disadvantaged and/or incapable of conforming tolegal norms. Welfare services offered by the Department of Probation pay special attention to these andother released offenders, aiming for their successful rehabilitation and social reintegration. The offeredservices include meal and transportation allowances, educational or vocational training, employment opportunity, and housing services.
4. Drug-Addict Rehabilitation in the Compulsory Treatment System
In accordance with the Narcotic Addict Rehabilitation Act 2002, drug addicts who are arrested on
charges of drug addiction, drug addiction and possession, drug addiction and possession for disposal, or
drug addiction and disposal will be referred to the compulsory treatment system.
E. Probationary and Parole Supervision
1. Type of Community Measures
Type
Adult probationers

Eligible offenders

Sentencing authority

Treatment period

Offenders who are under suspended
sentence with the condition ofprobation. The court can order up to
5 years’ suspension.

Criminal court

1 - 5 years

Juvenile and Family
Court

1 yearParolees

Inmates who serve one third of theirsentence or 10 years in case of life
imprisonment and released on paroleor sentence remission

Parole board

depends on life
imprisonment

Drug addicts

Offenders assessed as being addicted,
the prosecutor will suspend theprosecution

Drug addict
rehabilitationcommittee

6 months

Juvenile probationers

2. Conditions of Probation and Parole Supervision
The main conditions of probation and parole supervision are as follows:(1) to report to the probation officer from time to time so that the official may make inquires, give
advice, assistance or admonition on the behaviour and carrying on occupation, or arrange theactivity to be done for the community service or the public benefit, as the official and offender think
fit;

102

159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS(2) to be trained or to carry on an occupation substantially;(3) to refrain from keeping company or from any behaviour which may lead to the commission of thesimilar offence again;(4) to take the offender to undergo the treatment for drug addiction, physical and mental illness, andother illness as determined by court;(5) to have other conditions determined by the court in order to rehabilitate or prevent the offenderfrom recommitting an offence.
3. Probation and Parole Supervision(a) Pre-sentence and Post-sentence Investigation
At present, criminal cases eligible for a pre-sentence investigation are those that imposed a custodial
sentence of not more than 3 years and in which the defendant pleads guilty. Probation officers have 15days for the preparation after the court order which is extendable for another 30-day period if the court
permits.
Cases referred for post-sentence investigation are referred by the Department of Corrections. The aimof the investigation is to ensure that the offender will not reoffend and to protect the society from anothercrime. During the investigation process, a probation officer will gather information from the guarantor aswell as the community and victims if necessary. The investigation process takes about 1 month but canbe extended up to 2 months. Prisoners who are eligible for parole are those who serve one third of theirsentence or 10 years in case of life imprisonment and have the remaining sentence at least one year. Additionally, prisoners are eligible for parole through sentence remission. If they serve their sentence for atleast 6 months or 10 years in case of life imprisonment and their remaining sentence equals the remission,
they can be conditionally released on parole.
(b) Supervision and Rehabilitation of Offenders
The majority of offenders under the supervision of the department are adult offenders on suspended
sentence with the condition of probation. The court can order up to 5 years of suspension. However, theprobation period is about 1 year.
The condition of probation is also applied to juvenile offenders (10-18 yrs) by the Juvenile and Family
Court. According to Section 138 of the Juvenile and Family Court and Juvenile and Family Procedure Act
2010, the length of probation applied to juveniles shall not exceed 1 year. Prisoners who are released onparole or sentence remission shall also be supervised by probation officers.
In conclusion, offenders under the supervision of the department consist of 3 groups.
1)		 Adult offenders aged 18 and above, who are on suspension of sentence or punishment2)		 Prisoners who are released on parole or sentence remission3)		 Juvenile offenders over the age of 10 years but below 18 years who are (a) Found not-guilty but
probation is deemed necessary; (b) Found guilty but given a suspended sentence with probation;(c) Conditionally released from a training centre; (d) Discharged from a training centre but
probation is deemed necessary.
4. Community Service
The Department of Probation also offers a community service programme for probationers.
Community service can be used as a condition which the court orders for the probationers or the Subcommittee of Drug Addict Rehabilitation orders as a supplement to the drug treatment programme. Additionally, the offenders who could not pay fines can conduct community service in lieu of fines. However,community service must be conducted with the offenders’ consent and without remuneration.

103

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96
Flow Chart of Criminal Proceedings for Offenders Showing the Position of Probation Services within the
Criminal Justice System in Thailand
PrisonBegin

Other punishment- capital punishment- confinement- fine- forfeiture of property

Committed
Crime
PolicearrestSuspension of punishment
and placed under probation*

Referral to
publicprosecutor

Probation*
supervision process

Prosecution
Court
trial

Court
Judgment

Court order for Pre-sentence
Investigation Report byprobation officer*

Legal
Aid
Termination ofprobation*
PolicePublic-Prosecutor
The Criminal Court
Prison*Probation

The Royal Thai Police
Office of the Attorney-General
The Court of JusticeDepartment of Corrections
Department of Probation(Independent Public Agency)(Independent Public Agency)(Independent Public Agency)(Ministry of Justice)(Ministry of Justice)

5. Drug Rehabilitation in the Compulsory Treatment System
If the offender is assessed as being addicted, the prosecutor will suspend the prosecution. The drug
addict will then be treated according to the rehabilitation plan assigned by the Sub-committee of Drug
Addict Rehabilitation. The treatment process is divided into 2 phases: (1) the drug treatment phaseprovided by drug rehabilitation centres taking about 4 months; (2) the social reintegration phase provided
by probation offices taking about 2 months.
The probation office acting as the secretariat for the sub-committee will monitor the treatment process
and report the rehabilitation results to the sub-committee. If the result is successful, the sub-committee
will release the drug addict without prosecution and no criminal record.

104

159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS
Flow Chart of Proceedings for Drug Addict Rehabilitation Showing the Position of Probation Services
within the Compulsory System in Thailand
Committed
Narcotic
Offences

Normal Criminal
Justice Procedure

Court
Discretion

Police arrest

Be drug addict

Social Inquiry by
Probation Officers

Order to prove

Not to be
drug addict
Investigation
Officers

Rehabilitation
Sub-committee

Prosecutor
Suspension of prosecution
Intensive custodial
rehabilitation
Non-intensive
custodial
rehabilitation
Non-custodial
rehabilitation

Return tocommunity andfollow up

Rehabilitation
Satisfied/successful
completion

Unsatisfied

Report

Not Guilty
and Release

F. Residential Facilities within the Probation Services
1. Drug Rehabilitation Center for Drug Addicts
The Department of Probation has been responsible for the following drug rehabilitation centres.
(a) Drug Addicts Rehabilitation Center: Ladlumkaew Home (Pathumthani Province)
This center is for rehabilitation of drug addicts in an intensive and custodial setting, where a Therapeutic Community (TC) model is implemented. TC is a treatment programme that engages the whole personin the rehabilitation process and challenges the individual to have a positive life. TC’s primary goals are
the cessation of drug abuse behaviour and fostering personal growth. In the therapeutic community,
everyone is equally treated and seen as a family member, while the rules and regulations are applied toeveryone. Rewarding and punishment are used to shape the members’ behaviour. Those who perform
105

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96
well will be promoted to the next level and receive privileges. The concept underlying this model is thatpeople can change and grow though a group process.
(b) Drug Addicts Rehabilitation Center: Pattani ProvinceThis center is under construction and will be open soon.
G. Specific Measures and Programmes of Community Corrections
1. Offender Reintegration through the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy
The philosophy of the Sufficiency Economy was developed by His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej toshow his people a balanced way of life. Sufficiency in this context means living in moderation and being
self-reliant. This concept can be applied to all levels and sectors of the society and is not necessarily
limited to the agricultural or rural area. Therefore, the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy has also been
adapted to offender rehabilitation and reintegration.
As a part of the Inspire (Kamlangjai) project, in 2010 Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha introduced the Philosophy of Sufficiency Economy to the prisoners with the hope that offenders will beequipped with knowledge and understanding of sufficient economy and skills for sufficient living. Prisoners
are expected to be capable of farming and self-sufficient living skills, such as bio-gas and bio-diesel production, herbal insecticide making, and brick house building; and to utilize those skills to earn a living thatthey choose to upon release. In order to facilitate a smooth transition from imprisonment to probation, theDepartment of Probation agrees to support the released prisoners in this project. In 2011, the pilot project
was launched and 52 probation officers were trained to understand the Sufficiency Economy Philosophy sothat they would be able to extend this knowledge in assisting the prisoners after release. The probation
officers also made several visits to the probationers’ houses to see their living situations. By teaching theoffenders how to live in moderation and to be self-reliant, the DOP hopes that this could help the offenders
start their law-abiding life, which will prevent re-offending.
2. Family Support toward Drug Free LifeDue to excessively large caseloads, especially drug-related cases, and the limited number of probation
officers, the DOP needs to have broader support from outside in monitoring the probationers to ensure
their compliance with their probation conditions. Given that urgent need, in 2011 the DOP has started thepilot project named “the Family Support toward Drug Free Life” by inviting the families of drug-related
offenders to take an active role in rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders. The family in this context
includes (but is not limited to) parents, spouse, family members, relatives, teachers, friends, and employers.
The idea behind this project is that family is the closest group of people to the offenders and is themost valuable resource for encouraging and supporting them throughout their rehabilitation process. More
importantly, the family also shares the same goal with the DOP which is to see success in the offenders’rehabilitation. The DOP believes that the rehabilitation will be effective and sustainable only when eachfamily actively engages and realizes that they are a crucial factor in helping their family members to
overcome drug addiction. In July 2012 the Ministry of Justice and the DOP held the opening of “the Family
Support toward Drug Free Life” with over 23,000 people participating in this event. Realizing that thefamilies need basic information in order to supervise their children appropriately, from November toDecember 2012 the DOP provided one-day training to the family members who live in Bangkok and northeastern Thailand. Having over 21,000 people attending the two-month training course has shown that thefamilies are greatly concerned about their children’s addiction and are willing to support the work of the
DOP. Given this success, in 2013 the DOP planned to extend the training throughout the country.

106159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS
H. Specific Measures and Programmes for Community-Based Treatment
Treatment
Programmes
Religion group study &therapy

Targeted Offenders
Probationers and parolees who
are assigned after needs
assessment

Brief Description
Based on religious discipline, 3-5 day camp at
temple,Delivered by monks and probation officers

Counselling programme

Based on counselling techniques and cognitivebehavioural approach,
Depends on their needs,
Delivered by probation officers

Vocational training

Depends on their needs,
Managed by probation officers

Drug addict relapse
prevention programme

Based on counselling techniques and cognitivebehavioural approach,
Depends on their needs,
Delivered by probation officers

Electronic monitoring

Based on tracking technology,
Depends on need for residential control,
Delivered by probation officers

Implementation of
Restorative Justice

Offenders in the pre-sentenceinvestigation stage whose
offences involved victims

Based on counselling techniques and restorative
justice concepts,
Depends on offender and victim needs,
Facilitated by probation officers

II. PARTICIPATION OF THE COMMUNITY
A. Volunteer Probation Officers
The Volunteer Probation Officer Project (VPO) was established in 1985. Volunteer probation officers
are community members who voluntarily work with the Department of Probation in providing probation
services. After being trained on core knowledge in rehabilitating and supervising offenders, VPOs assist
probation officers in dealing with probationers in their local communities.
1. Mission
Assist probation officers in community-based treatment of offenders.
2. Status
Volunteer, VPOs are generally not paid but do receive remuneration for service of 120 Baht per one
home visit and/or 3 hours of working in probation offices and shall not exceed 3,000 Baht per month intotal.
3. Main Tasks, Duties, and Roles(1)		Assist Probation Officers in investigating relevant facts about prisoners before they are released onparole or sentence remission;(2)		Assist Probation Officers in supervising, visiting, rehabilitating and providing welfare for probationers, those who serve community service in lieu of fine and those who are in need of aftercare
service;(3)		Assist Probation Officers in rehabilitating drug addicts and monitoring them after they finish theprogramme in accordance with the Drug Rehabilitation Act B.E. 2545 (2002);

107

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96(4)		Assist Probation Officers in other duties as provided by law; and(5)		Help disseminate knowledge of probation, publicize the works of the DOP and the MOJ, and assist
with other assigned tasks.
4. Recruitment
To be eligible for appointment as a VPO, an individual must meet the following qualification requirements:(1)		 Be at least 25 years old;(2)		 Live in a permanent residence;(3)		Graduate with secondary school certificate or equivalent; or has experience in social rehabilitation,social work and social development for at least 2 years; or used to be a community leader;(4)		 Demonstrate honesty, integrity and dedication for the works of the DOP;
(5)		 Hold an honest and permanent job with stable financial status;(6)		Present good personality and behaviour as well as receive trust and respect from the public or thecommunity;(7)		 Not be in the monkhood or priesthood;(8)		 Not get involved in drug activities;(9)		 Have no a mental disorder or illness;(10) Not be declared incompetent;(11)		 Not be declared insolvent;(12) Have no contagious diseases;(13)	Never have been sentenced to serve a prison sentence, except if such case was committed withnegligence or was a minor offence; and(14)		Succeed in the 3 day-training courses on core knowledge and skills to provide probation service,
such as Criminology, Psychology and Social Welfare, Fundamental Law, Ethics, Good Governance,
Writing Skills for Probation Reports, Case Assessment and Case Management, etc., hosted by the
MOJ or the agency authorized by the MOJ.
Prior to the appointment as a VPO, an individual has to take an oath before the Minister of Justice or
the person designated by the Minister of Justice that he/she will carry out the duties as “a Volunteer
Probation Officer, Ministry of Justice” with honesty, sacrifice and dedication as well as strictly uphold discipline and intelligence principles of the public service.
5. Capacity Building (training)(1)		Prior to appointment as VPOs, candidates take 3 day-training courses on core knowledge and skills
to provide probation service, such as Criminology, Psychology and Social Welfare, Fundamental
Law, Ethics, Good Governance, Writing Skills for Probation Reports, Case Assessment and CaseManagement, etc., hosted by the MOJ or the agency authorized by the MOJ.
(2)		Each year, conferences, seminars, trainings, and other activities are promoted and encouraged continuously for VPOs to develop their knowledge and skills. Specific training courses in response to
their needs and necessities for casework are provided, such as: Techniques and Methods on Drug
108

159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS
Prevention and Solutions; Effective Working Practice; Program for Young Offenders and Their
Families; Community Affairs; and Community Justice Network.
6. Organization of Volunteer Probation Officers (National and Regional Levels)
Minister of Justice

Advisory Committee
Permanent-Secretary of Ministry of Justiceas Chairman

Volunteer Probation Officer Scheme Committee
Director-General of Department of Probation as Chairman
Director of Community Affairs and Community Service Division as Secretary

Regional Volunteer Probation Officer Committee
Elected VPO as Chairman
Elected VPO as Secretary

Provincial Volunteer Probation Officer Committee
Elected VPO as Chairman
Elected VPO as Secretary

VPOs

B. Community JusticeCommunity justice underlines the community’s involvement in the justice process. This concept views
the community as the co-producer of justice and that the community should be empowered to work as apartner with other criminal justice agencies in maintaining public order and safety. Even thoughcommunity involvement in the Thai criminal justice system has been recognized for more than two
decades in various forms such as the Volunteer Probation Officer Scheme and the Volunteer in Right andLiberty Protection Scheme, the work is viewed as a top-down model, or a one-way approach, where thecriminal justice official assigns the volunteers to do the tasks. On the other hand, the concept ofcommunity justice is to create a partnership between the State and the general public.
The Community Justice concept has been formally put into practice by the Ministry of Justice in 2005
109

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96
under the Ministerial Strategy “Justice for All, All for Justice”. The main objective was to ask thecommunity to support offender rehabilitation and reintegration into the society. In other words, it aims toempower the community to make itself strong through its own members. Under the initiative, many
community justice centres have been established within the community, where the members are recruitedfrom the general public as volunteers. They are then collaboratively involved in justice activities, such as
crime prevention, offender rehabilitation, reconciliation of conflicts, and legal aid, etc. After nearly adecade since its inauguration, the community justice centres have proved to be an appropriate channel for
the Thai criminal justice system in responding to the public needs and have increased the public’s confidence in the justice system. Each year, over 10,000 people have joined the community justice network and100 centres have been established.

III. APPENDIX
A. Reference
Thai Department of Probation website <www.probation.go.th> ( English version available at<http://210.246.159.139/probation_en/>.
B. Statistics
1. Number of Offenders
Table 1: Investigation Cases by Gender (Newly admitted)
Investigation

2011

2012

2013

2014

Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage

Pre-sentence
Investigation

43,320100%

42,356100%

45,873100%

42,532100%

Male37,08685.6%

36,15886.0%

38,96084.9%

35,95084.5%

Female

6,234

14.4%

6,198

14.0%

6,913

15.1%

6,589

15.5%

Post-sentence
Investigation

43,436100%

41,927100%

68,841

100%

46,178100%

Male

37,06985.3%

34,764

82.9%

57,694

83.8%

39,112

84.7%

Female

6,367

14.7%

7,163

17.1%

11,147

16.2%

7,066

15.3%

Table 2: Probation Population by Gender (Newly admitted)
Types of
Population

2011

2012

2013

2014

Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage Number Percentage

Adult
Probationer

141,138100%

148,703100%

181,604100%

170,356

100%

Male

128,88191.3%

137,487

92.5%

169,479

93.3%

158,532

93.0%

Female12,257

8.7%

11,216

7.5%

12,125

6.7%

11,824

7.0%

Parolee

33,113100%

25,469100%

35,012100%

41,650100%

Male28,545

86.2%

21,215

83.3%

28,79582.2%

34,701

83.3%

Female

4,568

13.8%

4,254

16.7%

6,217

17.8%

6,949

16.6%

Juvenile
Probationer

23,548100%

17,161100%

20,436100%

18,009100%

Male

19,35782.2%

16,082

93.7%

19,22994.0%

17,012

94.5%

Female

4,191

17.8%

1,079

6.3%

1,207

6.0%

997

5.5%

110

159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS
Table 3: Probation Population by Selected Types of Offence (Newly admitted)
Year

Drug related
offence

Traffic related
offence

Property
offence

Against life
offence

Sexual offence

2010

43,67262,566

14,535

10,966

3,616

2011

74,49865,813

15,983

11,575

3,760

2012

78,211

66,835

12,272

9,838

3,116

2013

119,386

66,821

13,283

10,847

3,285

2014

125,587

53,274

14,214

9,980

2,906

Table 4: Drug Rehabilitation Cases in the Compulsory System (Newly admitted)
Year

Male

Female

Total

2010

109,079

10,441

119,5202011

161,204

16,378

177,582

2012

159,475

16,591

176,066

2013

186,501

17,460203,961

2014

163,429

15,902

179,331

Table 5: Community Service Cases
Year

Court Order

Fine
Substitution

Total

2011

205,480471

205,9512012

221,394

243

221,6372013

265,011307

265,318

2014

235,396507

235,903

111

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96
2. Recidivism Rate
Figure 1: Recidivism Rate (Reoffending within 3 years after Termination)

30

Percentage

26.79

26.65

25
20.86

20

17.83

15
10

14.91

14.2

10.73

5
0
2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

Figure 2: Satisfactory Result Rate of Drug Rehabilitation Cases
90
80
70

77.3
71.4
66.71

64.9

Percentage

60
55.0
50

60.1

57.9
53.4

49.8

58.2

59.19

51.4

40
30
20
10
0
2003

112

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

159TH INTERNATIONAL SENIOR SEMINARPARTICIPANTS’ PAPERS
3. Number of Personnel
Table 6: Probation Officers and Administrative & Clerical Staff (as of December 2014)
Types

NumberProbation Officers

2,485

Administrative & Clerical Staff

1,673

Table 7: Volunteer Probation Officers and Community Justice Member (as of December 2014)
Types

NumberVolunteer Probation Officers

15,410VPO Coordinating Centers   673

Community Justice Members

72,160Community Justice Centers   7694. Average Caseload per Staff Member
Table 8: Monthly Caseload (Fiscal Year 2014)
Standard Monthly Caseload per Staff
Investigation Cases

17.08 cases

Supervision Cases

37.72 cases

Actual Monthly Caseload per Staff

27.40 cases

5. Budget
Table 9: Probation Officers and Administrative & Clerical Staff (as of December 2014)
Year

Budget (Baht)

2011

1,437,559,700

2012

1,451,262,7002013

1,706,892,900

2014

1,824,690,900

Note : -Fiscal year in Thailand is from October 1st - September 30th		-S ources: Division of Planning and Information, Department of Probation, Ministry of Justice,
Thailand113

114
Internal Audit
SectionInspector

ExpertHuman Resource
Management Division

Moral Standards andEthical Conduct Section

Bangkok Probation
Office 1 - 5

Drug Addicts
Rehabilitation
Development Division

Research andDevelopment InstituteProbation Development
BureauPlanning andInformation
Division

Administrative System
Development Section

Information Technology andCommunication Center

Drug Addict
Rehabilitation Center

Community Affairs
and Community
Service Division

Office of
the Secretary

Director-General
DeputyDirector-General

Central Administration

C. Organizational Structure

Probation
Inspector Office

Branch Office

Provincial Probation
OfficeProvincial Administration= Internal organization
structure

RESOURCE MATERIAL SERIES No. 96