“Anutin” submits 2 drug amendment bills, toughening penalties and extending detention to 7 days, pushing for urgent motion to tackle national crisis

Today (21 October 2026) at 9:30 AM at Parliament, Mr. Anutin Charnvirakul, Prime Minister and Minister of Interior, submitted the draft Narcotics Code Amendment Act (No. ..), B.E. …. and the draft Narcotics Criminal Procedure Act Amendment Act (No. ..), B.E. …. to Mr. Sophon Zarum, President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives, for consideration to be placed on the House of Representatives' meeting agenda.

Mr. Sophon Zarum, Speaker of the House, stated after receiving the draft bills that this legislation is the result of collaboration between the legislative and executive branches. Since his time as Deputy Prime Minister, he had actively driven drug control legislation. After assuming the role of President of the National Assembly and Speaker of the House of Representatives, he invited relevant government agencies dealing with drug problems to collaborate once again, as the current situation has reached a critical stage causing severe distress to the public, while the government is simultaneously addressing the issue. This aligns with the vision he presented on the day of the Speaker election—that he wished to see the legislative institution work alongside the executive branch to solve national problems. A workshop and study of the issues were organized, involving government agencies, practitioners, local authorities, and the public, with the House serving as the central host. Once conclusions were reached by various agencies, the Bhumjaithai Party's legal team took them to draft the legislation.

Mr. Sophon further stated that today's drug situation is a national crisis; thus, amending the law requires stricter measures. The House of Representatives will prioritize this matter, and he believes all House members want to see drug issues resolved. They will join forces to solve the problem and place the motion according to the public hearing process. Once completed, it will become an urgent motion so that the law can be put into practice concretely, representing another dimension of collaboration between the legislative and executive branches in solving national issues.

Afterward, Mr. Anutin clarified the main substance of both draft bills, stating that the first draft bill increases the severity of charges by establishing a presumption that anyone possessing narcotics holds them with the intent to distribute. It increases penalties for using youth to commit drug offenses and for exploiting legal loopholes. In addition, rehabilitation procedures will be clearly defined and made more practical, while detention periods will be extended to enhance the efficiency of suppression and expand arrest outcomes. It also empowers ONCB officers to retrieve data from the central database for prosecution, treatment, and rehabilitation of drug addicts, as well as the authority to suspend dissemination or delete computer data related to inducing others to consume narcotics from computer systems.

Regarding the draft Narcotics Criminal Procedure Act Amendment Act, Mr. Anutin explained that it will grant additional authority to police officers in the Narcotics Suppression Bureau to petition the Criminal Court for orders allowing access to information, regardless of format or channel, for the benefit of drug offense investigations. It also extends the detention period for arrested drug offenders from no more than 3 days to no more than 7 days to enable more efficient investigations and expansions. Furthermore, it allows guardians or caregivers of individuals suspected of drug use to voluntarily apply for treatment and rehabilitation on behalf of those individuals. All of these measures will streamline and intensify legal enforcement.

Mr. Anutin continued that currently, the government is utilizing all available resources for drug prevention and suppression. Just last night in Phetchaburi Province, a clash occurred resulting in loss of life; whether the loss was on the side of offenders or officers, the government does not want any loss of life to occur. Intensive suppression is carried out every month and every day by police officers, ONCB, provincial administration, and military forces working together fully, and he recently approved four additional X-ray trucks for the Royal Thai Police to use in their operations.

Mr. Anutin concluded that during this period, suppression is very intense, but in some areas, especially along border areas, clashes and losses continue to occur. Fortunately, our side has not suffered losses, but relying on luck alone is not sustainable. The government must build comprehensive prevention and suppression measures to minimize risks and losses as much as possible. This is the reason why the Bhumjaithai Party submitted both draft acts to the Speaker of the House of Representatives for consideration to be placed on the meeting agenda as quickly as possible.

Photo : Weeraphat Ratsameerueangrong