An Economic Analysis of Drug Offences in Thailand

Exploring the relationship between drug offences and economic costs

Authors

  • Yoon Nandar Kyaw International Business, Rangsit University , Pathum Thani, Thailand
  • Zin Me Htike International Business, Rangsit University , Pathum Thani, Thailand
  • Ruyi Wang International Business, Rangsit University , Pathum Thani, Thailand
  • Jiaxian Li International Business, Rangsit University , Pathum Thani, Thailand

Keywords:

Data Analytics

Abstract

Thailand faces significant hurdles in combating drug offenses, with more than 74% of its
jail population incarcerated for drug related crimes. Methamphetamine (‘ya ba’)
dominated these cases, highlighting the widespread problem of addiction and trafficking.
Despite a tripling of government investment on prevention, suppression, and treatment
initiatives between 2006 and 2016, the public’s understanding of drug laws, rehabilitation
choices, and health dangers remains uncle/ar. The 2021 Narcotics Code contained health-
related improvements, such as voluntary treatment and partial decriminalization,
indicating a trend towards a more balanced approach. However, these interventions have
had little effect on decreasing systemic burdens and societal stigmas. A comprehensive
plan that includes education, accessible rehabilitation, socioeconomic support, and
compassionate laws is required to reduce the economic and social consequences of drug-related offenses 

References

. Priyaranjan, S. (2018). Economic and Social Costs from Drug Abuse Control Policy of the Thai Government. Journal of the Association of Researchers, 23(1), 13-32.

. Giommoni, L. (2013) Book review. Caulkins Jonathan P., Hawken Angela, Kilmer Beau and Kleiman Mark A. R. Marijuana Legalization: What everyone needs to know – European journal on criminal policy and research, SpringerLink. Available at: https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10610-013-9217-3

. World Drug Report 2020 United Nations: World Drug Report 2020.Available at: https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/en/index2020.html

. Thailand’s “War on Drugs.” Human Rights Watch. (2020, October 28)

https://www.hrw.org/news/2008/03/12/thailands-war-drugs

. Caulkins, J. P., Kilmer, B., & MacCoun, R. J. (2012). Designing a marijuana legalization system: Lessons from alcohol and tobacco. RAND Corporation. Retrieved from https://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/MR1400.html

. Heck, C., & Roussell, A. (2007). State administration of drug courts: Exploring issues of authority, funding, and legitimacy. Criminal Justice Policy Review, 18(4), 418-433.

. Marlowe, D. B. (2011). Adult and juvenile drug courts. Handbook of evidence-based substance abuse treatment in criminal justice settings, 123-142.

. Peter, M.A.R.K.R. (1986) Risks and prices: An economic analysis of drug enforcement, Risk and Prices: An Economic Analysis of Drug Enforcement. Available at: https://reuter.it-prod- webhosting.aws.umd.edu/sites/default/files/reuter/files/Risks_and_prices.pdf

. Llyana Kuziemko, D.L.S. (2001) An empirical analysis of imprisoning drug offenders, An empirical analysis of imprisoning drug offenders. Available at: https://pricetheory.uchicago.edu/levitt/Papers/KuziemkoLevitt2004.pdf

. Sara, M. (2000) An economic analysis of alcohol, drugs, and violent crime ... Available at: https://www.nber.org/system/files/working_papers/w7982/w7982.pdf

. Reuter, P., & Stevens, A. (2007). Assessing Global Drug Problems and Their Impact on Governance and Security. International Journal of Drug Policy, 18(1), 64-69.

. UNODC. (2020). Drug Crime and Criminal Justice in South-East Asia: Trends and Policy Implications. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Report.

. Pholphirul, P. (2019). Economic and Social Costs of Thailand’s Drug War: Criminalization and the Labour. Market. Journal of Economic Studies in Southeast Asia, 7(2), 120-135.

. Dabrowska, A., & Kolk, R. (2021). Informal Economy and Drug Trafficking in Thailand: Implications for Development. Asian Economic Policy Review, 16(1), 87-104.

. World Bank. (2016). The Impact of Illicit Drug Economies on Governance in Southeast Asia. World Bank Report.

. Somsak, P., & Patanakul, K. (2017). Family and Economic Impacts of Drug Offenses in Rural Thailand. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 45(3), 203-219.

. Made with Flipping Book. (n.d.). Statistical yearbook Thailand 2023. FlippingBook.

https://www.nso.go.th/public/e-book/Statistical-Yearbook/SYB-2023/6/

. Harry, L. (2021, January 31). Rethinking the relationship between women, crime and economic factors: The case-study of women sentenced to death for drug trafficking inMalaysia. MDPI. https://www.mdpi.com/2075-471X/10/1/9

. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime. United Nations : Office on Drugs and Crime. (n.d.-b). https://www.unodc.org/unodc/index.html

. World Drug Report 2020. United Nations : World Drug Report 2020. (n.d.).

https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/en/index2020.html

. Author(s) NualnoiTreerat; NoppanunWannathepsakul; Danel Ray Lewis. (n.d.). NCJRS Virtual Library. Global Study on Illegal Drugs: The Case of Bangkok, Thailand | Office of Justice Programs. https://www.ojp.gov/ncjrs/virtual-library/abstracts/global-study- illegal- drugs-case-bangkok-thailand

. Vuong, T., Nguyen, N., Le, G., Shanahan, M., Ali, R., & Ritter, A. (2017, January 11). The political and scientific challenges in evaluating compulsory drug treatment centers in Southeast Asia - Harm Reduction Journal. BioMed Central. https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12954-016-0130-1

. Discovering statistics using IBM SPSS statistics. (n.d.).

http://repo.darmajaya.ac.id/5678/1/Discovering Statistics Using IBM SPSS Statistics ( PDFDrive ).pdf

. Ministry of Finance - Thailand. (n.d.). http://www2.mof.go.th/economic_data.htm World Drug Report 2020. United Nations : World Drug Report 2020. (n.d.). https://wdr.unodc.org/wdr2020/en/index2020.html

Downloads

Published

16-04-2025

How to Cite

Kyaw, Y. N., Htike, Z. M., Wang, R., & Li, J. (2025). An Economic Analysis of Drug Offences in Thailand : Exploring the relationship between drug offences and economic costs . International Journal of Information Technology and Computer Science Applications, 3(1), 40–47. Retrieved from https://ejurnal.jejaringppm.org/index.php/jitcsa/article/view/194

Issue

Vol. 3 No. 1 (2025): January - April 2025

Section

New Submission

License

Copyright (c) 2025 Yoon Nandar Kyaw, Zin Me Htike, Ruyi Wang, Jiaxian Li

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Attribution 4.0 International

You are free to:

  1. Share — copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format for any purpose, even commercially.
  2. Adapt — remix, transform, and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.
  3. The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Under the following terms:

  1. Attribution — You must give appropriate credit , provide a link to the license, and indicate if changes were made . You may do so in any reasonable manner, but not in any way that suggests the licensor endorses you or your use.
  2. No additional restrictions — You may not apply legal terms or technological measures that legally restrict others from doing anything the license permits.

Notices:

You do not have to comply with the license for elements of the material in the public domain or where your use is permitted by an applicable exception or limitation .

No warranties are given. The license may not give you all of the permissions necessary for your intended use. For example, other rights such as publicity, privacy, or moral rights may limit how you use the material.

Similar Articles

1 2 3 > >> 

You may also start an advanced similarity search for this article.