By the end of the year 2004, 84 countries have abolished the death penalty (capital punishment). In all countries of EU members, including some U.S. states, the law of capital punishment have been completely abolished. Twelve countries abolished it for all except for war crimes. Twenty-four countries were abolitionist in practice since they had not carried out any executions for the previous 10 years or more. Seventy-six other countries and territories retained the death penalty, but not all of them passed death sentences and most did not carry out executions during the year.
Thailand is one of the 76 states that maintain death penalty (capital punishment). Nevertheless, few convicts sentenced to death have been executed annually. No death penalty have been executed since the beginning of the year 2005. In Thailand, violent murderers and major drug traffickers were sentenced to death. The Amnesty International that propagated the abolishment of capital punishment argued that capital punishment is a violation of the most fundamental human right, right to life.