Thailand has achieved full prohibition of corporal punishment of children with the amendment of Section 1567 (2) of the Civil and Commercial Code. The House of Representatives approved the landmark legislation in October 2024, with the Senate giving its approval in December 2024. The amendment received Royal Assent on March 20, 2025, and was published in the Official Gazette on March 24, 2025, coming into force the following day.

With this law reform, Thailand becomes the 68th state worldwide to realise children’s rights to protection from all violent punishment, and the second in the ASEAN region.

The New Legislation

The new amendment repealed the original provision of the Civil and Commercial Code: Section 1567:

• A person with parental authority/guardian has the right to: (2) punish his child appropriately for the purpose of disciplining and teaching him.

And replaced it with:

• A person with parental authority/guardian has the right to: (2) Punish a child in order to teach, reprimand, or adjust their behaviour without committing acts of abuse or violence towards the body or mind or acting inappropriately.

Section 3 of the Civil and Commercial Code states that upon the Code's operation, all other laws, bylaws, and regulations are repealed if they deal with matters governed by the Code or are inconsistent with its provisions. Therefore, the new amendment overrides any other defence for corporal punishment that may exist in Thai law.

With the removal of legal defences for corporal punishment by those having parental authority over children, existing assault laws (Sections 295 to 300 of the Criminal Code) will apply to cases of physical or psychological punishment of children.

Putting the law into effect

Upon passage of the amendment, Thailand's Deputy Prime Minister issued a directive designating the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security as the main agency to evaluate the implementation of recommendations made by the Parliament's special subcommittee and the Cabinet Secretariat.

The directive also empowers the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to work alongside various government entities, including the Ministries of Finance, Interior, Justice, Education, Public Health, and Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation, as well as the Royal Thai Police and other pertinent agencies to implement this amendment and provide support for parents in promoting positive discipline.

National Child Protection Action Plan 2023-2027 and positive parenting

The National Child Protection Action Plan 2023-2027 prioritises the prevention of violence against children and support for families. The first two strategies of the Plan are key to preventing violent punishment of children:

Strategy 1. Supporting families.

• Provide counselling and establish family networks (peer groups) to learn and exchange childcare knowledge. These networks can serve as platforms for sharing positive parenting techniques and support.
• Ensure access to social welfare services for children and families through awareness campaigns and accessible service delivery. Connect parents with resources, parenting programs, and financial support if needed, reducing stress factors that might lead to harsh discipline.
• Facilitate access to social welfare services such as mental health, legal, or language interpretation services. Access to mental health support and counselling can help parents manage stress and adopt more positive parenting approaches, aligning with the emphasis on emotional safety for children.

Strategy 2: Empowering families.

• Enhance parents' awareness of their roles and responsibilities, including understanding children's developmental needs and the impact of different disciplinary methods.
• Develop and disseminate educational materials and training on child protection, prevention, and positive child-rearing practices for families.
• Design child protection measures, guidelines, activities, and services jointly with children, families, and communities, to ensure that support for parents is relevant and effective.

Accompanying justification provides further clarity

The explanatory notes accompanying the amendment help provide full clarity about the intention of the law, and address the following points:

• The amended law aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, emphasising the right of the child to protection from corporal punishment.
• General Comment No. 8 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which is directly related to the right of the child to protection from corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment, is mentioned as a key document informing the amendment to Article 1567.
• Prohibition of corporal punishment is framed within the context of Thailand's most recent Universal Periodic Review (UPR), which recommended that Thailand prohibit all forms of corporal punishment in all settings.
• The amendment signifies a commitment to align national legislation with international human rights standards for children, as articulated in the Convention on the Rights of the Child.
• Corporal punishment is rejected as an acceptable method of discipline, moving away from the traditional view that physical punishment is necessary or effective.
• Children have a right to protection from violence, implying that parenting should be rooted in respect for the child’s fundamental rights, including physical and emotional safety.
• All actions concerning children should be guided by their best interests, aiming to foster a child's well-being and healthy development, which is incompatible with physical or degrading forms of punishment.
• The amendment implicitly suggests the need for parents to adopt positive disciplinary strategies, teaching children through understanding, communication, and guidance rather than fear and pain. Parents have a responsibility to create a safe, nurturing, and violence-free environment for their children, actively safeguarding their rights and well-being.

The Cabinet Secretariat also circulated observations from the House of Representatives regarding the amendment, urging the government to implement comprehensive support systems for families, develop training programs for positive child-rearing, and review related laws to protect children further. These observations affirm and underline Thailand's broader commitment to child welfare and protection.

Achieving maximum progress for children

Corporal punishment of children is common in Thailand, as in many places. To ensure children’s rights to protection from violence it is essential that the new law is comprehensively implemented over the long term, for example by making an implementation plan; carrying out communication and public education campaigns to ensure that everyone in all sections of Thai society know about the new law and its reasons and effects; establishing widespread support systems for families; training professionals on the delivery of the law; ensuring violent punishment is eliminated from Thai schools; and putting in place reporting and monitoring processes to check the impact of the law.

UNICEF have urged the Royal Thai government to undertake some key actions to implement the new law, including passing the amended Child Protection Act; increasing support for parents, caregivers and teachers in adopting positive discipline practices; strengthening child safeguarding procedures and support services; providing support and training in educational settings; and, enhancing collaboration among government agencies.

The campaign to prohibit all corporal punishment of children

The achievement of prohibition of all corporal punishment of children is the culmination of many years of advocacy and campaigning by many organisations.

Most recently the CRC Coalition Thailand, a network of 46 child rights organizations, came together to advocate for the legal amendment. Gabfai Community Theatre, Child Line and the Life Skills Development Foundation, among many other organisations, academics and experts, worked tirelessly to secure this progress for children.

The “Love Does Not Hurt” project, delivered in Thailand, the Philippines, Laos PDR, and Cambodia, focused on ending corporal punishment through participatory activities with children, youth, schools, communities, local organizations, and policy in each country and across the region. The project was supported by terre des hommes Germany and BMZ.

Save the Children Thailand has also been instrumental in pursuing the ban on physical and humiliating punishment in all settings, particularly championing the campaign in its earliest years.

End Violence Against Children in Thailand and the ASEAN Project of the The Center for the Protection of Children Rights Foundation, supported by terre des hommes Germany and BMZ also worked together with CRC Coalition Thailand to advocate for the law amendment.

UNICEF Thailand has played a critical role in supporting the Government to secure the recent reform, ensuring that legislation drafting achieved prohibition and working to establish robust implementation measures.

We applaud this landmark progress for children and warmly welcome the implementation measures planned by the Government and its partners to put the law into practice! 

Together, the prohibition of corporal punishment and its implementation will enable Thailand to make significant progress in eliminating all forms of violence against children in whatever context they occur.

With a child population of 14,131,000, prohibition in Thailand brings the total number of children worldwide protected by law from corporal punishment to approximately 343 million, or 15% of the global child population.

But many children around the world are still waiting to be protected from legalized violence. Considering the global commitment to ending all violence against children in the context of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, we call on all remaining governments to enact prohibition as a matter of priority.