Soldiers march during the annual Military Parade in Saraburi province, Thailand, January 18, 2020.
(Bangkok) – Thai authorities should criminally investigate the alleged torture and ill-treatment of conscripts in the Royal Thai Navy’s Marine Division, Human Rights Watch said today. The Thai government and military should end the longstanding practice of hazing and other brutality against conscripts and prosecute wrongdoers according to the law, regardless of their rank.
On June 22, 2026, Private Panuwat, whose full name has been withheld for security reasons, alleged in a media interview that on May 30, a group of senior conscripts had beaten him and other conscripts, stripped them naked, whipped them with belts, and burned them with hot wax and a cigarette lighter in a hazing activity at the 1st King's Guard Infantry Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment, Marine Division in Chonburi province. The Royal Thai Navy soon announced disciplinary measures against those allegedly responsible but did not open a criminal investigation.
“The ordeal Private Panuwat and other conscripts experienced shows that the Royal Thai Navy keeps breaking its promises to end torture and other brutality in the barracks,” said Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. “The authorities need to protect conscripts by fully investigating and criminally prosecuting all those responsible for such heinous hazing, including officers who permit this to happen under their command.”
On June 24, the Royal Thai Navy stated that an inquiry had found that 15 senior conscripts had been involved in acts of violence against Private Panuwat and other conscripts, and ordered them detained for 30 days as punishment. Three other senior conscripts who were present were detained for seven days for not stopping the assault.
Two noncommissioned officers face 10-day disciplinary detention and have be
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