With the majority of 15,000 foreign inmates in Thailand hailing from Asean countries, the government is discussing a plan to facilitate regional efforts to fast track their transfer back home.
The plan is aimed at raising Asean's legal cooperation while moving toward the so-called Asean Political-Security Community Blueprint 2025, said Justice Minister ACM Prajin Juntong.
He was speaking at a meeting in Bangkok on Monday on legal cooperation within Asean and specifically the transfer of inmates.
Because each Asean member has its own conditions on this issue, more such forums will be held so a convention can be adopted to legally implement the inmate transfer plan, he said.
One has been scheduled for Vietnam later this year, and another in Myanmar in 2020 before the compact is drawn up, ACM Prajin said.
The convention will make for faster transfers than regular extradition, and will help Asean nations share information more easily, he noted.
Witthaya Suriyawong, the deputy permanent secretary for justice, said the majority of the 15,000 foreign inmates currently detained in Thailand are from within Asean.
Only convicted prisoners will be included in the programme, while those remanded in prison following their arrest will not, the justice minister said.
Foreigners detained for entering the kingdom illegally will also be excluded, he noted.