The Bail Reform Network has urged the public to endorse the use of a risk-assessment and supervision system as a basis for evaluating the temporary release of defendants.
The current bail system was created based on the logic that a financial bond should deter the suspect from attempting to flee.
But a rash of recent cases of bail jumping shows this is not always the case.
Moreover, the system unfairly favours those who are able to post bail, said Prinya Thaewanarumitkul, a legal expert at Thammasat University who represents the network.
"The bail system cannot guarantee a defendant will not escape," he said.
Mr Prinya said the system leads to discrimination and social inequality, with the wealthy enjoying a quick release and the poor winding up behind bars while the machinery of justice lumbers forward.
Criminal cases in Thailand usually take six months to one year before they reach court -- entailing a lengthy detention for those who cannot post bail.
Mr Prinya said 60,000 defendants are imprisoned each year pending their trial because they lack the means to pay for their temporary release, which adds to bulging prison numbers unnecessarily.
As such, the network is recommending a tried-and-tested risk-assessment system to replace the current model, he said.
Supreme Court Judge Mookmethin Khannurak said a pilot programme has been tested since Feb 1 at 13 courts including Bangkok South Criminal Court.
It allows judges to evaluate a defendant's level of escape risk based on their personal data and criminal record. No surety is required, the network said.
Judge Mookmethin said when it was used on 700 suspects at five provincial courts, only 5% did not show up later when summoned.
The network is now calling for the public to support the scheme by signing a petition available online at Change.org.
Once it acquires 60,000 names the network will present the list to the national reform committee on judicial administration in the hope of having the new system implemented, it said.
