'No one is born evil or bad to the bone. There are just people making mistakes. I strongly believe that all people can change for the better, no matter who they are -- drug kingpins, notorious hitmen, thieves," says Phra Kru Srinonthawat, abbot of Wat Bang Phreak Tai, who has taught dharma to death row inmates for 27 years.
Since 1991, the 53-year-old monk has been invited by the Department of Corrections to preach sermons and teach meditation to Buddhist inmates awaiting execution in Bang Kwang Central Prison.
On many occasions, he was also the last man to provide spiritual support to prisoners in the final moments of their lives before they faced a firing squad or lethal injection.
"Normally, death row convicts are happy when they see me. They would talk to me and ask questions about Buddhist doctrine because they all need someone to give them comfort and guidance. It's not easy to stay sane if you are waiting to be executed," the abbot said.
Phra Kru Srinonthawat said what he usually suggests to inmates is to practice meditation as this can help them find calmness and reflect on their crimes and accept the law of karma.
However, the atmosphere is quite different if the abbot shows up at prison at 4pm as it is a sign that the execution has already been scheduled and some inmates will not live to see tomorrow.
"If the prison asks me to go in at 4pm, not in the morning, I automatically know there will be an execution that day. Prisoners are allowed to spend 20 minutes with me before their execution," he said.
Phra Kru Srinonthawat said his job is to help death row inmates let go of their anger, focusing on the space between two thoughts because it prevents them from getting lost during the last moments of life.
"I always comfort them that at least they are lucky to know the date and time of their death and be able to say goodbye to loved ones because most people in this world do not even have a clue when the end of their lives will come," he said.
From his experience of spending time with almost 100 death row inmates during their last moments, the abbot said inmates who practice meditation can cope with their fate better than those who don't.
"I've seen both people who deal with their death calmly and those who are full of anger until the end of their life. Some told me they were wrongfully convicted and ask me to help, but I can't," he said.
Phra Kru Srinonthawat said he can remember the faces of all the death row inmates with whom he spent time before their execution.
"When I close my eyes, sometimes their faces and the stories they told me pop into my head. I never look at them as evil. They were just people who chose the wrong path. Many of them committed crimes while under the influence of alcohol or drugs. They're not stupid. They're people, just like the rest of us, who sometimes make bad decisions," he said.
Under the Thai penal code, any criminal sentenced to death is automatically required to apply for a royal pardon to the King in the hope of having the sentence commuted to life imprisonment.
Assuming that is granted, after that they can apply for a royal pardon to have their sentences reduced, from life imprisonment to 50 years and 25 years respectively if they behave well.
"This process is the only hope for death row inmates now. There are many former death row inmates I've met inside the prison who are free now as a result of this process. Some came to visit me at the temple to pay their respects. Some even asked to be ordained. They said dharma has transformed them to be different people," he said.
The abbot believes all people can change for the better no matter what their background. He said everyone deserves a chance.
"I will not say whether I support or oppose the death penalty. But I can say that, in Buddhism, nothing is as dear to someone as his or her own life, so there is no greater crime than taking life away. And no virtue brings greater merit than the act of saving people," he said.
According to the Department of Corrections, Thailand started implementing the death penalty in 1935. From that year until 2009, 325 convicts were executed.
Since August 2009, Thailand has not carried out any executions.
Initially, death row convicts faced firing squads, but lethal injections have been the preferred method in recent times.
At present there are 63 crimes that merit a death sentence under Thai law, ranging from a guilty verdict in severe cases of rape and the murder of girls under 15 or their parents, or for big-time drug dealers and extremists.
There were 502 inmates sentenced to death moving through various stages of the judicial system as of last month. Of them, 192 convicts have been condemned through final court rulings. Of these, 86 were found guilty of drug-related crimes.
The anti-death penalty movement, which has been active in Thailand for many years, argues there is no clear evidence that the death sentence can reduce crime. However, it's hard to say if capital punishment ever will be abolished in Thailand.
A poll last year by the Ministry of Justice, held among 1,073 people nationwide, discovered that 73% of respondents still support the death penalty.
However, the fact there has been no execution for almost 10 years is a good sign, as a 10-year hiatus can mean that in practice, the country has no capital punishment.
Moreover, the kingdom's third national human rights plan, covering 2014 to 2018, clearly says the state shall conduct studies on the possible abolition of the death penalty.
Recently, the country has also made changes to the Narcotic Act 2017, which introduces more flexibility in sentencing.
The change gives judges more discretion in sentencing. Previously for offences related to the import and export of Type 1 narcotic substances, or their sale, they had to give a mandatory death sentence.
But in the newly amended act, the punishments include life imprisonment, fines of 1 million-5 million baht or death.
Phra Kru Srinonthawat said he would be happy if one day Thailand abolished the death penalty because the act of taking a life when a life has been lost is not Buddhist teaching.
Actually, Buddhist teaching is all about forgiveness, a practice that can help people free themselves of inner violence and their own rage.
"Some people jokingly said to me that if the death penalty is abolished, I will lose my job providing spiritual guidance. To be honest, it wold come as a relief to me because trying to comfort people who are going to be killed is no one's dream job," he said.
