Horton rapist murderers to die.Improve view of Thailand?

"Two Thai fishermen who confessed to the rape and murder of Briton Katherine Horton have been condemned to death. Wichai Somkhaoyai, 24 and Bualoi Posit, 23, face death by lethal injection for the murder of the 21-year-old Cardiff student at Koh Samui on New Year's Day.

Thailand's prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra had declared the men should face the maximum penalty because of damage done to the country's image.

The BBC's Kylie Morris said there is likely to be an appeal by the men. The trial of the two fishermen accused of raping and murdering Miss Horton took place on Friday in Surat Thani..

Her mother has said she does not believe her daughter's killers should be executed. Elizabeth Horton told BBC Wales she did not support the death penalty, but said she was not making a plea for clemency."

BBC News

I wonder if the death penalty will boost Thailand's world standing and tourism as much as a life sentence for life would have done?

I was interested in this. Until recently executions were done by a single officer with a machine gun. Obviously there is a new compassion in Thailand with a lethal injection. It is sheer rush to justice that these two were arrested just 10 days ago and have since then been dealt with by the court and now condemned. This is close to the speed of Stalin's Courts. The initial sentence was a certainty. The sentence is, of course, mandatory. And they pleaded guilty in the first instance. The only appeal, I thought, was to His Majesty, not to the Prime Minister. The question of whether the Tourist Trade would benefit from execution rather than a life sentence in a fine point. I think execution would appeal most - so long as they have the right men. On that issue the DNA evidence would, of course, have been damning. I think they will be executed before the month is out. There is the allied issue of a warning to Thai people not to kill tourists.

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