Thai court sentences two men to death for Bangkok shrine bombing

Sat Jun 13 2026 12:50:25 GMT+0000 (Coordinated Universal Time)

Court convicts two Uyghur men and sentences them to death for the 2015 Bangkok shrine attack that killed 20 and sparked controversy over the investigation and trial.

In 2015 a bomb detonated next to Bangkok’s Erawan shrine, killing twenty people and injuring more than a hundred. Thai authorities later arrested two men of Uyghur ethnicity and, after a decade‑long military‑court trial, convicted them and sentenced them to death. The prosecution faced criticism for rushed cleaning of the scene, faulty cameras, alleged coercion of witnesses, and extended delays caused by a lack of Uyghur translators. Human‑rights groups condemned the process and argued that the trial breached due‑process standards. The defendants plan to appeal, and the case will continue to draw attention to Thailand’s handling of Uyghur migrants.

Thai court sentences two men to death for Bangkok shrine bombing

On 17 August 2015 a bomb exploded beside the Erawan shrine in central Bangkok, killing twenty and injuring more than a hundred.

Thai authorities identified two men of Uyghur ethnicity as planners and bombers. After a decade‑long trial held in a military court, both were convicted and condemned to death.

The investigation was criticized for rushed cleanup, inactive cameras and the appearance of coerced witnesses. Defendants stated that they had been stripped and tortured into false confessions.

Human‑rights groups argue that the trial did not meet due‑process standards and that the process highlighted systemic weaknesses in Thailand’s criminal justice system.

The defendants will appeal, and the case will be closely watched by observers who evaluate Thailand’s treatment of Uyghur refugees and its adherence to international legal norms.