ABSTRACT

                      The thematic paper, “The Development of Pardon in Thai Society” had main objectives to study the pardon in Thai society and to study analytically the development of pardon in line with Buddha-dhamma. The study was conducted based on text analysis, academic approach and related field of the study.

                      The result of the study found that the concept and the pattern of pardon in Thai society depended upon the Buddhist ethics: loving kindness and pardon. Moreover, the pardon was great giving of its kind to make the fulfillment of merit in the higher level. The pardon was valuable and important in various aspects. The most important aspect was that the pardon was a way to develop mind and life. The Buddhist principles that were a way to practice the pardon were Brahma-vihāradhamma, Sādhāraniya-dhamma, and four objects of sympathy. A way to practice the pardon was possibly divided into three channels: mind, speech, and body. These Buddhist principles were related with the king’s management through his negative and positive authority in order to make the violators free from immoral action and sacrificial to themselves and the country. The principles followed by the king in the past were four noble sentiments, principles for an emperor, four objects of sympathy for the king, ten perfections, and tenfold code of the king. As regard, there were four forms of Thai government: the patriarchal system, Dhamma-rāja, Deva-rāja, and democracy that had the kind as the head of the state. The king used the authority to give a pardon differently in each age. A result of giving the pardon was not only to spread his compassion towards people but also to resolve some mistakes in the criminal justice process. In addition to this study, it was a peaceful way and means by which the good relations among nations and harmony among people in the nation were established and maintained for a peaceful life of all within  the country and beyond.