Although Thailand made progress in abortion law reform in 2021, implementation remains the critical phase to monitor after legal change, as it determines whether safe abortion can be realized in practice.

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Since 2021, progress in establishing accessible, rights-based abortion services has not kept pace with the high demand. Despite the legal status of abortion and the availability of public funding, the number of service providers remains limited. Services are often constrained by numerous unnecessary screening requirements, and people face significant barriers in accessing information due to state and online censorship of SRHR content. At the same time, criminalization and abortion stigma persist, undermining service provision through the over-medicalization of care, the concentration of decision-making power among physicians, and the allowance of legal conscientious objection within the public health system.

 

This situation is consistent with the review of recommendations from the Universal Periodic Review (UPR) for Thailand (3rd Cycle, 2021). Although there were no direct recommendations specifically on abortion rights, broader recommendations urged the Thai government to ensure access to healthcare, which inherently includes abortion services. Additionally, other UN human rights mechanisms, such as CEDAW Concluding Observations for Thailand in 2025, have called on Thailand to accelerate the decriminalization of abortion. However, the Thai government has yet to take concrete action in response to these recommendations, reflecting a lack of prioritization of safe abortion rights.

 

This UPR submission, prepared by the Tamtang Foundation and its partner organizations, also puts forward recommendations for the Thai government and relevant sectors to secure abortion rights as a critical component of sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Key recommendations include accelerating the effective implementation of accessible abortion services, particularly free services under the public health system, and repealing Section 301 of the Criminal Code, which criminalizes abortion.