Amnesty believes that although people are born with different economic and social backgrounds, everyone has equal rights and an equal voice as a human being.

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Who Are We?

Amnesty International, or simply Amnesty, is a global movement of over 10 million ordinary people who campaign for, protect, and promote human rights. We demand justice for those whose rights have been violated, work with governments to advance laws and policies that safeguard human rights, and foster human rights awareness among youth and the wider society.

Today, Amnesty International has over 10 million members in 150 countries and territories worldwide. We are an organization with a single purpose: to ensure that human rights are respected and protected.

We are an independent organization, not aligned with any political, economic, religious, or ideological stance. We focus on promoting human rights processes and culture in society through campaigning, advocacy, and solidarity actions at both national and international levels, as well as through human rights education.

Our campaigning activities are rooted in research. We promote public knowledge and understanding of human rights issues to drive change, foster a just society, advocate for legal reform, secure the release of prisoners and individuals unlawfully detained, protect human rights defenders under threat, and assist refugees and asylum seekers.

Our campaigns take many forms, including letter-writing, urgent actions, and coordination with international media, as well as advocacy with governments and state agencies to ensure the adoption of constitutions, treaties, and other laws related to human rights principles. Beyond civil and political rights, we have expanded our work to economic, social, and cultural rights, believing that respecting, protecting, and promoting human rights contributes to reducing poverty, while also fostering equality and justice.

Our unwavering belief in the power of people united in solidarity has brought about real change that reaches every corner of the world. With years of continued support from committed supporters like you, the death penalty has been abolished in many countries, harmful spyware targeting activists and human rights defenders has been exposed, and dictators once thought untouchable have been held accountable for the crimes they committed.

We uncover the truth and hold the powerful to account. We believe that we have a shared humanity and a shared responsibility for what goes on in the world.

Our History

“64 years in protecting of human rights”

1961

In 1961, British lawyer Peter Benenson read a newspaper story about two Portuguese students who were jailed for raising their glasses in a toast to freedom.

Appalled by this injustice, he published an appeal titled “The Forgotten Prisoners” in The Observer newspaper urging readers to write letters on behalf of people around the world imprisoned because they exercised their human right.

The response was enormous, and the letter was re-printed all over the world – leading thousands of people to write letters to government leaders. These groups of letter-writers in different countries would form the backbone of the organization that became Amnesty International.

1963

In 1963, Ukrainian Archbishop Josyf Slipyi in Siberia became the first prisoner freed as the result of an Amnesty International campaign. Since then, tens of thousands of prisoners have been released thanks to the letters and actions of our members.

1972

Amnesty International expanded its activities to include a campaign against torture in 1972, and worked for the passage of the UN Convention Against Torture in 1984. Our work on this issue remains a key component of our platform, most recently in advocating for the release of the U.S. Senate report on torture of detainees in CIA custody

1977

In 1977, Amnesty International was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. In its presentation speech, the Nobel committee said “the defense of human dignity against torture, violence, and degradation constitutes a very real contribution to the peace of this world.”

1980

Ending the death penalty became another key campaign for Amnesty International in 1980, when only nine countries had abolished capital punishment. Today, there are 140. In the United States, public support for the death penalty has declined in recent years, and Amnesty International continues to work at the state and federal level to push to end it once and for all.

Our History in Thailand

1976

Amnesty supporters around the world sent hundreds of thousands of letters to the Thai government, calling for the release of students and people who had been arrested during the October 6, 1976, protests. This marked the beginning of Amnesty’s recognition among the Thai.

1993

In 1993, Amnesty began working in Thailand in earnest. For the first time, a committee was elected to represent people interested in various issues of human rights in the country.

2002

In 2002, Amnesty was officially registered under Thai law as the ‘Amnesty International Thailand Association.’ The organization has since worked to contribute to the development of Thai society in a concrete way, with the collaboration of supporters across the country. Its activities include promoting awareness and understanding of human rights, as well as protecting and safeguarding them, in cooperation with government and private sector organisations, as well as various NGOs and CSOs in Thailand.

2007

Amnesty’s global campaign to protect and promote freedom of expression has expanded to include online freedom and privacy, in response to changes in innovation and technology.

2016

Amnesty Thailand worked with the government to ensure that the new Computer Crime Act would not contain provisions that enable violations of freedom of expression and privacy of people across the country.

ปัจจุบัน

Amnesty International and Amnesty International Thailand continue to work tirelessly for human rights and for a world where everyone can enjoy human rights equally. We also strive to ensure that all people are able to fully exercise the rights set out in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and other international human rights standards.

Our Board Members

Amnesty International Thailand held its Annual General Meeting 2025 (#AGM25) on Saturday, 24 May 2025. During the meeting, two new committee members were elected to replace those whose terms had ended. Therefore, the current Board of Amnesty International Thailand consists of:

• Puttanee Kangkun, President of the Association, Chairperson
• Warathaya Waratsewak, Board Member and Secretary
• Achiraya Boonta, Youth Board Member
• Pimsiri Petchnamrob, Board Member (new)
• Vachararutai Boontinand, Treasurer (new)

Our Strategy

OUR GLOBAL STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK

Article 4 of Amnesty International’s (AI) statute requires that “there will be at all times for Amnesty International strategic goals to guide the movement”. Furthermore, Article 13 states that “sections shall act in accordance with the core values and methods of Amnesty International and shall comply with the Core Standards as well as any strategic goals”

The Global Strategic Framework (2022-2030) are the agreed priorities that guide Amnesty’s work for the period 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2030 – the changes that as a movement Amnesty wants to contribute to. The full strategic framework can be found here in English, French, and Spanish

The Global Strategic Framework was proposed by the International Board and following a thorough consultation process, approved by the Global Assembly.  The Global Assembly is the governance body with ultimate authority for determining Amnesty International’s strategic goals including its financial strategy

In a world of uncertainty with an unfolding climate crisis, and the expanded deployment of digital technologies and artificial intelligence amplifying inequality and injustice, Amnesty International will stand our as a broad-based global movement of local relevance. Working in solidarity with individuals and movements claiming their human rights work, we will successfully influence powerful state and non-state actors to recognize and uphold human rights.

In all the work that we do, whether under the Global Priorities or flexible areas of work, Amnesty will analyse, plan and evaluate our human rights work through the following common lenses:

• Individuals and communities at risk – Working with and for individuals and communities at direct risk of human rights violations.
• Intersectionality, gender-mainstreaming and anti-racism – Focus strongly on people subjected to structural discrimination on multiple and intersecting grounds, including, among others, the grounds of gender identity, race, ethnicity, class and other forms of social origin, caste, First Nations/Indigenous identity and sexual orientation.  Analyse the human rights implications of discrimination and clearly incorporate the findings into documentation, recommendations and campaign demands. 
• Corporate accountability, including for the technology sectors – Analyse the roles of corporate actors and, on that basis, work to ensure states legislate mandatory human rights due diligence requirements for corporations, hold them accountable for their part in human rights abuses, and provide remedy to their victims.

Within the period of the Strategic Framework 2022-2030, in support of its human rights priorities, Amnesty will strengthen and evolve our ability to deliver human rights change, as follows:

Stakeholders perspective

What do we need to do with our stakeholders to achieve our outcomes?

• Acting in solidarity with individuals and communities facing human rights challenges and supporting their demands
• Influencing and enabling duty bearers to uphold their obligations legally and in practice
• Influencing and enabling corporates to limit the negative impacts on human rights and explore different ways of engaging

Capabilities perspective

How will we innovate and invest to engage our stakeholders?

• Mobilizing human rights education
• Enhancing human rights research
• Delivering compelling state and corporate advocacy
• Strengthening Amnesty people powered movement and visibility
• Enhancing our work with partners

Internal Processes and Learning Perspective

What will help us engage our stakeholders?

• Grounding our work on international human rights law and Amnesty policies
• Strengthening our movement by improving our infrastructure and processes
• Investing in the well-being of our members and staff and in equality and inclusion
• Increasing and improving our understanding of impact and evidence-based decision making

Financial Perspective

How can we sustain an increase our resources?

Growing our resourses and income to be financially sustainable based on our values.

In the world filled with exploiting businesses and political interests, Amnesty is committed to neutrality, independence and transparency. We receive donations for human rights campaigns from ordinary people just like you. We deny funding from both the public and private sectors because the only benefit we adhere to is the human rights of all people.

Amnesty International Thailand’s mission.

Human rights campaigning and policy advocacy 

• Campaigning for the rights to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly
• Campaigning to bring perpetrators to fair justice
• Campaigning to protect human rights defenders
• Campaigning for individuals whose human rights have been violated
• Campaigning to end torture and enforced disappearances
• Campaigning to abolish the death penalty

Human rights education for students, the general public, and the media 

• Human rights class
• Human rights seminars and public events
• Collaboration with government agencies and private sectors to develop human rights standards in the country

Our important decisions comes from consultations with the board of directors representing Amnesty nationwide in order to ensure that our work truly reflects opinions of human rights advocates in Thailand.

Human rights are universal. Regardless of where you come from, race, religion or gender, human rights are yours, and no one can take away your rights. If you are the one who share our belief, please support our works from today.

With the power of ordinary people like you working alongside us, police torture of suspects has become a crime under international law, those arrested simply for dissenting against the state have been released, human rights violators have been brought to justice, marginalized and poor have received legal assistance, and people of diverse ethnicities, genders, and religions are gaining more equal access to social rights.