Thailand's parliament has passed a bill commuting sentences for habitual sex offenders who voluntarily choose chemical castration.
According to local media such as the Bangkok Post and foreign media, a bill that reduces the sentence of sex offenders if they are given an injection that lowers testosterone levels was passed by the Senate following the House of Representatives in February.
The bill would allow chemical castration with the consent of the offender and the approval of at least two medical professionals, including a psychiatrist.
Questions and concerns were raised over the issue of efficiency, but the Senate passed it virtually unanimously, with 145 votes in favor and 2 abstentions.
Justice Minister Somsak Thepsutin said, "I do not want to see the news that something bad has happened to women again," he said.
If the law goes into effect, Thailand will join the ranks of a small number of countries using chemical castration, following Poland, South Korea, Russia, Estonia and some US states, Reuters reported.
(Photo = EPA, Yonhap News)