After 68 years and 319 lives taken by the firing squad,...

After 68 years and 319 lives taken by the firing squad, a ceremony was held to mark the end of this execution style and the beginning of death row convicts getting lethal injections.An amendment to article 19 of the Penal Code allowing execution by lethal injection took effect.The ceremony, held at the Bang Khwang Central Prison, was attended by prison commander Pithaya Sangkhanakhin and Corrections Department officials.
The ceremony began with a prayer by four monks at the execution room. Outgoing executioner Chaowaret Charuboon then handed his duty to a group of prison staff who will administer the injections.
"I'm happy to hand over my duty today so that I don't have to kill anybody anymore because it is a very stressful and difficult work," said Mr Chaowaret, 55. "I've been in this job for over 30 years.
I believe I have many chao kam nai wane (sins to pay for). I have a whole lot of merit making to do."
A German-made HKMP-5 sub-machinegun - used in many of the 319 executions - was then locked up in a crate.
A total of 319 balloons, representing the souls of the executed convicts, which included three women, were released into the sky.
The old execution area with its firing range and equipment was to be turned into a museum.
Mr Pithaya said lethal injections were a less cruel form of capital punishment. He hoped Thailand would eventually scrap the death sentence in favour of life imprisonment.
Before turning to the firing squad, Thailand executed convicts by beheading them.