Prison chief insists gambling king assassination attempt impossible

The Commander of Bang Kwang Central Prison insisted that no assassination attempt took place in the jail, as claimed by the gambling king and his lawyer. The commander, Yuttana Nakruengsri, emphasised that an assassination is impossible in a Thai prison.

The Thai lawyer, Withun Keng-ngan, yesterday, July 30, demanded an investigation into an alleged assassination attempt on the gambling king, Apirak “Po” Chat-arnon, also known as Sia Po. Withun suspected that someone hired an inmate to stab Sia Po with an iron rod but he managed to survive.

The lawyer also accused prison guards of treating Sia Po unfairly, as he did not have access to adequate medical treatment even when he coughed up blood, and his family was allowed to meet him only once a week, unlike other inmates who have daily visits.

The lawyer mentioned that his attempt to contact the prison commander, Yuttana, had failed, prompting him to file a complaint against the prison with the Justice Minister.

Yuttana subsequently addressed the situation, insisting that no assassination had taken place at Bang Kwang Central Prison, citing the stringent security measures in place as making such an event impossible.

Yuttana explained that Sia Po had been held in the Special Control Area for over a year and would have been dead by now if there had been any attempt on his life.

While Yuttana acknowledged that Sia Po is different from other inmates due to his outspoken nature and fearlessness, he emphasised that this did not result in any violent conflicts with other prisoners.

He also noted that his team had conducted a raid of Sia Po’s cell area the previous week, finding no suspicious or violent items.

Correction Department spokesperson Somphop Sagkkaew told ThaiRath that the department had not received any complaint or report on the assassination.

Sia Po’s lawyer and family, however, can complain and seek an investigation from the Correction Department. A special committee to work on the matter would be appointed. The prison commander and guards would be punished if found guilty.

ORIGINAL STORY: Thai gambling king seeks justice after assassination attempt in jail

An imprisoned Thai gambling king hired a lawyer to seek justice after a fellow inmate attempted to kill him inside Bang Kwang Central Prison near Bangkok.

The lawyer, Withun Keng-ngan, disclosed details of the assassination attempt against Apirak “Po” Chat-arnon, also known as Sia Po, during an interview with Channel 3 on July 30. Withun and Sia Po’s family are preparing to report the incident to the Ministry of Justice, expressing concern that Sia Po might die in prison.

Withun explained that he had recently spoken with Sia Po and learned of the attempt on his life, which occurred at the beginning of this year. Sia Po revealed that an inmate had tried to stab him with an iron rod measuring approximately 1.25 metres.

Fortunately, another inmate intervened, and Sia Po was not injured. However, Sia Po suspects that someone outside the prison orchestrated the attack and hired the prisoner to execute the plan.

Withun noted that the attacker appeared to have more privileges than other inmates, as he possessed a key to a storage room that should have been held by prison guards.

The attacker was questioned after the attempt and stated that his motive was to gain acceptance from other inmates. He believed that killing Sia Po, a powerful figure within the prison, would earn him respect from his peers.

Unfair treatment

Withun said that the attacker’s claim seemed unreasonable and agreed with Sia Po that someone wanted to kill him.

Aside from the assassination attempt, Withun also wanted to complain about the inequality in the prison. The lawyer claimed that Sia Po’s family were allowed to meet him only once a week while other inmates could meet their family members every day.

Sia Po also reckons he received inappropriate treatment after he coughed up some blood. The prison guards reportedly accused Sia Po of faking the blood with watermelon. Withun insisted that Sia Po coughed up blood because of his heavy cigarette smoking before being jailed.

Withun revealed that he attempted to contact the prison commander but failed, so he and Sia Po’s family would visit the Justice Ministry very soon.

In 2022, Sia Po was arrested and sentenced to 50 years and 48 months in jail for gambling operations and money laundering. His imprisonment was reduced to 20 years according to the maximum punishment under Thai law.

His wife and some members of his gang were charged as well but his mother managed to evade arrest and remains at large, according to an MGR Online report.