Phuket opens new prison facility with more space as demand increases

The Department of Correction has officially opened a new prison in Phuket in response to the increasing number of inmates. The new prison has much more space compared to the former, notoriously small, prison facility in Phuket Town. The inmates have now been moved from the old prison to their new, hopefully temporary, home. The prison has nearly 3,000 inmates nowadays.

Yesterday, the Director-General of the Correction Department, Ayut Sinthopphan, along with the Phuket Governor, Narong Woonsew, joined the opening ceremony at the new Phuket prison in Thalang District. The prison construction started on July 29 in 2015 because the old jail was already too crowded. This new prison has more than 42 acres of area, much bigger than the old one which was only about 2 acres.

The new prison has 8 male dormitories, 1 female dormitory, 4 vocational training offices, 1 education office, 1 one administration office. The houses for senior prison officials and prison officers are also located on the new premises.

This new prison can accomodate 3,459 inmates in total – 3,086 male and 373 female inmates. The old one could accommodate only 950 inmates but ended up with 2,500 inmates. At present, the new Phuket prison has 2,943 inmates – 2,552 are male inmates and 391 are female.

SOURCE: Phuket Public Relations