CCTV footage from Thai prison posted on Youtube live – VIDEO

It’s no secret that Thai prisons are a place you should avoid. Cramped, dangerous, hot, unsanitary. Even the notorious Bang Kwang Central Prison in Bangkok has earned the name ‘Bangkok Hilton’, mocking its less-than-confortable living conditions.

Now some leaked CCTV footage from a prison in Chumpon, southern Thailand, has been leaked and shared on YouTube. Channel 31 reporting of the footage below…

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LFz5qf6gHB4

The security camera system at Lang Suan prison had been hacked with footage showing inmates living and sleeping in overcrowded conditions.

The Thai Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin told the media that the Corrections Department had informed him of the incident. It’s not known how the footage ended up on YouTube. The Minister pointed out that similar incidents had happened in Australia, US and Russia. The department has now assigned the Department of Special Investigation to find out how it happened and who was responsible.

A source in the Justice Ministry said the CCTV systems in Thai prisons were installed by private-sector contractors. The prison’s cameras are then connected to the internet to give authorised individuals access to real-time viewing. Selected prison chiefs and senior officials are able to view the live CCTV footage on their smartphones or computers.

The minister said it was possible the access code was leaked to outsiders with the result that the two hours of footage has “damaged the reputation of Thai prisons” as the footage shows the overcrowded conditions (or simply reinforcing long-held understandings about the state of the Thai prison system).

The video, labelled “Thai Bangkok prison Security Came live” was posted on Youtube showing real-time footage from multiple cameras in the Lang Suan Prison. Sources believe the prison footage shown was from Monday evening inside the prison.

Finally, the Minister said he was concerned the leak may have violated the rights of inmates.

SOURCE: Bangkok Post