Department of Corrections

  • Thailand NewsThaksin under scrutiny for possible VIP hospital privileges

    Thaksin under scrutiny for possible VIP hospital privileges

    Thaksin Shinawatra, the former prime minister of Thailand, is set to be summoned by a parliamentary committee to address allegations regarding his treatment at the Police General Hospital during his detention. These claims suggest the 74 year old politician received special privileges while at the hospital, raising questions about the standard procedures typically followed for prisoners requiring medical attention. The…

  • Thailand NewsPrison food beef: Corrections dept serves defence to influencer gripe

    Prison food beef: Corrections dept serves defence to influencer gripe

    The Department of Corrections responded to allegations made by social media influencer Nara Crepekathoei regarding the quality of prison food, asserting that it meets nutritional standards and undergoes daily quality inspections. Nara had criticised the food, describing it as bland and unpalatable, prompting the department to clarify its food preparation practices. Reports from the Bangkok Remand Prison indicate that the…

  • Thailand NewsThaksin’s pardon: Royal flush for the former PM’s clean slate

    Thaksin’s pardon: Royal flush for the former PM’s clean slate

    Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra is set to be handed a certificate of innocence within the next 120 days. The Department of Corrections (DoC) revealed the stunning news following a massive royal pardon granted to tens of thousands of prisoners yesterday, August 18. The royal decree, unveiled on the Royal Gazette website yesterday, celebrates His Majesty the King’s 72nd birthday…

  • Thailand NewsRelease of sensitive CCTV footage of Netiporn delayed

    Release of sensitive CCTV footage of Netiporn delayed

    The Department of Corrections has clarified its position regarding a lawyer’s request for CCTV footage taken while medical personnel were treating Netiporn Sanesangkhom, also known as Bung Taluwang, who later died during her hunder strike. The department stated that they could not yet provide the footage from the correctional hospital as it must be reviewed to ensure legal accuracy and…

  • Thailand NewsUyghur terror suspects win judge’s approval for Halal food

    Uyghur terror suspects win judge’s approval for Halal food

    A judge ruled yesterday that Thailand’s corrections system must provide two Uyghur terrorism suspects with the Halal food they have been requesting for years. Adem Karadag and Yusufu Mieraili, accused in the 2015 Erawan Shrine bombing, appeared visibly emaciated and in wheelchairs, pleading for their religious rights. The duo shared their harrowing ordeal, revealing they had significantly deteriorated in health,…

  • Thailand NewsThai-m to go: Ex-PM Thaksin eyes special parole as prison sentence hits halfway mark

    Thai-m to go: Ex-PM Thaksin eyes special parole as prison sentence hits halfway mark

    Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, is eligible for special parole as he approaches the halfway point of his prison sentence on February 18, according to an insider from the Department of Corrections (DoC). The source confirmed that Thaksin is included in a list of inmates who qualify for parole and special parole. Special parole may be granted…

  • Crime NewsDept of Corrections denies existence of ‘VIP rooms’ in Thai prisons

    Dept of Corrections denies existence of ‘VIP rooms’ in Thai prisons

    Contrary to allegations in the media that inmates in Thai prisons can buy their way into an air-conditioned, smoking room with unlimited TV, the Department of Corrections says there is no such thing as a VIP room when you’re behind bars in Thailand. On Tuesday, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Corrections Sitthi Suteewong said he would like to clarify several points…

  • Crime NewsPrivate jet in ‘Tuhao’ case still flying free

    Private jet in ‘Tuhao’ case still flying free

    The private jet in the “Tuhao” case has not been seized by authorities. The Office of the Narcotics Control Board’s (ONCB) Wichai Chaimongkol yesterday denied that the office had seized the private jet being serviced at Bo Fai airfield in Prachuap Khiri Khan. Chaiyanat Kornchayanant – alias Tuhao, aka “rich guy” – will have his assets seized if the ONCB…

  • Crime NewsMore than 3,000 ‘cannabis convicts’ to be released from Thai prison tomorrow

    More than 3,000 ‘cannabis convicts’ to be released from Thai prison tomorrow

    Tomorrow, 3,071 prisoners locked up for cannabis-related drug crimes will be released from prisons all over Thailand. Thailand’s Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin ordered the Department of Corrections to release the prisoners tomorrow, June 9, when cannabis will be delisted as a Category 5 narcotic. Currently, there are 4,075 inmates in Thailand convicted of marijuana-related offences. A total of 3,071 of…

  • Crime NewsInspections reveal 12 Thai prisons serving rotten food to inmates

    Inspections reveal 12 Thai prisons serving rotten food to inmates

    Spot-check inspections conducted at prisons across Thailand reveal that a total of 12 prisons were serving rotten food to inmates. The prisons were serving chicken, pork, vegetables and condiments all past their use-by-date. Prison officers in the 12 prisons are thought to have profited from the scandal, according to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, who publicly addressed the results of the…

  • Thailand NewsDepartment of Corrections denies Reuters forced labour story

    Department of Corrections denies Reuters forced labour story

    The Department of Corrections is striking back after a story by Reuters last week painted a brutal portrait of forced labour, violence, and coercion in Thailand’s prison system. The department denied things like threatening and physically assaulting inmates existed and that prisoners aren’t forced to work as mentioned in the Reuters article. The article painted a picture of inmates in…

  • Thailand NewsRiot erupts at Krabi prison over inmate Covid-19 treatment, 300 officers deployed

    Riot erupts at Krabi prison over inmate Covid-19 treatment, 300 officers deployed

    Hundreds of police have been deployed to control an ongoing riot at the Krabi Provincial Prison off the Andaman coast. Around 70 inmates started rioting at around 9pm last night, throwing objects, setting fires, and smashing tiles and plates. Prisoners reportedly threw the riot because an inmate was offered Covid-19 treatment off prison grounds while others infected with the virus…

  • Thailand NewsDogs to help Thailand’s prisoners prepare for reintegration into society

    Dogs to help Thailand’s prisoners prepare for reintegration into society

    Dogs are going to some of Thailand’s prisons as part of a new therapy programme by the Department of Corrections to help psychologically prepare inmates for reintegration into society after release and to improve the mental health of inmates by reducing anxiety and depression. Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin also said some convicts will learn vocational skills that could potentially help…

  • Thailand NewsDepartment of Corrections fires 10 prison officials for misconduct

    Department of Corrections fires 10 prison officials for misconduct

    10 prison officials have been dismissed by the Department of Corrections after a variety of serious breaches of conduct have been investigated. The dismissals range from smuggling to gross negligence and misconduct relating to 5 murders, and authorities fear that the egregious misconduct has shaken people’s confidence in the Department and the prison system. The Director-General of the DoC detailed…

  • Thailand NewsVaccinations accelerated for inmates following Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons

    Vaccinations accelerated for inmates following Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons

    More than 74,000 inmates at Thailand’s overcrowded prisons and detention centres have tested positive for Covid-19 over the past several months, which is about a fourth of the total number of prisoners in the country. Correctional facilities stopped allowing visits earlier this year and vaccinations have been accelerated. According to Nation Thailand, Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin said prisons will start…

  • Covid-19 NewsMonday Covid Update: 3,355 new cases and 17 deaths

    Monday Covid Update: 3,355 new cases and 17 deaths

    3,355 new Covid-19 cases were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, raising the total since April 1 to 170,401 confirmed infections. The CCSA also reported 17 more deaths related to the coronavirus. Out of the new cases, 784 were detected in Thailand’s overcrowded prisons, a spike in the past few days as the Department of Corrections rolls…

  • Thailand NewsNearly 30,000 Covid-19 infections at Thai prisons in recent wave

    Nearly 30,000 Covid-19 infections at Thai prisons in recent wave

    Nearly 30,000 people at Thai prisons have tested positive for Covid-19 in the latest wave of infections. There are now 13,392 active coronavirus cases at 12 correctional facilities in Thailand, according to the Department of Corrections. 534 new cases and 3 coronavirus-related deaths at prisons were reported today. In the latest wave of infections in Thailand, 29,734 cases have been…

  • Thailand NewsSome inmates to be released on parole following Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons

    Some inmates to be released on parole following Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons

    With thousands of inmates infected with Covid-19 at several Thailand prisons, the Department of Corrections is now tackling its longstanding problem at prisons… overcrowding. There’s now talk within the department of possibly granting some prisoners parole, or at least reducing their sentences as a short-term measure to reduce the overcrowding. Others in court detention, while awaiting trial, might be released…

  • Thailand NewsJustice Minister says 50,000 inmates will be released following Covid-19 outbreaks

    Justice Minister says 50,000 inmates will be released following Covid-19 outbreaks

    With thousands of inmates now infected with Covid-19 at several Thai prisons, shedding light on the country’s longstanding problem of overcrowded prisons, Thailand’s justice minister says around 50,000 inmates will be released next month. So far, the Department of Corrections has reported 10,384 Covid-19 cases in Thai prisons. Following the last week’s outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central…

  • Covid-19 NewsCovid-19 spreads to 12 Thailand prisons infecting 9,789 people

    Covid-19 spreads to 12 Thailand prisons infecting 9,789 people

    Over the past week, 12 prisons in Thailand have reported Covid-19 infections infecting thousands of inmates. Out of the 9,789 Covid-19 infections reported by the Department of Corrections, nearly 4,000 cases were reported at the Chiang Mai Central Prison. Outbreaks at the Bangkok Remand Prison and Central Women’s Correctional Institution were first reported last week after a pro-democracy protest leader…

  • Bangkok NewsMore than 2,000 inmates in Bangkok test positive for Covid-19

    More than 2,000 inmates in Bangkok test positive for Covid-19

    More than 2,000 inmates at the Bangkok Remand Prison and at the Women’s Correctional Institution have tested positive for Covid-19. The announcement from the Department of Corrections follows the recent news that a protest leader tested positive for Covid-19 after spending 8 weeks in jail awaiting trial for lese majeste charges. Pro-democracy activist Panusya “Rung” Sithijirawattanaku made a post on…

  • Thailand NewsTransgender inmates to get more medical help in Thailand’s jails

    Transgender inmates to get more medical help in Thailand’s jails

    Thailand’s transgender inmates will be getting more medical help in jails as The Department of Corrections is seeking to improve services to be in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Currently, Thailand has over 4,000 transgender inmates, or about 1% of the total prison population, spread out in 143 prisons. 1,800 of them are transvestites, 1,200 are transgender…

  • Covid-19 NewsThai Department of Corrections suspends 7,890 prison sentences in past six months

    Thai Department of Corrections suspends 7,890 prison sentences in past six months

    The Director-general of the Thai Department of Corrections Police Colonel Naras Savestanan, has announced that he will speed up the process to grant suspended sentences, or lessen the prison terms, for qualified inmates right across Thailand. Inmates who are facing minor offences and shown good behaviour during their incarceration are also to be included in the process. “The number of…