Department of Corrections
- Thailand News
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 News
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 News
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 News
Corrections Department: Double standards in Thaksin’s treatment
The Corrections Department is under fire for its alleged double standards in handling the case of former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. Despite being imprisoned at the Police General Hospital for six months, the 74 year old Thaksin enjoyed an early release, sparking accusations of preferential treatment. Critics are pointing fingers at Justice Minister Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, the Corrections Department’s…
- Thailand News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Thailand News
Corrections Dept. to sue Thai talk show for creating fake news
A female talk show host faces up to a year in prison after insulting the Department of Corrections and spreading fake news about Thai prisons. On August 31, the Thai talk show, Unfold a Secret or Chae (แฉ), invited a female influencer, Leena Jangjanja, to host a discussion about the Forex-3D scam involving a leading Thai actress, Savika “Pinky” Chaiyadej.…
- Crime News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Bangkok News
Four prison officers in Nonthaburi fired for alleged abuse, extortion
Four prison officers have been sacked by the Department of Corrections for allegedly committing serious disciplinary offences against detainees at the Justice Ministry’s headquarters in Nonthaburi today. Department director-general Ayut Sinthopphan said one of the officers was fired for allegedly extorting money from families of convicts in exchange for special care for detainees, while three other department personnel have been…
- Thailand News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Covid-19 News
Thursday Covid Update: 2,310 new cases, provincial totals
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration recorded 2,310 new Covid-19 cases today and 43 coronavirus-related deaths, raising the total count since the start of the pandemic last year to 187,538 Covid-19 infections and Covid-related death toll to 1,375. There are now 46,876 active cases. The active case count has been steadily declining over the past few days after the wave…
- Thailand News
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 News
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 News
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…
- Covid-19 News
Human Right Watch calls for Thailand to immediately act on Covid-19 outbreaks at prisons
In response to the recent Covid-19 outbreaks in Thailand prisons, the Human Rights Watch issued a statement saying Thai authorities need to take immediate steps to tackle overcrowding in prisons and release inmates that do not pose a serious risk to the public. The organisation also notes that under international human rights law, the government must provide equal and accessible…
- Thailand News
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 News
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…
