Thai prisons
- Thailand News
New regulation allows convicts to serve time outside Thai prisons
Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong staunchly defended a new regulation permitting convicts to be detained outside of prison, addressing concerns that it might unfairly benefit former Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. The Department of Corrections introduced this regulation to mitigate prison overcrowding, as the current system can only accommodate 150,000 to 160,000 inmates. The current prison population in Thailand stands at approximately…
- Thailand News
Thai prisons fight fish outbreak with new menu and inmate fishing
Thai prisons are switching their menus to include black-spotted climbing perch and involving inmates in the fishing process to combat the fish outbreak, supporting government efforts to mitigate the issue’s impact on the public. The Department of Corrections acknowledged the widespread distress caused by the black-spotted climbing perch outbreak. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has directed all ministries and agencies to…
- Thailand News
Thai-ed up: British man’s terrifying prison ordeal in Thailand
A British man from Birmingham revealed the harrowing tale of his five-month ordeal in a Thai prison, labelling the conditions as inhumane and horrendous. Jamie Morton was teaching English in Thailand when he got entangled in the local drug and alcohol scene. In January 2019, Morton was accosted by eight individuals on a street corner, who then whisked him away…
- Thailand News
PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban’s jail time drastically reduced
The Appeals Court upheld the convictions of key People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leaders, including Suthep Thaugsuban, but significantly reduced their prison sentences. Suthep Thaugsuban and Thavorn Senniam, initially handed hefty sentences by the Criminal Court, saw their prison terms cut to just one year each. Sawat Charoenphol, Suthep’s lawyer, stated that the Appeals Court made this decision without providing…
- Thailand News
Transgender woman faces 25 years behind bars for lese majeste
A transgender woman has been slammed with a hefty 25-year prison sentence for lese majeste and computer crimes. In a swift ruling from the Southern Bangkok Criminal Court, the 26 year old defendant, Maggie, faced the grim reality of her fate today. Lawyers from Thai Lawyers for Human Rights (TLHR) disclosed details of the verdict, shedding light on a case fraught…
- Thailand News
Prison warden commits suicide at Nakhon Si Thammarat
A warden at Nakhon Si Thammarat Central Prison was found dead by senior officials. Police Colonel Sanpong Chansing, superintendent of Phra Phrom Police Station, Nakhon Si Thammarat province received a report from senior officials at Nakhon Si Thammarat Central Prison that a correctional officer committed suicide inside a room on the fourth floor of the building on the side wing of…
- Thailand News
Ex-con released from jail recalled to finish his porridge after gaff
An ex-con legally released seven months ago has been recalled to the jail in the northern province of Payao after a gaff by the Department of Corrections (DOC). He refuses to return. The DOC admitted they made a mistake and wrongly calculated the years of imprisonment so recalled the former convict to finish his porridge. Teeraphat Sophon was originally jailed…
- 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.…
- Thailand News
Thai government promises to eradicate forced prison labour following exposé
The Thai government has vowed to end forced labour in the country’s prisons, following an exposé by the Thomson Reuters Foundation. The foundation’s investigation revealed shocking abuses in the Thai prison system, with inmates forced to make fishing nets for private companies for as little as 30 baht a month. Some said they did not get paid at all. Prisoners…
- Thailand News
Thai officials warn prisons over forced fishing net labour
Following a December investigation by Thomson Reuters Foundation about abuse of Thai prisoners forced to make fishing nets, officials are warning prisons. The investigation found that prison guards beat prisoners who didn’t meet certain targets, and disallowed them to shower. Prisoners were also not paid minimum wage, and sometimes not paid at all. In February, 31 Thai and international rights…
- Thailand News
Rights groups urge United States to ban fishing nets made by Thai prisoners
A December investigation by the the Thomson Reuters foundation discovered that jails across Thailand are illegally forcing prisoners to make fishing nets for private companies, including those that export to the United States. Former prisoners Reuters interviewed said guards beat them, disallowed them to shower, and pushed back their release dates if they didn’t meet strict targets. Now, Thai and…
- 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…
- Covid-19 News
Tuesday Covid Update: 20,128 new cases and 239 deaths
20,128 new Covid-19 cases and 239 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. 20,791 people have recovered from a Covid infection in the 24 hours since the last report. There are now 210,032 active Covid-19 cases. In the latest and most severe wave of the virus in Thailand, first recorded on April 1, the CCSA…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 22,086 new infections, provincial totals
The Thai public health department announced another 22,086 new infections to Thailand’s total. 270 of today’s cases stem from the Thai prison system. 217 Covid-related deaths were also announced. 23,672 people were released from hospital care. 60% of people who died in the past 24 hours were 60 years old plus. 18 of the total died at home. The median age…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE Saturday: 217 Covid-related deaths, news briefs
This morning the Thai public health department announced another 22,086 new infections to Thailand’s total. 270 of today’s cases stem from the Thai prison system. 217 Covid-related deaths were also announced. 23,672 people were released from hospital care. Provincial totals will be announced early this afternoon. • According to the Ministry of Public Health, Covid-19 patients in Thailand are taking…
- Thailand News
Thousands of inmates granted royal pardon on HM the King’s birthday
On his 69th birthday, HM the King granted a royal pardon to more than 200,000 prison inmates and convicts on house arrest. 35,000 of them from 143 prisons will be released on parole while prison sentences for the others will be reduced. Under the 2021 Royal Pardon Royal Decree imposed today, pardons will be granted within the next 120 days,…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 3,174 new cases and 51 deaths
3,174 new Covid-19 cases and an uptick of 51 coronavirus-related deaths recorded by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration today. In the recent and most severe wave of infections, the CCSA has reported 199,626 Covid-19 infections since April 1. Out of the new cases recorded today, 36 were found in correctional facilities, a downward trend after more than 30,000 inmates…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 3,277 new infections and 29 deaths, provincial totals
There are another 29 Covid-related deaths and 3,277 new infections announced today. 892 of today’s cases were from Thai prisons, an ongoing source of infections where around 22,000+ inmates have now been detected as new Covid cases (more below). Here’s the provincial totals for today… • Meanwhile the Thai Justice Ministry says the start of a vaccine rollout in the…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE Saturday: 3,277 new infections and 29 deaths
The public health ministry has announced another 29 Covid-related deaths and 3,277 new infections for Saturday. 892 of today’s cases have been from Thai prisons, an ongoing source of infections where around 22,000+ inmates have now been detected as new Covid cases. • Meanwhile the Thai Justice Ministry says the start of a vaccine rollout in the overcrowded prisons started…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 2,669 new cases, provincial totals
Although the daily Covid count remains high, with 2,680 new Covid-19 cases and 35 coronavirus-related deaths reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, the number of active cases have decreased. Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Natapanu Nopakun, who gives the daily Covid situation report in English, says that today more recoveries were reported than new cases, with the…
- Covid-19 News
Wednesday Covid Update: 3,440 new cases and 38 deaths
3,440 new Covid-19 cases and 38 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the latest wave of infections in Thailand, the CCSA has recorded a total of 136,599. Out of the new cases, 1,087 were detected in correctional facilities. Thousands of inmates at more than a dozen Thai prisons have contracted the…
- Thailand News
Friday Covid Update: 3,759 new cases and 34 deaths, provincial totals
3,759 new Covid-19 infections and 34 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today by the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. Since April 1, the CCSA has reported a total of 116,113 Covid-19 cases. There are now 46,150 active cases in Thailand. Out of the new cases, 1,294 infections were found in Thai prisons. Over the past month, 14 correctional facilities have reported…
- Covid-19 News
Over 1,200 new infections found across 14 Thai prisons
The Corrections Department has confirmed that another 1,228 Covid-19 cases have been reported across 14 prisons around the country. According to a Bangkok Post report, Veerakit Harnpariyan from the department adds that another 2,054 patients have recovered, while 16,319 are being treated at prison facilities. Veerakit has also responded to reports on social media about a man who was found…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 3,481 new cases and 32 deaths, provincial totals
3,481 new Covid-19 cases and 32 coronavirus-related deaths were reported today in the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration’s daily briefing. There are now 42,827 active Covid-19 cases in Thailand. Since the start of the pandemic last year, the CCSA has reported a total of 123,066 confirmed Covid-19 cases and 735 virus-related deaths. Out of the new cases, 1,036 infections were…
- Covid-19 News
Covid UPDATE: 3,095 new infections, 17 deaths, provincial totals
The Thai public health ministry has announced 3,095 new cases of Covid-19 along with 17 new deaths from the past 24 hours of provincial totals. 877 of the new infections emerged from Thai prisons again after 3 days of reports with high numbers of cases coming out of key Bangkok prisons. Provincial totals below. • The CCSA has announced adjustments…
- Covid-19 News
Saturday Covid UPDATE: 3,095 new infections, 17 deaths
The Thai public health ministry has announced 3,095 new cases of Covid-19 along with 17 new deaths from the past 24 hours of provincial totals. 877 of the new infections emerged from Thai prisons again after 3 days of reports with high numbers of cases coming out of key Bangkok prisons. • Diners may be able to eat at Dark…
- Covid-19 News
Prison officials say activist Panusaya did not get Covid while behind bars
The Corrections Department says the recently released pro-democracy activist, Panusaya Sithijirawattanakul, aka, “Rung”, did not contract Covid-19 in prison. The 22 year old protest leader confirmed she was infected earlier this week. She was released from Bangkok’s Central Women’s Correctional Institution on May 6. The Bangkok Post reports Weerakit Harnpariphan from the Corrections Department as saying Panusaya was in quarantine…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | Prison release?, Pattaya Makeover, 6 new Covid cases | October 2
Justice Minister proposes releasing chronically ill inmates to reduce prison overcrowding In an effort to reduce overcrowding in Thailand prisons, the Justice Ministry is looking into allowing chronically ill inmates to be released on a royal pardon. There’s also talk of shortening sentences for those incarcerated on drug charges. Overcrowding has been a problem at Thailand’s prisons, especially now more…
- South Thailand News
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……
- Thailand News
Overhaul of Thai justice system required to deal with prison overcrowding
PHOTO: Scmp.com There are nearly 400,000 people behind bars in Thailand. 70% of the men in prison are there for drug-related offences. In the case of women, it’s 87%. Thailand has the highest number of prisoners in ASEAN, the sixth highest in the world. The notorious overcrowding for which the prisons are known is so bad that an inmate does…
