Thai Prison Life – ชีวิตในคุกไทย
A drugs smuggler who has spent eight years in Thailand’s infamous ‘Bangkok Hilton’ prison has been allowed home to serve the rest of his sentence in Britain. Michael Connell, 27, from Bury, was sentenced to 99 years in prison after trying to smuggle thousands of ecstasy tablets though Bangkok airport. His sentence was reduced to 30 years and then to 20 years on appeal, and since then he has been locked up in the Bang Kwang Prison [Full Story].
Rising youth crime levels confound justice system: Department of Juvenile Observation and Protection chief Thawatchai Thaikhiew will propose on January 26 a legal amendment that would raise the minimum age at which juvenile offenders can be punished to 12 from 10. The proposal is aimed at bringing Thai law in line with recommendations by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child [Full Story].
The Thai prison statistics for 1st December 2011 have just been released. Of course this doesn’t show a reduction yet as the prisoners that received a royal pardon weren’t released until later in the month. But it does give you an idea of how crowded the prisons were at that time [Full Story].
“Bangkok Hard Time” by Jon Cole A new book called “Bangkok Hard Time” has just been published about life in Klong Prem Prison. It is written by Jon Cole and published by Monsoon Books. Unlike other prison books, Jon Cole already knew something about the culture and language as he was a graduate of the International School of Bangkok in the 1960′s. If you want an accurate account of what it was really like, then this is an excellent book. Come back soon for our interview with Jon Cole about what it was like as a teenager in 1960′s Bangkok and how he managed to survive his time in a Thai prison [Full Story].
WOMEN’S PRISON: The Central Women’s Correctional Institution is on the road to Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport and sits beside a larger facility housing men. The vast complex is nicknamed Klong Prem. The women’s prison is rectangular in shape, some 300 metres by one kilometre and presently houses about 4,400. In the past the figure was quite larger. We have two stories for you. First Vanessa Goosen describes what it was like for a foreigner [Full Story] and also Frank Lombard interviews a Thai inmate [Full Story].
PRISON CELLS: This is a rare photograph showing the overcrowding in Thai prisons. The middle row has 2-3 people lying side by side. In all there are about 50-60 people in this small cell. There isn’t room for everyone to sleep on their backs like this. Many people can only sleep on their side. If they want to sleep on their back, or just to have that extra space, they then have to buy that right. There is an open toilet in the same room with a low wall around it. If someone wants to go to the toilet during the night, they then have to clamber over all these limbs. For this reason it is lucky the light is left on all night. However, the bright light makes it difficult to get any sleep [Full Story].
CORRECTIONS MUSEUM: Maha Chai Prison was built by King Rama V in 1889 after a visit to a prison in Singapore. By Thai standards, it was regarded as the first modern prison. By 1990, the prison was not only old but also overcrowded. The prisoners were moved mainly to Lad Yao Prison. Then Maha Chai Prison was knocked down to make way for a public park and museum. Today, the only evidence of the former prison is the wall along the east side, the main gate, cell block 9 and three of the administration buildings. The small door in the above picture was used to take dead bodies out of the prison. In the Corrections Museum you can learn about Thai prison life and the forms of punishment and torture used since the Ayutthaya period [Full Story].
EXECUTION IN THAILAND: Up until 1934, the official method of execution in Thailand was by decapitating. This was then considered to be barbaric and the method was changed. Over a period of 71 years, a total of 319 prisoners were then executed in Thailand by firing squad. Despite its name, this form of execution wasn’t carried out by a line of men carrying rifles. In Thailand, a single sub-machine gun was used from a distance of about four metres. A total of 15 bullets were loaded though only about 8 or so were needed from a single burst. The last execution by this method was carried out as late as 11th December 2002. The last executioner to use this method in Thailand was Chavoret Jaruboon [Full Story].
INSIDE A THAI COURT: The Thai courtroom isn’t very large. At the front is the raised platform where the judges sit. Above them is a portrait of H.M. The King. Below it is the symbol of the court, a downward pointing dagger with scales balancing on it. In front of the bench sits the court clerk. On the judges right is the table for the prosecution. On the left is the table for the defense. In the middle of the room, facing the judges bench, is the chair and table for the witness. The room is roughly split in half with a low railing. Behind this are the benches where members of the public and interested parties sat [Full Story].
