Thai Prison Life – ชีวิตในคุกไทย
Should travelers find themselves on the wrong side of Thai law in a single “lapse in judgment”, it could be all it takes “to lose all your civil liberties”. So argues a 46-year old American, who served two weeks in the high-security Bangkok Remand Prison [FULL STORY].
A 61-year-old man sentenced to 20 years in jail for lese majeste died of cancer on Tuesday in a Bangkok hospital: Corrections Department chief Suchart Wongananchai said Amphon Tangnoppakhun died at 9am Tuesday after being sent from the prison to Central Hospital. He had been suffering from stomach pain since May 4. Amphon was arrested on August 3, 2010 and was convicted on November 23 last year. Anon recently withdrew his client’s appeal, as the elderly man wished to ask for a royal pardon (The Nation)
TAG: Amphon Tangnoppakhun Follow @ThaiPrisonLife for updates
Another chapter in the history of Thailand’s penal system has come to a close. Late last night, Khun Chavoret Jaruboon, widely regarded as “Thailand’s Last Executioner”, died. He was 64 years of age [FULL STORY].
TAG: Chavoret Jaruboon Follow @ThaiPrisonLife for updates
The latest prison statistics for April 2012 have been released and they show a slight increase in the prison population. On the 1st March there were 231,127 inmates in Thai prisons. On 1st April 2012 there were 234,678 (199,884 men and 34,794 women). On 5th December 2011, the King’s Pardon resulted in a number of releases and a drop in the prison population. Just before the pardon, there were 251,812 inmates but by 1st January 2012 this had dropped to 224,864. So, it could then be presumed that about 26,948 had been released by the pardon. Since January, each month has seen a slight increase in the prison population.
Prison Population:
1 Dec: 215,924 men & 35,888 women = 251,812
1 Jan: 192,054 men & 32,810 women = 224,864
1 Feb: 194,256 men & 33,494 women = 227,750
1 Mar: 196,819 men & 34,308 women = 231,127
1 Apr: 199,884 men & 34,794 women = 234,678
KNOWN COURT DATES FOR FOREIGNERS IN THAILAND:
- 21st May 2012: Atris Houssein, a Lebanese man with suspected ties to Hezbollah is scheduled to appear at Ratchadaphisek Criminal Court for inspection of evidence on 21st May 2012. Atris Houssein, 47, who also holds a Swedish passport, was arrested in Bangkok in January 2012 for allegedly breaking weapons-control laws. His previous court date was 22nd March 2012 where he entered a plea of “not guilty”.
- 11th June 2012: Nolubabalo Nobanda, arrested after cocaine was found hidden in her dreadlocks, has been remanded again until 11th June. Nobanda appeared in court for the first time on 14th December 2011 and then again on 19th March 2012.
* All court dates are subject to change
A former foreign inmate at Samut Prakan prison says that while sleeping head to foot with 60 other convicts and dealing with meal-time misery wasn’t fun, his time incarcerated wasn’t the nightmare he was expecting [Read 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].
