PUBLISHED : 22 Nov 2025 at 05:18
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul has vowed tough action against all officials involved in awarding special privileges to Chinese inmates, after a raid at Bangkok Remand Prison uncovered prohibited items and allegations that women were being smuggled into restricted areas.
Mr Anutin, who also serves as interior minister, said such incidents should never have happened and involved a deliberate attempt to bypass prison rules. He insisted punishment would be meted out in proportion to the wrongdoing.
Justice Minister Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon Naowarat, who oversees the Department of Corrections (DoC), will ensure regulations are strictly enforced and any officials found guilty are punished accordingly, Mr Anutin said.
The prime minister’s tough stance follows the DoC’s fact‑finding probe into the former chief of Bangkok Remand Prison and 14 warders, who were suddenly transferred for allegedly giving preferential treatment to a group of so‑called “grey Chinese” inmates.
An internal alert sent by Thai inmates alleged that Chinese detainees in three designated zones of the prison had long received special privileges.
This led to a surprise raid on Sunday that uncovered a range of prohibited electrical appliances, including mobile phones, lighters, portable air‑conditioning units, a refrigerator, a microwave and an empty box of condoms.
The team also found a secret room beneath the stairs and evidence showing that the Chinese inmate group had allegedly hired a top‑tier “model from China” at a cost of several million baht to have sex with certain inmates.
Prison officials reportedly facilitated this via a special access route from the warden’s office on the second floor, bypassing the main security checkpoints to the secret room. On the day of the raid, authorities found crucial evidence from the inmates, the model, and traces of semen on discarded tissues in the area.
Pol Lt Gen Rutthapon said on Friday the incident was “unacceptable” and threatened to undermine the justice system. He vowed a thorough investigation and that criminal and disciplinary actions taken against all officials involved. He said the case would be used “as an opportunity to overhaul the entire prison system so that incidents like this never happen again”. He added that he and senior corrections officials would inspect the prison today.
A team of corrections officials led by DoC deputy chief Yutthana Nakrueangsri on Friday searched Zone 8 of Bangkok Remand Prison, which houses more than 900 inmates, following the transfer of the prison chief.
Mr Yutthana, the acting prison chief, said officials found that a carpentry workshop had been turned into a living space for Chinese inmates and could be used to hide prohibited items.