Corrections Department Admits Oversight in Failed Document Delivery to Saiyapaeng Nanode, Denies Harassment
Bang Khwang Central Prison admits failing to deliver appellate documents to inmate Saiyapaeng Nanode, prompting the Corrections Department to launch a fact-finding investigation into his broader allegations of harassment and rights violatio
The Department of Corrections has admitted to administrative failure after Bang Khwang Central Prison staff failed to deliver appellate documents to inmate Chaowalit Thongduang, also known as Saiyapaeng Nanode. The Corrections Director has established a fact-finding committee and will visit Bang Khwang Central Prison to investigate Nanode's claims directly. Nanode reports feeling stressed and pressured due to solitary confinement following a confrontation with other inmates on April 25, 2569.
Chaowalit Thongduang, 41, is serving a sentence of 20 years and 16 months for aggravated robbery, crimes against liberty, and illegal firearms violations. He is currently held at Bang Khwang Central Prison, one of Thailand's five maximum-security facilities. Previously, Thongduang escaped from Maharaj Hospital in Nakhon Si Thammarat on October 22, 2566, hiding in Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary before fleeing to Indonesia, where he was arrested for assaulting a woman in a hotel.
After Thai authorities, led by former Justice Minister Tawi Sodsong, coordinated with Indonesian officials, Thongduang was extradited and placed in Bang Khwang Central Prison starting June 5, 2567. A recorded video call between Nanode and relatives revealed three major complaints against the Department of Corrections: allegations that prison staff deliberately withheld appellate documents to strip him of legal rights, claims that numerous inmates have been deprived of legal protections through harassment, and complaints that staff allowed inmates unauthorized access to computers and mobile phones in violation of Justice Ministry regulations, allegedly for communicating about foreign drug trafficking cases.
Corrections Director Prawut Wongsinin has ordered Bang Khwang Central Prison to submit reports on all allegations for fact-checking and justice procedures. A high-ranking Justice Ministry source confirmed that the department is not ignoring these complaints. On April 24, Bang Khwang Central Prison completed its investigation and submitted findings to the Corrections Director. All details will be considered by a fact-finding committee chaired by an inspector from the Department of Corrections. The Corrections Director will sign the committee appointment order on Monday, April 27, 2569, after which the committee will visit Bang Khwang Central Prison to interview Nanode.
