Health Officials Order Patient Transfer from Unlicensed Nursing Home
Health officials in Nonthaburi ordered the evacuation of over 70 patients from an unlicensed nursing home after discovering it was operating far beyond its permitted capacity and that staff had used cloth to restrain patients. The facility, known as Saroom Suk Nursing Home, was licensed for nine beds but housed 11 patients in the main building and an additional 58 in an unlicensed three‑story wing, plus a further 14 in an unauthorized women’s zone. Authorities are coordinating with provincial health, social‑welfare and mental‑health agencies to relocate the patients and investigate possible violations.
The owner said the facility had applied for a license for nine beds in 2024, and officials had inspected it then, finding no patients, so they verified whether the service met standards. Under the normal procedure, licenses are renewed every five years, but the renewal had not yet come due because the five‑year period had not elapsed. The owner noted that they had not reported the increase in patients afterward, suggesting the rise may have been sudden. When asked about patients who said they had been there since 2023 while the license was applied for in 2024, the director said he did not know and that a retrospective check would be difficult. Regarding allegations of chaining or shackling, the director said no such equipment was found and that police had been asked to review CCTV footage. He also said there were no signs of violence or injuries observed during the inspection, though further investigation would be needed to confirm any mistreatment. The director added that no requests for help had been detected, and while a possible closure would depend on legal review, the immediate priority was to move patients out as quickly as possible because the operation was not compliant with its license.
The owner of the home that runs the elderly‑ and psychiatric‑care unit under the Saroom Suk chain explained that they had applied for a license from the Ministry of Public Health to accommodate 25 beds and had understood that the paperwork submitted through the main office was correct. Going forward, they would need to verify the details with the central office; initially, officials advised sending patients back to their families and completing a proper license application.
The owner said the house is his own and has been providing care for about two to three years, while the main center has operated for over ten years. The service started when friends and acquaintances entrusted their patients, mostly psychiatric cases and elderly individuals, to the home. All caregivers have received training in psychiatric and elderly care, and the facility also has
