Inspectors Find Unlicensed Medical Facility at Kanchanaburi Elderly Center
Authorities inspected an elderly care center in Kanchanaburi after abuse complaints and found it operating as an unlicensed medical facility with cage‑type beds. The owner said the restraints are needed for agitated psychiatric patients but acknowledged they appear unsuitable to outsiders. The investigation will determine what steps the center must take to comply with licensing rules.
On October 6, 2026, Dr. Phuwadech Surakhot, Director‑General of the Health Support Department, led a joint inspection team from the Ministry of Public Health, the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, and Kanchanaburi Provincial Police to the elderly care center in Tham Muang district following allegations of confinement and mistreatment. The team discovered that the center held only a license for elderly care, not for medical treatment, and therefore was not authorized to admit patients requiring clinical care. Owner “Maew,” a former air force nurse who later worked at a private hospital, explained she opened the facility decades ago to look after seniors whose families cannot care for them, and later began accepting patients in recovery, some of whom become agitated and may try to leave or harm themselves. To prevent falls or violent outbursts, the center uses beds with side enclosures that resemble cages; Maew said she understands why outsiders find the arrangement unsuitable and is willing to make improvements based on official advice. She added that a relative had placed a violent patient in the center after the individual destroyed property and set fire to a vehicle, and that she has repeatedly spoken with the patient, who wishes to return home, while she continues to coordinate with the family for discharge.
