Three Suspects Freed in Local Corruption Case After Detention Limit
Three suspects linked to a local‑government exam‑cheating scandal were freed from Bangkok’s Special Prison after the anti‑corruption agency missed the deadline to file charges. The prison said it had no legal authority to hold them beyond the 84‑day detention limit and was obliged to release them under criminal procedure law. The case remains under investigation, but the defendants are no longer in custody.
According to the Bangkok Special Prison, the three individuals had been held since their arrest on suspicion of involvement in a scheme to manipulate local‑government employee examinations. Under Thai law, pre‑trial detention may be extended in seven‑day increments, but after the seventh extension (84 days total) the prison must release the detainees if prosecutors have not filed charges. The prison emphasized that it acts only on court orders and cannot keep suspects once the detention period expires, even if bail is denied. The suspects were therefore released immediately on October 8, 2026.
