Northern Thailand
Thai Women’s Prison Highlights Need for Reform, Rethink of Drug Policy
Women prisoners attend a class at Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institute, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, January 24, 2018. – Photo Athit Perawongmetha
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CHIANG MAI – A visit by a Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol to a women’s prison on Thursday spotlighted the need for reform in a country that houses some of the world’s most crowded jails, partly because of its battle against the scourge of illicit drugs.
Several Southeast Asian governments, led by the Philippines, have adopted hardliner policies on drug-related crimes, putting a heavy burden on their jails, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) says.
Thailand has about a tenth of Southeast Asia’s population, but about 40 per cent of its prisoners, most convicted of drug offences.
Her Royal Highness Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol, visits Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institute.
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“We have to ensure fair and equitable justice, understand the reasons people are ending up in prison, and we also have to address the specific needs of women,” Thailand’s HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha Mahidol said.
The remarks came as she led diplomats on a visit to the Women’s Correctional Institute in the northern Thai city of Chiang Mai, to show how it had applied rules embodying a more gender-sensitive approach.
The prison is one of ten in Thailand piloting the “Bangkok Rules”, or guidelines for the treatment of female prisoners adopted by the United Nations’ General Assembly in 2010.
“Women have very different needs,” Jeremy Douglas, UNODC Regional Representative for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, told Reuters. “They have health needs, they have children. So if they follow a male prison model it doesn’t work.”
Women prisoners eat lunch at Chiang Mai Women’s Correctional Institute, in Chiang Mai, Thailand, January 24, 2018. – Photo Athit Perawongmetha
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Thailand has the fourth highest number of women prisoners in the world, after the United States, China, and Russia, says a French non-government body, the International Federation for Human Rights.
Some of the prison’s 1,982 women inmates, 80 percent of whom have drug convictions, said they had experienced a difference since it adopted the U.N. Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners, as they are formally known.
“When I first came here it had been a male prison. It was very dirty. It’s cleaner now,” a 43-year-old who is serving a life sentence for trafficking methamphetamine pills, told Reuters during a visit to the prison.
In the prison’s nursery, mothers were being encouraged to breastfeed their babies and elsewhere, other inmates received training in silk weaving and traditional massage.
Yet much remains to be done.
Women’s prisons in Thailand are ready to adopt the Bangkok Rules, said Bussaba Sakrangkul, director of the Chiang Mai prison, but some facilities needed to be upgraded and some design changes made.
Overcrowding also remains an issue, with up to 50 inmates sleeping in a single room.
“What we’ve been looking out for is how to reduce prison overcrowding, not only in Thailand but across the region,” Douglas said, adding that such steps called for changes to drug policy, shorter jail terms and treatment programs.
By Amy Sawitta Lefevre – Reuters
The Governor of Mae Hong Son province in northern Thailand has sought stricter rules for tourist tubing on the Pai River, following allegations of tourists sneaking into resort areas to engage in sexual activities, which prompted police reports and considerable criticism online.
After a resort owner in Pai protested about the existing situation of tubing activities along the Pai River, the Governor became aware of the matter. According to the accusations, wine and beer are discreetly offered to tourists while disguised in plastic water bottles to prevent detection.
After their tubing adventures, these tourists, both men and women, would walk around Pai town in their swimsuits. Men often wear one pair of swim briefs, but most women wear two-piece swimsuits or bikinis.
This behavior was considered derogatory to local culture. Recently, there were instances of tourists slipping into resort areas to engage in sexual activities, which prompted police investigations and considerable online criticism.
Following the complaint, provincial governor Chuchip Pongchai requested a meeting of the police and allied authorities on July 16 to explore further tourism restrictions.
The province already restricts the selling of alcohol to tourists who go tubing, which involves floating down a river on inner tubes made of rubber tires. Most people observe the guidelines, but others, including some store owners, break them by concealing the alcohol by pouring it in water bottles.
According to TNA, Pai is one of Northern Thailand’s most popular tourist spots, attracting 40,000 visitors each year and strengthening Thailand’s economy.
Tubing in the Pai River has become a favorite activity among foreigners. However, the governor stated that the attitude of some tourists has jeopardised the province’s image.
Tourists Tubing on Pai River
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Police in northern Thailand’s Phayao province have arrested a 40-year-old pregnant mother for attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to create bodily harm.
Phayao Police report they were called after a woman and her daughter had been stabbed and beaten by a family member to a house number 206, Soi 7, Village No. 3, Ban San Nong Niao Subdistrict. Tom, Mueang District.
When officers arrived they found Ms. Chayada Chaiyawan, age 45, and her daughter Ms. Patida Chaiyawan, age 19, with injuries to their bodies and heads. Blood was spread all over the bedroom, and they found Mrs. Sakulkarn, aged 40 years, who was a relative living next door, tied up.
The police then transported all of them to Phayao Hospital for treatment. Ms. Chayada was stabbed thirteen times and her daughter twice. Both also sustained head injuries, according to Phayao police.
Ms. Chayada told police the incident occurred around 4:00 a.m. She was sleeping in the room with her young son, when she heard someone opened the bedroom door. She said at that time it was still dark and all she saw a shadow of a person lifting what she though was a hammer.
She said the got up and fought until she fell after being hit in the head and stabbed with a knife, in fear for her life she screamed for her daughter to come and help. When the daughter entered the room the assailant proceeded to hit her in the head and stabbed her also.
The assailant ran out of the room and was immediately restrained by a neighbour who heard the screaming and ran into the house to help. Mrs. Sakulkarn who was 7 months pregnant was tied up and police and rescue workers were called to the scene. The neighbour told police that all the time they were waiting for the police.
Police said Mrs. Sakulkarn is being held in Hospital and is under psychiatric care. Ms. Chayada and her daughter were treated for their injuries and sent home.
According to Thai Media, Police said charges of attempted murder and assault with a deadly weapon with the intent to create bodily harm will be filed against Mrs. Sakulkarn after she is released from Hospital.
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Five people were killed and two others badly injured when a pickup truck was hit by a north-bound train at an unguarded railway crossing in Phitchit province on Monday evening.
Phitchit police reported the horrific crash occurred around 6 pm at Moo 1 village in tambon Pak Thang of Muang district of Phitchit.
Police said the 201 passenger train from Bangkok to Phitsanulok approached the crossing, which was unguarded and had no safety barriers.
A four-door pickup truck plates drove across the tracks and into the path of oncoming the train which was was unable to stop or slowdown in time to avoid hitting the pickup truck.
The force of the crash drove the pickup about 30 metres down the railway crossing and off to the side. All passengers on the pickup were thrown from the vehicle.
Three women passengers died immediately and two more passengers died later at Phichit Hospital. Two others including the driver of the pickup were seriously injured.
Police investigators said truck driver Pratya Khongthat, 40, was taking relatives, including a 14-yea-old girl, to a funeral at Wat Ratchangkhwan in tambon Pak Thang, approximately one kilometer from the accident scene.
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