5 corrupt Thai prison guards sacked: corrections chief

Five prison guards have been fired or dismissed from their duties over petty corruption, the Corrections Department announced this morning.

Corrections chief Ayut Sinthopphan said that they were punished for poor discipline or insubordination over misconduct that included demanding money from inmates’ relatives in exchange for comforts or to prevent their transfer to other facilities. Other misbehavior included smuggling contraband such as drugs inside. Two officers were dismissed for extensive absences and dereliction of duty.

Thailand’s large prison system is notoriously rife with corruption, which the Corrections Department has for years waged a sisyphean effort to reign in.

Ayut said that, in the past, government officials under his authority performed with honesty and stressed that the department has never overlooked misconduct.