Contrary to allegations in the media that inmates in Thai prisons can buy their way into an air-conditioned, smoking room with unlimited TV, the Department of Corrections says there is no such thing as a VIP room when you’re behind bars in Thailand.
On Tuesday, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Corrections Sitthi Suteewong said he would like to clarify several points about inmate life in Thailand…
1. Smoking
Sitthi says there is no smoking whatsoever in any of Thailand’s prisons. Before 2018, inmates were allowed to smoke cigarettes outside at specified times. In 2019, the Ministry of Public Health declared prisons “smoke-free zones,” prohibited the sale of tobacco in prisons, and completely banned smoking on prison grounds.
Anyone found smuggling tobacco into a prison is subject to disciplinary action, said…
