“SLEEP ON THE FLOOR”
The prison is divided into 11 zones, including a quarantine area where Thaksin was initially taken, separate sections for those serving sentences of more or less than 50 years and another special zone for high-risk inmates, according to the Corrections Department.
“Thaksin would be grouped with elderly political prisoners rather than murderers or drug dealers,” the former official said, explaining that depending on the grouping, he could end up in a larger room with only a few cellmates or in a smaller one with as many as 25.
“All inmates, regardless of age, sleep on the floor next to each other.”
Inmates are typically given three blankets: one to use as a mattress, another to roll into a pillow and a third to cover oneself with, the department said.
“If they are lenient, the prison may give four blankets,” said Somyot, “But this is a torturous way to sleep.”
The food served inside is excruciatingly bland, said Somyot, but more harrowing are the shower facilities, a large square tub of water around which inmates gather, naked.
“Bathing time is risky for assault or getting killed,” he said, describing the typical situation. “Prisoners could start a fight, and it could escalate.”
Inmates are allowed out of their cells during the day to meet with visiting relatives or their lawyer, the department said in a statement on Wednesday.
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