Thailand Bail’s lawyers and legal advisors make frequent trips to the Thai prisons in almost every province, including Bangkok, Surat Thani (Koh Samui), Chonburi (Pattaya), Rayong, Udon Thani, Chiang Mai, Prachuab Khiri Khan (Hua Hin), Phuket, and others. Many of our clients ask us about Thai prison statistics, so we thought we would share the latest numbers, as of September 2018. According to the Department of Corrections in Thailand, there are a total of 364,288 prisoners who are currently in the various prisons around Thailand. From Bangkok to Chiang Mai to Udon Thani to Phuket and Koh Samui, it is clear to see that there are many people in a Thai prison.

In order to better understand the Thai prison statistics, we can see that from the report, that out of the 364,288 prisoners, 295,398 (or 81%) of them are convicted prisoners, meaning their cases have been finalised. This leaves 66,414 prisoners (or 18%) who are in prison awaiting trial and judgment. There is a very small number (around 1%) who are neither classified as being convicted or awaiting trial. These prisoners could be facing extradition, deportation, or in some other status.

Out of the total number of people in a Thai prison, around 87% of them are male (316,152 prisoners). This leaves the remaining 13% (48,136 prisoners) as female. This is evidenced with a visit to any of the Thai prisons and jails around the country. For example, at the Klong Prem Prison complex, there are actually 4 prisons in the compound. They are the Bangkok Remand Prison, the Klong Prem Central Prison, the Bam-Bat (Drug Prison, although the name literally means drug rehabilitation centre), and the Klong Prem Women’s Prison.

A final figure released from the Department of Corrections was related to recidivism, or the rate at which prisoners released from a Thai prison end up back in a prison or jail in Thailand. The statistics are current as of July 2018, and show that roughly 14% of those who are released from a Thai prison end up back in a Thai prison within 1 year. This number jumps to 24% for the period of 2 years after release from a Thai prison, and around 32% for the period of 3 years from release from a prison in Thailand.

If you have any questions about the Thai prison system, please contact Thailand Bail, and we are happy to provide a free consultation about how to visit a Thai jail, what a lawyer can do to make life in a Thai prison easier, and many other topics related to the Thai prison system.