PHUKET: The freeing of 233 prisoners from 4pm today is expected to relieve the crush of inmates inside overcrowded Phuket Prison. But more are expected to replace them.
Three foreigners - one man from Belarus and two from Bangladesh - are among those to be freed in a royal pardon to mark the 60th birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn today.
Immigration police are likely to deport the three foreigners as soon as possible.
All of the inmates who will be leaving the main prison in Phuket City and the low-security Bang Jo facility in central Phuket are serving short sentences of less than one year.
Twenty-five women are among those being freed.
Phuket Prison Commander Pichit Wannajit told Phuketwan yesterday that the royal pardon would help to make some room but that with 2800 prisoners from tomorrow, the facility - officially capable of holding 900 inmates - remained in need of replacement as soon as possible.
A new jail for the Andaman region has been authorised and building is likely to begin at Bang Jo as soon as a contractor has been finalised.
Meanwhile, prisoners in some crowded dormitories are still obliged to roll over at night at the same time because there isn't room for people to lie on their backs.
Three foreigners - one man from Belarus and two from Bangladesh - are among those to be freed in a royal pardon to mark the 60th birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn today.
Immigration police are likely to deport the three foreigners as soon as possible.
All of the inmates who will be leaving the main prison in Phuket City and the low-security Bang Jo facility in central Phuket are serving short sentences of less than one year.
Twenty-five women are among those being freed.
Phuket Prison Commander Pichit Wannajit told Phuketwan yesterday that the royal pardon would help to make some room but that with 2800 prisoners from tomorrow, the facility - officially capable of holding 900 inmates - remained in need of replacement as soon as possible.
A new jail for the Andaman region has been authorised and building is likely to begin at Bang Jo as soon as a contractor has been finalised.
Meanwhile, prisoners in some crowded dormitories are still obliged to roll over at night at the same time because there isn't room for people to lie on their backs.
