Bangkok: Cholticha Jaengreaw, a member of the House of Representatives from the Prachachon Party and representing Pathum Thani, has urged the Department of Corrections to address issues of gender discrimination and lack of standards in the prison system. During a House of Representatives meeting chaired by Mr. Phradon Prisananantakul, Cholticha highlighted the disparities in the treatment of prisoners, particularly regarding the communication privileges between male and female inmates.
According to Thai News Agency, Cholticha pointed out that while male prisoners have the ability to send letters to relatives outside the prison daily, female prisoners are not afforded the same privilege. She called for the Department of Corrections to reconsider this policy to ensure that it does not discriminate based on gender. Additionally, Cholticha highlighted the restrictive policies concerning the list of relatives who can visit inmates, noting that the current system does not allow non-blood relatives, which unfairly impacts prisoners who are far from home or lack immediate family.
Further, Cholticha addressed the issue of deposit cards for inmates during trial periods, which are currently not allowed, forcing relatives to either visit the prison in person or send money orders, a process that can be time-consuming. She also brought attention to the case of Mr. Kong Ukrit, a law student from Ramkhamhaeng University and a member of the Thalu Ram group, who faces the risk of losing his student status due to his inability to take exams while imprisoned under charges from Section 112. Cholticha urged Ramkhamhaeng University administrators to intervene and enable exams to be held in prison to prevent educational setbacks for students like Kong Ukrit.