Joining Pol Col Tawee and Mr Narong for their visit were Phuket Vice Governor Norasak Suksomboon, Phuket MP Chalermpong Saengdee, Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) and Arkom Phusri, Director of the Phuket Provincial Prison.
The first stop on the visit was to oversee inmates dredging the Bang Yai Canal to prevent flooding during the rainy season. The Minister of Justice encouraged the inmates, urging them to be good citizens and prepare for reintegration into society after their release. He also expressed pride in their participation in public service activities, said an official report of the visit.
The Minister of Justice then visited Phuket Provincial Prison in Srisoonthorn, during which he was shown Thalang District Office officials holding an activity to provide ID card services for inmates nearing release. The event saw 50 inmates receiving their ID cards.
Pol Col Tawee also visited doctors and medical personnel providing dental work for inmates as part of the Shared Health Dentistry Project in Correctional Institutions in Phuket Province project, conducted from Aug 4-6. The project involves doctors and nurses from various hospitals in Phuket who volunteer their time to provide dental care, including wisdom tooth surgery, tooth extraction and fillings for prisoners.
Pol Col Tawee was informed that the PPAO on Aug 1 provided a subsidy of B110,000 to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) to support the Shared Health Dentistry Project. So far, 590 inmates received dental services through the project.
Pol Col Tawee and the delegation then visited the inmates in sections 3 and 4 of the prison, offering words of encouragement. He urged the inmates to prepare themselves to be good citizens when they return to society and emphasised the importance of education to help them develop reading and critical thinking skills, said the report.
He stressed that gaining knowledge and professional skills while in prison would help them pursue careers after their release.
Also accompanying the Justice Minister was Thammawat Wongcharoenyot, President of the Sports Association of Phuket. Together, they donated Muay Thai sports equipment to Phuket Provincial Prison. The aim is to encourage inmates to use their free time productively by practising Muay Thai, a sport the government promotes as part of Thailand’s soft power.
Pol Col Tawee also visited a group of inmates who had outstanding debts from the Student Loan Fund. The inmates faced difficulties repaying their loans after being sentenced, which affected their guarantors, often their parents or guardians.
To address the issue, the Ministry of Justice coordinated with the Student Loan Fund to mediate the debts. On Aug 14, 2024, a team of lawyers and representatives from the loan fund will meet to mediate debts for 43 inmates, totaling over B3 million.
Before leaving, the Minister and his team toured the Phuket Provincial Prison library. The library features comfortable rooms with air conditioning, computers and quality books, encouraging inmates to use their free time productively for studying and recreational activities.
Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn visited Phuket in April to officiate the opening of the ‘Library of Wisdom’ at Phuket Provincial Prison.
The library features more than 10,000 titles, and has been designed to replicate the ambience of Phuket Old Town, so that it reflects a multicultural society with people living together, including Thai Muslims, Sikhs and Sao Chin Babam, or Peranakan.
The library also includes royal writings and books, general knowledge books, reference books, novels, journals and magazines, and features an electronic media corner for ‘E-Learning’.