PM insists no one will be spared in Bangkok prison ‘Chinese harem’ scandal
The deputy corrections chief launched a special-operations search of Zone 8 at Bangkok Remand Prison amid ongoing investigations into an alleged Chinese “harem” run inside the facility.
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul on Friday (November 21) addressed the scandal surrounding Bangkok Remand Prison, where officials allegedly granted illegal privileges to a group of detained Chinese criminal syndicates, known as “grey Chinese”, including access to luxury items and, in some cases, visits from women inside the facility.
Anutin said the Justice Minister had been instructed to enforce regulations strictly, emphasising that anyone found to have violated the rules would face legal consequences. “We will wait for the investigation files, but whoever is guilty will not be spared,” he said.
Asked whether he was concerned about grey-Chinese networks infiltrating parts of the civil service, Anutin said authorities had already deported several ringleaders to face prosecution in their home countries, seized their assets and revoked their citizenship where applicable.
“Whoever is responsible must be held accountable. This should never have happened. If there was deliberate misconduct, action will be taken. There is nothing to worry about, the Justice Minister will not ignore it,” Anutin added.
Senior prison officials transferred
Following the allegations, Justice Ministry permanent secretary Pongsawat Neelayothin ordered the transfer of Bangkok Remand Prison chief Manop Chomchuen and several involved officers. The move came after a surprise inspection revealed officials had assisted Chinese inmates in creating a near-VIP environment inside the prison.
A fact-finding team comprising inspectors, corrections academics and disciplinary officers was dispatched to investigate. Initial findings suggested that certain Chinese inmates exerted influence over others inside the prison, prompting Thai inmates to file complaints with the Department of Corrections.
The corrections chief has since appointed a formal inquiry committee chaired by the inspector-general Paitoon Mongkolhatti, with further questioning of staff scheduled for Monday, November 24, 2025.
Special operations team raids prison zones
At 10.20am on Friday, deputy corrections chief and department spokesperson Yutthana Nakrueangsri led a special operations unit in a raid on Zone 8, the largest and innermost section of the prison, housing more than 900 inmates and considered a high-control area.
Yutthana, now acting chief of the prison, said Zone 8 previously served as a carpentry workshop and is now used to house the grey-Chinese inmates, raising concerns about hidden contraband.
He added that complaints had also emerged from the prison’s food-service zone, where Thai inmates claimed they received insufficient meals compared with the Chinese detainees.
The Department of Corrections will release the full inspection results later today.
Yutthana confirmed that during the earlier November 16 raid, officers did not find condoms, but did discover a box of condoms, at least one woman with grey-Chinese inmates, and numerous banned items, including electrical appliances, portable air-conditioning units and lighters.
The inquiry committee, led by Paitoon, will question former prison chief Manop and 14 transferred officers, 15 individuals in total.
