Jail outbreak fails, guard hurt
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A prison guard was injured by five inmates who unsuccessfully tried to break out from the Thungsong district prison in Nakhon Si Thammarat Sunday.
During the unsuccessful jailbreak, Somboon Saengsridam was held hostage and stabbed below his right collarbone. He was taken to the Thungson hospital after the five inmates agreed to give up. Police said the guard was in a stable condition.
The five inmates were identified as Sriwichai Phetsi, Suriya Chu-in, Surachet Sornmanee, Suriya Kraithavorn and Sahas Muenluang, who had been convicted of drug charges.
They agreed to release Somboon and surrender after Thungsong district police chief Pol Col Thammanoon Faiju let policemen surround the prison. The district police chief held talks with the five inmates until they agreed to surrender.
Thammanoon said the five inmates tried to flee over the wall but Somboon spotted them and fired into the air to intimidate them -- but the inmates overpowered him and took him hostage.
Corrections Department chief Pol Col Suchart Wongananchai said the five inmates faced more charges and would be chained as a temporary punishment. They would be later transferred to a maximum security prison, he said. The injured guard was not in a serious condition, the department chief added.
