Kanchanaburi care home faces licence revocation over excess beds and unauthorised psychiatric care
Thailand orders fresh checks on about 1,200 care homes within two months after inspectors find licensing breaches at a Kanchanaburi facility
- The care home was found to have over 100 beds, more than double its licensed limit of 50, and had expanded its premises far beyond the authorized size.
- It was providing unauthorized psychiatric services, with inspectors finding that nearly 90 of its residents were psychiatric patients, a service for which the facility was not licensed.
- Due to these violations, Thailand's Public Health Ministry is preparing to revoke both the business and operator licences, which would force the home to shut down.
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry said on October 7, 2026, it was preparing to revoke two licences linked to a care home in Tha Muang district, Kanchanaburi, after inspectors found services and facilities beyond the scope of its licence.
At the ministry’s briefing, Dr Phuwadech Surakhot, director-general of the Department of Health Service Support (DHSS), said the previous day’s inspection had found more than 100 beds, against an approved limit of 50. The premises covered about 4,300 square metres, compared with the authorised 1,600 square metres, following an extension at the rear.
The inspection followed complaints about the treatment of residents at the home, which began operating in 2006. The case has also prompted an order to inspect about 1,200 similar facilities nationwide within two months.
From opening in 2006 to licensing in 2021
Phuwadech said the operator began caring for older people and people dependent on others for daily care in 2006. The operator was a former nurse who had worked at a state hospital under the Royal Thai Air Force.
The Health Establishments Act 2016 subsequently introduced the wider regulatory and licensing framework. Specific regulations bringing care homes under that framework took effect in 2021, according to DHSS guidance.
The Tha Muang facility applied for and received its licence in 2021, which Phuwadech described as the final year for existing operators to submit applications. The licence authorised care for older people and people requiring assistance, with 50 beds across approximately 1,600 square metres.
Asked why the problems had only now been detected, Phuwadech said establishments were subject to annual standards inspections, with additional visits when complaints arose.
The care home had submitted its licence renewal online, and this year’s on-site inspection was scheduled for November. The complaints prompted officials to visit before the scheduled inspection, Phuwadech said, adding that the renewal and fee payments had followed the prescribed procedures.
Fresh assessments ordered for residents
Inspectors found almost 100 residents at the facility, most aged between 18 and 59. Medical records identified almost 90 as psychiatric patients, raising concerns about whether the services matched the home’s licence, Phuwadech said.
Public Health Minister Pattana Promphat said the psychiatric services required specialist personnel and the appropriate authorisation as a medical facility, rather than the home’s existing care licence.
Pattana also said many medical records lacked sufficient detail to assess residents’ mental health conditions clearly. The Department of Mental Health was therefore instructed to send specialists to reassess and diagnose each person in detail before deciding on transfers.
Relatives could take residents home to care for them or arrange a move to another centre. For residents whose relatives had not yet decided, the ministry would arrange care through hospitals and facilities under the Department of Mental Health.
Cage-like beds rejected as routine care
Dr Kittisak Aksornwong, director-general of the Department of Mental Health, rejected the facility’s claim that metal structures resembling cages around beds formed part of standard psychiatric care.
Kittisak said patients experiencing severe agitation or aggressive behaviour might need a dedicated room to manage their behaviour, with a strong door and structure and materials designed to prevent self-injury. Modern approaches aimed to reduce stigma, so such rooms should not be designed to look explicitly like cages.
The ministry said cage-like structures were not standard care for stable patients, older people or people requiring assistance.
Revocation order being prepared
Phuwadech said officials were preparing documents to revoke both the business licence and the licence held by the person responsible for running the facility. Both licences were held by the same person, and revocation would prevent the home from continuing to operate.
The ministry was preparing revocation rather than a temporary suspension and expected an order that day. The grounds identified by officials included the additional beds and expanded premises, alongside psychiatric services outside the scope of the licence.
Allegations of unlawful confinement were a separate criminal matter, the ministry said. Those alleging harm had already filed complaints with police.
DHSS has instructed its 12 regional health service support centres and the Health Establishment Division responsible for Bangkok to reassess standards at approximately 1,200 care facilities, with the inspections to be completed within two months.
