Corrections Dept says Thaksin family photo taken by prison officials
Corrections Dept clarifies that Thaksin's family photo was taken by prison officials as part of a special service for visiting inmates' families.
The Corrections Department clarified on Friday that the family photo of former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra with his three children and two in-laws, taken inside Klong Prem Central Prison on Thursday, was part of a prison service provided on the special family day.
The department affirmed that Thaksin’s two daughters and son were not allowed to bring mobile phones into the prison to take the photo. Instead, prison officials took the photo and printed it out to sell to the family as part of the annual service offered to visiting families of inmates.
On Thursday, former PM Paetongtarn Shinawatra, accompanied by her husband, Pitaka Suksawat, visited Thaksin at Klong Prem Prison. They were joined by Pinthongtae Shinawatra and Panthongtae’s wife, Natthiya Puangkham.
When leaving the prison, Paetongtarn and Panthongtae each carried a newly printed A4 photo showing Thaksin in his inmate uniform, with his three children and two in-laws.
After Paetongtarn shared the photo on her Instagram page, critics questioned why the visitors were allowed to bring mobile phones into the prison to take photos. Some also argued that the photo violated inmate rights, as Thaksin was shown in his inmate uniform.
However, the department explained that photo-taking and the sale of photos to visiting family members was part of the “Photo Taking with Family” project, which has been organized at prisons nationwide for several years. This year, the project began on November 24.
The department clarified that photos would only be taken with the consent of the inmates. It also provided clothes for inmates to change into for the photos with their relatives, but in Thaksin's case, he chose to remain in his inmate uniform.
The department emphasized that the family photo activity aimed to help inmates maintain close contact with their families and receive moral support. The photos were later sold to the visiting relatives as a memento of their visit.
