A Songkhla drug treatment centre, which has about 4,000 male drug prisoners, has allowed its inmates to make video calls with relatives in a pilot project to help families save travel costs when visiting them, the clinic’s head said.

A suspected drug user tried to flee from a patrol policeman by riding his motorcycle into a Hat Yai temple on Tuesday, only to be arrested by a large group of police officers manning the funeral of the father of a former Songkhla MP.