Health authorities have intervened to halt operations at the Kanchanaburi care home following disturbing testimonies shared by former residents on national television.
On Hone Krasae, hosted by Num Kanchai alongside HSS Deputy Director-General Dr. Arkom Praditsuwan and activist Ekkaphop Luengprasert, two additional former residents—referred to as “Uncle Chang” and “Uncle A”—recounted their experiences within the center.
Uncle Chang described being forcibly stripped and placed into adult diapers upon arrival before being locked inside an enclosed mesh bed, which he described as resembling a “grilled fish rack.” He stated that staff refused him restroom access, telling him to relieve himself in diapers, and that he was later housed in psychiatric wards with inadequate food and poor sanitation despite having no prior mental health or substance abuse record. Another former resident, Uncle A, claimed he spent three years inside the center amid a domestic property conflict, finally securing release only after agreeing to sign power of attorney documents.
During the program, Naiyana Hanthanasukit, Director of Health Service Support Center 5, called in to clarify that while the facility had operated since 2006 and applied for regulatory licensing under updated statutes in 2021, its authorization was strictly limited to 50 low-dependency residents across a 1,600-square-meter area. She firmly stated that physical restraint mechanisms—such as barred cages, razor wire, and locking mesh bedframes—had never been authorized, noting that prior warnings had been issued against using interior iron gates to restrict movement.
In light of serious violations, including severe overcapacity, unauthorized expansions, and unlawful physical restraints, the Department of Health Service Support issued a formal order revoking the home’s operating license and coordinated with social welfare officials to evacuate all remaining residents.
Hearing the announcement of the facility’s immediate shutdown on live television, Mae Phat broke down in tears and offered a deep wai in gratitude to officials and the public. Authorities confirmed that broader legal investigations into operator misconduct and criminal liability are ongoing.
