The number of prisoners in Thailand’s 143 jails is now well over capacity with more than 200,000 inmates around the country. About 60 per cent had been jailed for drug offences, Corrections Department chief Chartchai Suthiklom said.

The large number of prisoners had affected the department’s budget, staff and capacity to manage both jails and inmates, he said.

Records show the number of prisoners rose drastically from 152,625 in 2006 to 206,988 last year.

And this year, the total number surged to 206,000 over the first six months. Nearly two thirds were drug offenders.

The average number of prisoners per month has risen from 16,000 in last year to 17,600 in this year.

Chartchai said Thailand had 143 jails across the country and about 10,000 staff working for the department. The capacity of all jails should be only 140,000 inmates a year.

The Nation