Kalasin—
On February 10th, 2024, the Kalasin Department of Corrections publicly revealed a case of a prisoner mistakenly accused of attempting to escape from Khok Kham Muang Temporary Remand Prison, Mueang, Kalasin. It appeared that the prisoner reportedly got lost in the forest after volunteering in a recreational yard.
According to the Kalasin Department of Corrections, on February 7th, 2024, temporary corrections officers assigned a group of prisoners to help with weeding at an assigned area in a 300-rai forest near the prison.
The assignment was to prevent illegal deforestation by trespassers and to monitor illegal activities more conveniently, according to the temporary corrections officers.
After the volunteer project, at 5:00 PM, one of the prisoners reportedly disappeared and the corrections and Mueang Kalasin police officers were dispatched to search for the unidentified prisoner in an assumption that he attempted to escape.
Upon searching for the escapee for 14 hours, the prisoner walked himself to Khok Kham Muang Temporary Remand Prison in weary condition, according to the temporary corrections officers. The prisoner reportedly said that he got lost and could not find anyone else after the volunteering work, according to Khok Kham Muang Temporary officers.
The story caused a misunderstanding to locals and Thai media who reported an escaped prisoner to the news. In response to the confusion, the Khok Kham Muang Temporary officers officially published a letter clarifying the incident to the public and the prisoner’s family as it was a misunderstanding.
