Inmates rioted at the Krabi Provincial Prison on Thursday night, demanding better care following a Covid-19 outbreak there, a Justice Ministry spokesman said.
Thanakrit Jit-areerat, secretary to the justice minister, said on Friday that about 70 inmates rioted late on Thursday night. They caused damage to their cells and a workshop, set a fire and threw things at warders.
Mr Thanakrit said the prisoners were upset over the response to a Covid-19 outbreak in the prison.
He said more than 100 inmates were infected with Covid-19 but had not been isolated because the prison had only one zone. Other prisons were already packed with their own Covid-19 patients and were unable to admit cases from Krabi prison.
He said Corrections Department director-general Ayuth Sintoppant had flown to the southern province to assess and resolve the problem in consultation with the Krabi police chief.
Mr Thanakrit said the rioters set a fire only as a symbol of their protest. They were not trying to burn down the prison.
He said the situation had been brought under control.
