Chaiwat Kachornboonthaworn alias Benz Daemon, a prime suspect in the macau888 online casino case, told corrections officials when he was detained that he suffered from depression and needs medication for it.
Ayuth Sintoppant, director-general of the Corrections Department, said on Thursday that Mr Chaiwat presented medical records showing he suffered from depression and a psychologist was assigned to talk with him.
“Benz Daemon was so stressed that he rarely ate. As he had a record of depression, a psychologist was sent to talk with him and calm him down so that he can adjust to prison. The psychologist will decide if he should have medication,” Mr Ayuth said.
The Corrections Department director-general said that Mr Chaiwat would be treated like other detainees.
Sitthi Sutivong, deputy director-general of the department, said Mr Chaiwat informed medical personnel at the Bangkok Remand Prison that he had depression and had been prescribed medicine for it.
Mr Chaiwat will be isolated for 10 days to make sure that he does not have Covid-19, after which corrections officials will decide where he would be detained.
The Criminal Court on Wednesday approved the first 12-day detention period for the 37-year-old while police continue their investigation into the online gambling network including the macau888 website, which has led to 46 arrests so far.
Under the law, a suspect can be detained for a maximum of seven 12-day periods, or 84 days, before formal charges must be pressed.
Mr Chaiwat was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport when he returned from Hong Kong on Tuesday night.
His lawyer Pisit Chutiponpongchai said the court rejected his first bail request and his relatives would decide if they would appeal.
Another bail request would not be filed for the time being because it would be rejected again, he said.
The lawyer also said that three younger brothers of Mr Chaiwat had not yet been summoned in the case. One of them is a former immigration police inspector.
