Thailand · Bangkok · Bangkok
Klong Prem Central Prison
Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date. Always verify with primary sources before acting on any figure. See data sources.
For families
How to send mail, money, and visit Klong Prem Central Prison
Step-by-step guidance using the Thailand system — addresses, money services, visit booking, what to bring on your first visit.
Large urban prison with eight zones. Foreign female prisoners typically held here in Zone 8 (Lard Yao) prior to transfer.
Background
Klong Prem Central prison (Thai: เรือนจํากลางคลองเปรม; RTGS: Rueancham Klang Khlong Prem) is a maximum security prison in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, Thailand. The prison has several separate sections. The compound houses up to 20,000 inmates. Within the perimeter of the compound are the Women's Central Prison, often referred to as "Lat Yao" or "Lat Yao women's prison". There is the Central Correction Institution for Drug Addicts (also known as "Bambat Phiset"), Bangkok Special Prison (Thai: เรือนจําพิเศษกรุงเทพมหานคร), and the Central Correctional Hospital.
Source: Wikipedia article lead, CC-BY-SA.
Capacity
7,000
Current population
9,500
Occupancy
136%
Year opened
1944
Operational
Facility profile
Operator
Department of Corrections
Population held
mixed
Opened
1944
Region
Bangkok
Security level
Medium
Death-row facility
No
Conditions
Substantial overcrowding. Mixed-tier zones include separated foreign and female wings.
Visiting
Daily morning visits except Sundays; ID required. Foreigner-section visits arranged via consular liaison.
Mailing
Format: Inmate Name, Klong Prem Central Prison, Ngam Wong Wan Rd, Chatuchak, Bangkok 10900, Thailand.
Practical info
Consular access for foreigners co-ordinated with embassies; Prisoners Abroad runs a UK pen-pal scheme.
Known issues
Subject of multiple memoirs by Western prisoners documenting overcrowding and hygiene shortfalls.
Notable inmates
Sandra Gregory (UK author of 'Forget You Had A Daughter'), various drug-trafficking convicts.
Contact & address
Conditions Risk Score
Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated
- Overcrowding
- 12/30
- Oversight reports
- 2/30
- Structural flags
- 0/15
- Death signals
- 0/15
- Conditions text
- 0/10
What the score is responding to:
- · Operating at 136% of design capacity
- · 1 oversight report in the last 5 years
Trend over time
Population and occupancy by year. Source: official corrections statistics + oversight reports.
Population held
Compared to other facilities in Thailand
95 peersHigher risk than 0% of peer facilities in Thailand.
Reports
- Prisoners Abroad15 Feb 2024
Foreign-section conditions described as significantly overcrowded; consular access for new entrants takes 4-6 weeks on average.
Data completeness
100%How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.
Sources
- Department of Corrections Thailand
- Department of Corrections — Thailand — Royal Thai Government
- See /data-sources for our overall methodology.