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Thailand · Bangkok · Bangkok

Klong Prem Central Prison

Central prisonMediummixedOvercrowded (136%)LowHigh
Verified · Data dated
Aging · 5mo ago
Sources last reviewed on · data-as-of

Data is aggregated from public sources and may be incomplete or out of date.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.

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Photograph of Klong Prem Central Prison
Photo via Wikimedia Commons

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

Figures from official sources · verified 21 May 2026 · methodology

Facility profile

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

  • Thaksin Shinawatra
    Thaksin Shinawatra
    1949 · politician

    Thaksin Shinawatra (Thai: ทักษิณ ชินวัตร, RTGS: Thaksin Chinnawat [tʰák.sǐn tɕʰīn.nā.wát] ; born 26 July 1949) is a Thai former politician, businessman, and police officer who served as the 23rd prime minister of Thailand from 2001 until his overthrow in 2006.

Source: Wikidata + Wikipedia.

Contact & address

Ngam Wong Wan Road, Bangkok 10900
+66 2 580 0973
Official site

Conditions Risk Score

Derived signal — not a judgement. How it's calculated

14/100
Low concern14/100
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

This facility scores 14. The national average across 163 scored Thailand facilities is 1 — 13 points above national average.

Trend over time

Population and occupancy by year. Source: official corrections statistics + oversight reports.

Population held

2018: 10,500-9.5%2024: 9,500

Related facilities

All in Thailand →

Same country, matched on type + security level where possible.

Compared to other facilities in Thailand

162 peers
Conditions risk scorethis: 14/100 · peers avg: 1/100 (+2114%)

Higher risk than 99% of peer facilities in Thailand.

Occupancythis: 136% · peers avg: 175% (22%)
Capacity (beds)this: 7000 · peers avg: 4000 (+75%)

Reports

  • Prisoners Abroad15 Feb 2024

    Foreign-section conditions described as significantly overcrowded; consular access for new entrants takes 4-6 weeks on average.

    source

Data completeness

100%

How many of our profile fields are populated. We surface this so families and researchers know the limits.

Sources

Cite this page

Under CC-BY-4.0. Include the URL and access date; the site is a living reference and entries can change.

APA
World Prisons. (2026). Klong Prem Central Prison. Retrieved October 20, 2026, from https://worldprisons.com/prisons/klong-prem
Chicago
"Klong Prem Central Prison." World Prisons. Accessed October 20, 2026. https://worldprisons.com/prisons/klong-prem.
BibTeX
@misc{worldprisons-klong-prem,
  author = {{World Prisons}},
  title = {Klong Prem Central Prison},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://worldprisons.com/prisons/klong-prem},
  urldate = {2026-10-20}
}