Bangkok, March 12th, 2025 – The Thai Department of Corrections opened the cell of former Police Colonel Thitisan “Joe Ferrari” Utthanaphon to journalists on Tuesday, March 11, offering a rare look into his detention conditions at Klong Prem Central Prison. The guided tour, prompted by scrutiny over his controversial death deemed suicide last week that we reported here, aimed to address public speculation and highlight the distinction between standard isolation and the harsher practice of solitary confinement.
Thitisan, 43, the ex-superintendent of Nakhon Sawan City Police Station, was serving a life sentence for the 2021 torture and murder of a drug suspect when he died by suicide on Friday, March 7. His death, confirmed at least by prison officials as hanging with a towel tied to his cell door, has fueled debate over prison oversight and his treatment in custody.
Led by Pol Lt Col Shane Kanjanapach, deputy director-general of the Department of Corrections, reporters entered Zone 5, where Thitisan had been held in isolation cell number 50. The small, sparse cell contained a sleeping mat, water container, toiletries, and sandals—items left untouched since his death. A reinforced iron bar on the door, where the towel was found knotted, drew particular attention. While journalists could peer inside, entry was prohibited due to the ongoing investigation.
For comparison, officials opened adjacent cell 51, previously occupied by a transgender inmate who had requested single occupancy and had since been relocated. Empty but structurally similar, it featured a squat toilet, water basin, an exhaust fan, and a ceiling fan.
The tour then shifted to Zone 1, home to the prison’s solitary confinement unit. Housed in a single-story building within a fenced compound, this block contains 10 individual cells. Like those in Zone 5, these cells include a squat toilet and water basin but lack ceiling fans, relying solely on exhaust ventilation. The stark setup reflects the unit’s punitive intent.
Officials stressed that Thitisan’s placement in Zone 5 was isolation, not solitary confinement, correcting earlier misreports. Isolation, they explained, is a flexible measure determined by prison authorities, used for safety, discipline, or judicial reasons—such as Thitisan’s status awaiting higher court proceedings. In the West, this is often called protective custody.
While some isolation cells house multiple inmates, Thitisan occupied his alone. Unlike solitary confinement, isolated inmates retain access to family and lawyer visits and can spend at least two hours daily in a communal area.
Communal cells, the least restrictive option, allow group living, television access, and participation in daily activities. “Thitisan’s cell was less restrictive than solitary,” Shane emphasized. “It was about management, not punishment.”
This article originally appeared on our sister website The Pattaya News.
