100 rehab escapees allege abuse in Krabi facility

After speaking with officials, 82 fugitives were given permission to go back to their homes.

100 rehab escapees allege abuse in Krabi facility
On Koh Siboya in Krabi on Friday, officials hold talks with fugitives from a personally run drug rehab center who allege they were actually abused there. ( Screenshot )

Following the widespread eviction of 100 drug abusers from a treatment facility on the island on Friday, the local people of Koh Siboya in Krabi state were immediately on high alert. The victims later claimed they were fleeing misuse.

Moo 7 community leader Yongyuth Fangkwa reported to police that a total of 100 medicine lovers were behind the Friday escape attempt at around 4pm.

About 30 authorities and administrative officers were dispatched to the isle to address residents ‘ concerns that the fugitives would aggravate the island’s people. However, the authorities arrived to find the fugitives gathered calmly near the region’s pier.

Authorities were informed by the team that they had organized their breakthrough because they had endured actual abuse and severe conditions at the rehabilitation facility while attempting to negotiate their profit.

The Foundation of the Central Islamic Council of Thailand’s Center for Education and Orphans is officially running the Pondok Koh Siboya Rehabilitation Centre.

After two days of deals, 82 fugitives were allowed to return to their homes. They were transported by ferry to the island, where they were taken to the Khlong Khan police station while their relatives waited for their delivery.

The defectors claimed that the service had suffered severe physical abuse and that some had suffered fatal injuries. Some people believe they were forced to work it despite having recovered from their vices.

In December next month, a 31- yr- old patient, identified just as Oak, collapsed and died at the same rehabilitation centre, according to media reports.

His mother claimed that she sent Oak to the facility on December 18 and paid 32, 000 baht because her son was dependent on marijuana and had a psychiatric condition.

Someone at the facility called the mother two weeks later, telling her that Oak had a stroke and urging her to visit him. Upon arrival, she found her son dead, with bruises on his body, raising her suspicions.

After the mother raised the subject on social media and the Hon Krasae talk show, the uncertainties surrounding Oak’s death became clear. When he left for the facility, she claimed that her son did n’t get any of the bruises. The death certificate stated, “unknown cause of death”, and the body was returned without any documentation, she added.

Later, the centre sent information and CCTV video to the TV programme, showing Oak collapsing on his own. The footage showed him walking unsteadily, stopping, and then collapsing.