Drawing lessons from the “Ai Pong 5 Victims” case, the Department of Probation has addressed gaps that allowed recidivism among 4,333 monitored released prisoners nationwide. It has established "local working groups" in collaboration with the Ministry of Interior and police to thoroughly monitor behaviors and ensure compliance with court orders. A three-level risk classification system—red, orange, and yellow—has been introduced, assigning special, moderate, or standard attention according to the level of supervision required.
On 12 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Lieutenant Colonel Piya Raksakul, Director-General of the Department of Probation, stated that currently there are 4,333 released prisoners under court-ordered supervision. It is not possible to predict in advance how many of them might reoffend.
He cited the case of Mr. Thana, or Ai Pong, who was ordered by the court to be monitored for two months after release, prohibiting risky activities and requiring quarterly check-ins. However, less than a month later, he committed a murder resulting in five deaths. The critical gap lies in the period before the next scheduled reporting, during which it is essential to know the monitored individual's daily activities, occupations, and whereabouts.
He further noted that while the Department of Corrections assesses risk levels for serious offenders 6 to 12 months before release, classifying them as low risk does not guarantee they will remain so after release. Ultimately, courts have discretion over post-release supervision measures for serious offenders.
Courts base decisions on risk assessments from prison committees and opinions from the Section 16 Committee (which recommends measures to prevent reoffending). The court’s orders for post-release measures must balance the individual's behavior and rights, as they have already served their sentence. For serious offenders returning to society, justice processes prioritize community safety. Thus, post-release supervision is not an additional penalty but benefits the individual and helps restore public confidence by reducing the risk of recidivism.
Lieutenant Colonel Piya said that in light of recent cases, the department has reviewed and developed systems and procedures to close these gaps. The goal is to ensure monitored individuals comply with court orders and reduce reoffending risks. Currently, the department coordinates with the Department of Local Administration, Ministry of Interior, and local police to establish local working groups at the provincial and district levels, chaired by governors and district chiefs respectively.
These two groups, with the provincial probation office director as secretary, collaborate to create measures. They start by surveying and compiling reports on each monitored individual’s current activities, assessing reoffense risk, and gathering community risk reports. The groups then analyze data such as criminal history, causes of offenses, severity, mental health, personality, and family background from childhood onward to design close, individualized risk supervision measures.
It is expected that by August 2026, progress will be made in classifying the 4,333 monitored individuals into three groups: red (requiring special attention), orange (moderate attention), and yellow (standard attention). Classification will consider the duration of the court’s order. The newly appointed local working groups are anticipated to fill gaps and closely monitor compliance with court-ordered measures to ensure strict adherence.