The Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support revealed the inspection of an elderly care center in Kanchanaburi found 92 psychiatric patients. He noted that cage beds and detention rooms are not part of the standards, and if unlawful confinement is found, the center will be ordered to close immediately.
Following a case where the Crime Suppression Division raided an elderly care center in Kanchanaburi after a mother complained that her son had been confined there for two years, alleging abuse, as previously reported.
On 6 Oct 2026, Dr. Phuwadej Surakot, Director-General of the Department of Health Service Support, stated that following the news, inspections were conducted jointly with several agencies. The inspection confirmed reports of cage-like beds, which the operator explained were made for psychiatric patients unable to control symptoms, used only temporarily during abnormal episodes. There was also a segregated room resembling a detention cell for patients with violent behavior. The center had 100 registered patients, 92 of whom were psychiatric.
The facility was licensed as an elderly and dependent care center with 50 beds, but the inspection found services exceeding this number. Coordination has been made with the Department of Mental Health to send a team to assess those under care. The government permits psychiatric care centers up to a low-intensity (green) level; higher levels require treatment in hospitals or specialized facilities. Further investigation will determine any regulatory or legal violations.
If legal violations are found, consideration will be given to revoking the license. For regulatory breaches, orders to improve will be issued; if uncorrectable, the license may be suspended. If no violations are found, operation may continue. Since the inspection showed several areas met standards but others exceeded the license scope, if patients’ relatives do not consent to continued care there or wish to relocate them or transfer care to the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security, arrangements will be made accordingly.
Inspection revealed cage beds and detention rooms which should not exist per standards. If patients become disruptive, this exceeds the facility’s care scope and they must be sent to a hospital. This is beyond the authorized license, and these practices are medically nonstandard.
This facility recently renewed its license around August 2026 for five years. It has operated since 2006, prior to the enactment of the Establishments Act. The latest license renewal was done online. Initial licensing includes standard compliance checks and periodic inspections every one to two years or upon complaint. Previously, this center faced complaints about sanitation and was inspected and corrected.
The last official inspection was around May 2025, with the next scheduled for November. Inspectors reported no cage beds at that time and confirmed they would have reported if seen. Moving forward, inspection standards nationwide will be intensified.
Regarding complaints about unlawful confinement, if investigations confirm wrongdoing, the Director-General will order immediate closure as it exceeds authorized operations. Relatives pay for care and patients must receive their rightful protections.