Thailand's Supreme Court has ordered the Thai police to pay 4.38 million baht in compensation to Rittirong Chuenjit, ending a 17-year legal battle over his torture following an arrest in 2009.

The court also ordered that Rittirong's criminal record and fingerprints be removed from the criminal registry. The Supreme Court ruling was delivered at Bangkok South Civil Court on Charoen Krung Road on Monday, 31 August.

Lawyers from the Cross Cultural Foundation attended the hearing. Rittirong had brought the civil action against police under the Tort Liability of State Officials Act BE 2539 (1996).

Arrested as an 18-year-old student

Rittirong was 18 and still at high school when officers from the Prachinburi Provincial Police Investigation Division arrested him on 28 January 2009.

He was tortured in an attempt to force a confession to a robbery, with a black plastic bag placed over his head to suffocate him, according to the case details. Later police and prosecutorial investigations found that the authorities had prosecuted the wrong person.

Rittirong subsequently filed a criminal case against the officers at Prachinburi Provincial Court. The officers were sentenced to one year and four months in prison and fined 8,000 baht, although their jail sentences were suspended for two years.

Compensation battle reached Supreme Court

After the criminal proceedings, Rittirong sued the police agency responsible for the torture for damages under the state officials liability law.

Bangkok South Civil Court initially ordered police to pay 3.38 million baht. Rittirong appealed after the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling and reduced compensation to 380,000 baht.

The Appeal Court decision also provided for interest of 7.5 percent a year from 28 January 2009 until 10 April 2021, followed by interest at 5 percent a year from 11 April 2021 onwards.

The Supreme Court has now ruled that police must pay Rittirong a total of 4,380,000 baht, as well as expunging his criminal record and fingerprints.

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2 September 2026

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Justice eventually for the young man, Go and blow your brains out with your compo

15 hours ago, ChipButty said:

Justice eventually for the young man, Go and blow your brains out with your compo

He must have a very rich family or one with connections to win this case.

the wheels turning so very slowly. How long until he sees the money? If ever?

will police pay from their brown envelope funds, or will Thai taxpayers foot the bill. Okay, silly question....

8 hours ago, wavodavo said:

He must have a very rich family or one with connections to win this case.

Hm, .. If he had rich family ? He would never have all that trouble !!! This is just a case of justice working the correct way for normal people !

Even if it took so many years.

Edited Thursday at 08:17 AM4 days by off road pat

"The officers were sentenced to one year and four months in prison and fined 8,000 baht, although their jail sentences were suspended for two years."

Best joke I have heard all day.