Illicit booze kills three

BANGKOK: -- Methyl alcohol - smuggled by inmates of the Central Correctional Institution for Young Offenders into their holding cells to drink as booze - has left three people dead, two in a comatose state, and 16 others in hospital, a senior official said yesterday.

Corrections Department chief Chatchai Sutthiklom said he had assigned a committee to investigate the incident and punish the wrongdoers.

Officials allege drug convict Ekkachai Kiddee smuggled the methyl alcohol out of the prison's vocational training centre last Friday. Wichai Wongsuwan, a convicted thief, is alleged to have mixed it with pop soda and at night distributed it to others in the holding cells.

The next day many inmates complained of severe stomach pains and were taken to Khlong Luang and Pathum Thani hospitals. However, Wichai and two others - Ampol Cheujin and Supawat Awisu - died from the methyl alcohol overdose while two other men remained in a coma.

Later, 45 inmates confessed to the warden they had taken the methyl alcohol drink, requesting medical treatment for fear they would die or go blind, Chatchai said. Sixteen remain under watch at the prison hospital.

In the initial investigation, Ekkachai insisted he took methyl alcohol to cure a scalp itchiness - but prison officials disbelieved him and filed a complaint against him at the Khlong 5 police station. Chatchai said the 45 inmates would also face disciplinary punishment, including having their sentence reduction benefits reduced.

-- The Nation 2009-11-11

They need to smuggle Chiang and Thai whiskey, it may be s--t but it does not kill will almost...

Very sad. They didn't mention the ages of those involved, so I am curious about what they meant by 'young offenders.'