Serm Suk Care Centre in Nonthaburi is under investigation after former residents alleged they were chained, physically punished and mistreated, while one woman claimed her friend died after suffering injuries linked to punishment at the facility.
Nursing homes and care centres across Thailand are under investigation after a Thai woman spoke to the Channel 3 programme Hone Krasae about alleged abuse at Sothonchai Nursing Home in Kanchanaburi. She said her children had accused her of having a mental illness and left her at the facility for two years.
Images and videos shown by Thai news outlets depicted rooms divided into cells, with bars fitted around beds to prevent patients from leaving.
Another former resident who appeared on Hone Krasae alleged a similar account to the first woman. He added that he had stayed at another care centre in Nonthaburi where officers were also abusive.
According to the man, staff at a care centre in Nonthaburi chained patients, made them urinate in plastic bottles instead of using toilets, and physically punished those who resisted orders.
His account prompted journalists to visited the mentioned care centre, later identified as Serm Suk Care Centre, in Talat Kwan district, Nonthaburi, but no one agreed to speak to them.
As they were preparing to leave, several people on the second floor opened windows and shouted for help.
An 18 year old resident told reporters he had been at the centre for seven months and had been chained for an extended period. He also alleged that staff removed the chains from him and other residents and concealed them after the facility was mentioned in news reports.
Officers from Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station and relevant public health officials later inspected the centre. They reportedly found no evidence of the alleged abuse or the chains described by former residents.
However, officials found that the facility was caring for 81 patients despite having permission to accommodate only nine. They said investigations into its operating permit and the allegations would continue.
After Serm Suk Care Centre gained attention from the public, another former resident at the place, Fah, spoke to Channel 8 about her experience. Fah said she had entered Serm Suk voluntarily, hoping to receive treatment for bipolar disorder, but it turned out to be abuse.
She alleged that the facility was untidy, provided food lacking adequate nutrition and used physical punishment against residents. She maintained that chains were present and suggested staff had hidden them before the inspection.
Fah also described trying unsuccessfully to escape. She said she later attempted suicide and was taken to hospital after staff discovered what had happened. She did not return to the centre and subsequently told her family about her experience.
Fah revealed further that she had witnessed other residents being abused, including her friend Ngam, whose death she believes was linked to mistreatment.
According to Fah, Ngam was punished while staying at the facility and suffered injuries that led staff to transfer her to hospital, where she later died.
However, the circumstances of Ngam’s death and whether her injuries resulted from abuse at the centre have not been independently confirmed. Officials have also not verified Fah’s allegations.
The centre’s owner continued to deny allegations of abusive treatment in interviews with several news outlets as the investigation remains ongoing.
If you or anyone you know is in emotional distress, please contact the Samaritans of Thailand 24-hour hotline: 02 713 6791 (English), 02 713 6793 (Thai), or the Thai Mental Health Hotline at 1323 (Thai). Please also contact your friends or relatives at this time if you have feelings of loneliness, stress, or depression. Seek help.
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