Solving prison overcrowding by selling prisons might not seem like the soundest idea at first blush, but Justice Minister Chaikasem Nitisiri is arguing that Thailand’s ageing prison complexes might hold the key to providing the Ministry with much-needed funds.
In the face of a ballooning prisoner population, Chaikasem has suggested selling off old prison complexes to developers and then using funds acquired through these sales to build new prisons.
Chaikasem has also suggested selling off bonds as a means of raising additional funds.
The Bangkok Post reports that Thailand’s prisoner population currently stands at 233,252. This number is expected to rise to 300,000 within the next year.
