BANGKOK, Thailand – The violent deaths of two Russian siblings and a Thai family of three have exposed a gap in Thailand’s monitoring system for repeat offenders. Justice Minister Ruttaphol Naowarat ordered a review of 5,000 people under JSOC surveillance on August 3, 2026.
The killers, Thana Kerdthong and Thongchai Srinil, had already served their sentences. Thana had three prior convictions, the most serious for attempted murder. They allegedly killed and buried the Russians, then a separate grave with a Thai family was found.
Killers had prior convictions for attempted murder
Thana Kerdthong and Thongchai Srinil are accused of murdering two Russian siblings and burying them. During the investigation, police dug up a second grave containing three members of a Thai family.
Thana had been convicted three times before, with the heaviest sentence for attempted murder. Under the 2022 law on preventing recidivism in sexual or violent crimes – known as JSOC – this exact type of offender should have been under tight surveillance.
Minister orders risk screening of 5,000 offenders
Justice Minister Ruttaphol Naowarat said after a meeting with authorities that both men served their sentences regularly without special privileges. He denied any neglect of supervision.
Nevertheless, he ordered that all 5,000 persons under JSOC monitoring be filtered for risk factors. The goal is to identify high-risk cases and put them under stricter control.
Loophole: no ankle bracelet allowed early-morning exit
Former assistant justice minister Thanakrit Jitt-areerat slammed the system. He said the law exists but is not consistently applied.
If they had put an electronic ankle bracelet on Thana, he could not have left the house at 4 o’clock in the morning.
said Thanakrit Jitt-areerat, former assistant justice minister.
He pointed to Article 16 of the JSOC law, which requires a committee led by the deputy justice minister. That committee – made up of the interior ministry, police, probation department and prison administration – is supposed to evaluate such cases and request ankle bracelets from the court.
Death penalty: 480 on death row, last execution 2018
Currently, 480 people sit on death row in Thai prisons: 419 men and 61 women. Of those, 439 cases are still under appeal, 13 under revision, and 28 sentences are final.
The last execution took place in 2018. A 26-year-old man was killed by lethal injection after murdering a 17-year-old in Trang and stealing his wallet and mobile phone.
Inmates learn to fake low risk, say prison sources
A source from the prison administration admitted that inmates closely watch how to pass the required risk assessments during their sentences. The legally mandated screening before release follows the rules.
But that prisoners learn to conceal their dangerousness cannot be dismissed.
said a source from the prison administration.
The classification is done under Article 22 of the JSOC law, which allows no-contact orders, zone bans and behavioural conditions.
Local teams to monitor released violent offenders
In close coordination with the interior ministry, local working groups are now to be set up. These teams will take over the monitoring of released violent and sexual offenders on the ground.
The measures aim at seamless control. Whether that is enough to prevent new crimes will have to be seen once the first 5,000 cases have been reassessed.