On January 20, 2025, the International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH) submitted a report on Thailand to the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health. The report analyzed the right to health of individuals deprived of their liberty in Thailand. It concluded that Thailand has consistently failed to uphold the right to health of prisoners as guaranteed under Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) and failed to meet the international minimum standards of prison management, such as the UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners (known as the Nelson Mandela Rules) and the UN Rules for the Treatment of Women Prisoners and Non-custodial Measures for Women Offenders (known as the Bangkok Rules).

The report was based on interviews with 53 former inmates and detainees held at 25 different prisons and detention centers across Thailand. Interviewees reported a lack of on-site doctors or nurses, insufficient visits from healthcare professionals, and inadequate access to appropriate medical treatment, with many citing the use of “Paracetamol for everything.” Other issues raised by the interviewees included insufficient specialized mental healthcare, delays in responding to medical emergencies, discrimination, abusive medical practices, inadequate gender-specific hygiene products, challenges for pregnant prisoners, and insufficient food and clean drinking water.

Further, detainees in immigration detention centers (IDC) were required to cover the costs of their treatment at hospitals outside the centers. This policy was reported to have resulted in at least nine detainee deaths between 2014 and 2024, including two Uyghur detainees and a three-year-old boy.

FIDH called on the UN Special Rapporteur on the right to health to urge the Thai government to address these issues. The recommendations included addressing overcrowding, improving prison conditions to meet international obligations, ensuring access to clean air and quality food, and many more. The Special Rapporteur will visit Thailand from February 18 to 28, 2025.