Political Prisoner Update: Ekachai Hongkangwan’s Health Crisis Highlights Severe Limitations in Thailand’s Prison Healthcare System
Ekachai Hongkangwan, a 50-year-old Thai political activist serving a 21-year sentence under Section 110, is experiencing a severe health crisis in prison, including drastic weight loss, chronic abdominal pain, and an unexplained head lump. Despite a medical recommendation for external treatment, the Supreme Court denied him bail, leaving him admitted at the Corrections Hospital while awaiting delayed biopsy results from an external facility. 112WATCH urgently calls on the Thai judiciary to grant him immediate bail so he can access proper specialist healthcare.
July 11, 2026
112WATCH expresses its grave concern regarding the deteriorating health of Ekachai Hongkangwan, a 50-year-old political activist currently detained at Klong Prem Central Prison. Ekachai remains in custody pending a Supreme Court ruling following his charge under Section 110 of the Criminal Code (alleged harm to the Queen's liberty) stemming from the pro-democracy protest on 14 October 2020. On 5 September 2025, the Court of Appeal reversed the lower court’s acquittal, sentencing him to 21 years and 4 months in prison while continuously denying him bail.
According to details from a legal visit at the Corrections Hospital on 4 August 2026, Ekachai’s physical condition reveals a critical health emergency. His body weight has dropped rapidly from 72–73 kg to just 64–65 kg. His face appears severely emaciated, with his eyebrow bone structure and ribs prominently visible. Furthermore, he suffers from recurring fainting spells, persistent abdominal pain, and chronic digestive distress.
Earlier in March 2026, Ekachai was rushed to the Corrections Hospital due to severe pain near a previous liver abscess site. Although an ultrasound showed no liver abnormalities at the time, doctors noted a high risk of recurrent liver abscesses, along with unexplained prostate enlargement and diaphragmatic inflammation. By July 2026, severe abdominal pain and unremitting weight loss prompted the Corrections Hospital to admit him on 24 July for endoscopic evaluations of his stomach and colon.
During the preliminary endoscopic procedures, doctors identified rash-like red patches across his stomach lining and harvested tissue samples for biopsy to screen for early-stage gastric cancers or autoimmune disorders. Additionally, surgeons removed a 1-centimeter lump from the left side of his scalp—requiring three stitches—to conduct a separate tissue inspection.
A critical issue highlighting the systemic weaknesses of Thailand’s correctional health infrastructure is that the Corrections Hospital lacks specialist physicians and advanced diagnostic equipment. Consequently, all tissue biopsies had to be transferred to Rajavithi Hospital for external analysis. This has left Ekachai waiting nearly a month for his biopsy results (scheduled for 14 August for his stomach tissue and 21 August 2026 for his scalp biopsy), forcing him to remain bedridden at the Corrections Hospital without a clear diagnosis.
On 13 July 2026, defense lawyers filed an urgent bail application supported by an expert medical opinion from Dr. Supat Hasuwannakit. Based on Ekachai’s medical records, Dr. Supat recommended immediate temporary release to allow comprehensive diagnostic evaluation and care by specialist physicians at an external hospital equipped for complex cases. However, on 15 July 2026, the Supreme Court dismissed the application, asserting that the defendant is already entitled to medical treatment under Department of Corrections regulations.
112WATCH stresses that the Right to Health—including timely access to adequate, equal, and specialized medical care—is a fundamental international human rights standard. Holding a pre-final-judgment political prisoner in life-threatening conditions without access to specialized healthcare constitutes a severe form of state-inflicted suffering and violates the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).
112WATCH urgently calls upon the Thai judiciary and relevant state authorities to grant immediate bail to Ekachai Hongkangwan and all political prisoners, ensuring they receive standard, specialized medical care before his condition becomes irreversible.
