Members of the House committee on police affairs will on Friday visit the Police General Hospital but it is still uncertain if they will be able to see convicted former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra.
Committee chairman Chaichana Detdecho said on Wednesday that the hospital had approved the visit, which was at 10am on Friday.
The hospital management agreed to let the committee inspect the sixth floor of the Sriyanont Building and meet a police colonel who oversees the hospital's operations, he said.
Thaksin was reportedly admitted to the 14th floor of the hospital's Maha Bhumibol Rachanusorn 88 Phansa Building on Aug 22 last year.
According to Mr Chaichana, the House committee will ask about service standards for prisoners and seek information on all admitted inmates including Thaksin, to see if he was being treated the same as the others.
“Degrees of illnesses cannot be made public, but we must know about the kinds of illnesses, the number of inmates admitted to the hospital and the services it provides them,” Mr Chaichana said. “We will see how much permission the Police General Hospital allows. Can we meet the inmates in person, or see them by CCTV?”
Thaksin, 74, returned to Thailand on Aug 22 after 15 years of self-exile. He was taken to court that same day and sentenced to eight years in prison, later reduced to one year.
The former premier was immediately admitted to Bangkok Remand Prison and later that night moved to the Police General Hospital for "medical reasons", and reportedly has been there ever since.
By law, the minister of justice must acknowledge any stay exceeding 120 days by an inmate receiving medical treatment outside a prison hospital. That deadline passed on Dec 21.
The acknowledgement must be based on a report from the chief of the Department of Corrections.
