Labour activists donated thousands of underwear items on Friday to a female prison as a goodwill gesture welcoming gradual positive changes in the institution.
Jittra Cotshadet, social entrepreneur and coordinator with Try Arm, together with other democracy supporters, raised nearly 200,000 baht within a week to donate 2,000 pairs of Try Arm-branded underwear items to the Central Women's Correctional Institution.
The prison decided to buy a bio-body scanner to replace manual pelvic examinations within three months, following a recent seminar at the National Human Rights Commission on prison conditions and a public outcry about the degrading treatment of political activists in female prisons.
"We welcome the move and hope the female prison will set an example in hygiene standards, respect the rights of detainees and not detain people for revenge or inflict punishment to the extent that they cannot go back to society normally," said Ms Jittra.
Ms Jittra coordinated with a group of female workers who were laid off from Triumph International (Thailand), a lingerie and swimwear producer, and set up Try Arm to produce underwear and swimwear for domestic and international sales.
She was summoned in 2014 by the National Council for Peace and Order and witnessed indecent procedures at the prison.
There were body searches, pelvic examinations, use of whiteboard pens on bare bodies as well as being forced to sit on the floor when talking with the wardens. She was not allowed to wear panties or a bra, which allegedly violated her rights and undermined her dignity and integrity.
A Thammasat University political science student, Kornkanok Khumta, who went through a similar ordeal for six hours in 27 April, was also present for the donations.
Wantanee Mitplong, duty warden who received the donations, said the female detainees were normally given two prison uniforms and a toiletry set and could get sanitary napkins when they had their periods.
"Overcrowding is the problem here. Some 40-50 prisoners are grouped in a small room while 120-140 prisoners are in a larger room," she said. Each day, there are two duty wardens and over 50 staff including nurses and administrative officers, said the 53-year-old Ms Wantanee, who added that a new prisoners' residence was being built.