Nearly 3,000 inmates at Bangkok's two main prisons have been found to be infected with Covid-19.

The 2,835 infections were revealed on Wednesday after democracy activist Panusaya Sithijirawatta­nakul said that she had contracted the virus. She said that many inmates have infections.

Ms Panusaya was released on bail on May 6 after being held for 59 days at the Central Women's Correctional Institution.

Mass testing on prison officials and inmates had found 1,795 prisoners at Bangkok Remand Prison and 1,040 at the Central Women's Correctional Institution to be infected with the coronavirus.

Most of them were being treated at the field hospitals set up outside the two prisons or at the Corrections Hospital, an official said, while those in a more serious condition had been admitted to outside hospitals.

"We also plan to inoculate all detainees. We are just waiting for an allocation of vaccines from the relevant agencies," the official added.

New inmates were being placed in quarantine for at least 21 days and had to provide two negative tests before being moved to the usual wing, he said.