The mother of Parit "Penguin" Chiwarak, a core member of pro-democracy Ratsadon group, can request that her son be transferred to the Corrections Department hospital if she wants to, Thanakrit Jitareerat, secretary to Justice Minister Somsak Thepsuthin, said on Monday.
Mr Parit was arrested and charged with a series of offences including lese majeste and inciting unrest under Sections 112 and 116 of the Criminal Code in connection with a number of anti-government protests, and is being held at the Pathum Thani Detention Centre.
He was denied bail and detained at the Bangkok Remand Prison before being transferred to the Pathum Thani Detention Centre after he was sentenced by the Criminal Court to 30 days in detention, reduced to 15 days, for contempt of court.
Mr Parit said he would go on a hunger strike until he was granted bail.
Mr Thanakrit said Mr Parit seemed to be in good health, but appeared weak as he had not eaten solid food for many days. He was taking only milk and mineral water.
The doctors had put him on a saline drip and kept him under close watch, he said.
He would like Ms Sureerat, Mr Parit's mother, to persuade her son to resume eating. The Corrections Department was concerned about his health.
If Ms Sureerat and members of the National Human Rights Commission wanted to visit Mr Parit, he would be glad to help arrange it, he said.
If she wanted to, Ms Sureerat could file a request for her son to be transferred to the department's hospital, where he would be under the care of doctors with help immediately available in case of emergency.
Although the detention centre had doctors to take care of him, it was not as well equipped as the hospital, Mr Thanakrit said.
Mr Thanakrit said Corrections Department officials treated all detainees equally. However, Mr Parit had been given special attention since he was a suspect in political cases of public interest.