The Songkhla provincial prosecutor filed a report with police after receiving a life-threatening letter from a close friend of Chaowalit Thongduang, a prisoner who fled from Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital on Oct 22.
The 37-year-old Chaowalit, alias "Sia Paeng Na Nod," fled detention that day after being sent to the hospital for dental treatment and was subsequently kept there after collapsing, citing severe leg pain.
The prosecutor from the Office of Provincial Court Prosecution of Songkhla, whose name was not revealed, submitted the letter to officers at Muang Songkhla police station yesterday, according to police.
The letter, handwritten with a blue-coloured pen, folded and stapled, was sent directly to the Provincial Court Prosecution office in Muang Songkhla district's tambon Bo Yang.
The letter, dated Oct 27, demanded the prosecutor return money to Chaowalit or he and his family would risk death.
The message contained the word "die", with a drawing of a gun added.
The prosecutor denied personally knowing the runaway prisoner, adding he had been transferred to work in Songkhla from the Office of Juvenile and Family Prosecution in Phatthalung in April.
On Tuesday, Sutiwas Khunnarong, one of Chaowalit's close aides, was arrested by the Hanuman taskforce and provincial police investigation team after he went into hiding in Ratchaburi's Muang district's tambon Don Tako.
Mr Sutiwas, or alias "Non Thung Lan", was sent to Nakhon Si Thammarat provincial police station yesterday. The 28-year-old told police he had met Chaowalit shortly before the latter crossed the Malaysian border. Chaowalit had escaped to Ratchaburi after he fled the hospital.
Pol Col Nutthawut Thongthip, deputy commander of Nakhon Si Thammarat police, said Chaowalit could turn himself in at any police station if and when he returns to Thailand.
Police spent time in Patthalung's Sri Nakharin district looking for clues about Chaowalit's escape and found at least two more people connected to it. One had parked the get-away pickup truck that Chaowalit used to secure passage to the border.
The suspect was nabbed at the Yai Klui Monastery in tambon Rom Muang of Muang district in Phatthalung, said Pol Col Nutthawut.
Meanwhile, Sahakarn Petchnarin, deputy justice permanent secretary, said the Corrections Department has conducted an internal investigation into Chaowalit's escape.