BURI RAM - Police have recaptured a 42-year-old prisoner who escaped from Buri Ram Provincial Prison, finding him hiding in bushes behind the provincial government centre after a massive overnight manhunt involving more than 300 officers.
The fugitive was identified only as Kowit, from Kamphaeng Phet province. He was serving a sentence for cattle rustling and had earned the nickname “Soi Juu Thief” (Butcher Thief) because he stole cattle and butchered them within 100 metres of farmers’ pens, taking only the meat and leaving the carcasses behind.
Escape and Search
Police said the escape occurred at approximately 1.30pm on Wednesday when Kowit used prison blankets tied together to climb over the prison walls.
Police monitor images from thermal-detection drones during the manhunt. (Photo: Muang Buri Ram Provincial Police Station)
By midnight on Wednesday, authorities had deployed over 300 personnel in areas around the nearby provincial government centre, and were using thermal-detection drones to scan the terrain, but the fugitive remained at large.
However, police announced on Thursday morning that Kowit had been successfully recaptured, thanking all units that participated in the operation.
Prisoner’s Motivation
Kowit told police during the crime scene reconstruction that he wanted to see his daughters, aged three and four. He said he knew escaping would add to his sentence, but if he could see and hug his children again, he would gladly serve additional time.
Police said Kowit cooperated fully with investigators, providing a detailed timeline and route of his escape.
The prisoner said he got an electric shock while climbing the prison wall but did not lose consciousness. He then walked through villages he believed had no CCTV cameras before hiding in the forest behind the provincial government centre.
Police bring the recaptured fugitive for a crime scene re-enactment. (Photo: Surachai Piraksa)
Kowit said he heard officers searching and saw them approaching, so he tried to hide as quietly as possible. He stayed curled up under the bushes all night until he was caught in the morning.
During the crime scene reconstruction, Kowit issued a public apology, advising others not to commit crimes as he had done. He said that if people do commit crimes and get caught, they should not try to escape as he did, because it causes trouble for officers, frightens the public and adds more charges to the original offence.
Additional Charges and Consequences
Police said Kowit will face additional charges under Section 190 of the Criminal Code for escape during confinement, which carries a maximum penalty of three years imprisonment and/or a fine of up to 60,000 baht.
This comes on top of his original charges of theft during nighttime using a vehicle and violations of animal slaughter regulations.
The prison commander presented reward money to officers who participated in the search operation and thanked all agencies involved. Officials said they would review security measures to prevent similar escapes in the future.