Sorrayuth says he’s resigned to life in prison
Former TV hosts tells public ‘not to worry’
Imprisoned former TV news anchor Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda appears resigned to a life behind bars, saying escape would be pointless because his face is too well known.
He expressed his feelings from Bangkok Remand Prison in a message dated on Wednesday and posted yesterday by the page administrator of his Facebook account, Sorrayuth Suthassanachinda News Labourer.
“I have not thought about escape because this is not the end; not the solution to the problem,” the post read.
“If I escape in Thailand, everyone knows my face. If I go abroad, Thais there also know me, so I will be arrested and sent back to Thailand. Or I’ll have to spend the rest of my life hiding and may never see my mother again.
“My stay in prison will have an end. It is tough staying here but I have to adjust gradually. I have thought about the worstcase scenario and if I reach that point, I have to live with it. Life will go on. So don’t be worried, I can live here.”
Within an hour of being posted the message had about 44,000 reactions and over 5,500 comments. Many of the comments offered moral support.
Sorrayuth was imprisoned on Tuesday evening after the Appeal Court upheld his 13-year and 4 month sentence for the embezzlement of state advertising revenue. The Supreme Court subsequently rejected his bail application.
Bangkok Remand Prison chief Krit Krasaedhibaya said yesterday Sorrayuth had expressed better feelings compared to his very first days in jail.
Sorrayuth also said the prison was not as bad as he had imagined. He could eat the prison food and has also enjoyed the food brought to him by relatives and close friends. Moreover, he could buy food and necessities from the shop within the prison, said Mr Krit.
“Sorrayuth’s daily life is similar to other new inmates. He has a morning routine, lines up to respect the national anthem, prays and reads at the library in the prison zone for newcomers. [The library] is rather big with over 10,000 books,” he said.
Mr Krit said that Sorrayuth has never made any special request. His lawyer and relatives regularly visit him.
Mr Krit yesterday posted a picture on Facebook of a cell room and wrote: “Many people wanted to know how the prison arranges the place for a celebrity inmate. I have to say all the sleeping areas for inmates are the same nationwide. There are only three blankets each which they use to lie on the floor, to fold and use as pillow and to cover [oneself with]. This is an adjustment to a simple life.”
Sorrayuth’s case involved his company, Rai Som Co, and two other defendants — Rai Som employee Montha Theeradet and former Mass Communications Authority of Thailand (MCOT) employee Pichapa Iamsa-ard.
The court found the defendants had used forged and damaged documents to cheat the MCOT out of 138 million baht in advertising revenue during Sorrayuth’s tenure as host of a TV news programme a decade ago.
The lower court in February 2016 sentenced Sorrayuth and Montha each to 13 years and 4 months in jail for helping Pichapa, a government official, commit malfeasance.
Pichapa was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The other two men were also denied bail.