Horror at the nursing home: Elderly were kept in iron cages locked from the outside

A shocking exposé of conditions at a nursing home in western Thailand, where elderly and bedridden patients were kept in beds surrounded by cramped iron cages. The facility housed more than twice its permitted capacity, lacked a medical license, and held psychiatric patients. Authorities announced plans to close the institution and file criminal charges.

A shocking exposé of conditions at the 'Suthornchai' nursing home in Kanchanaburi, western Thailand, has sparked massive public outrage. Footage and documentation broadcast on the popular current affairs program 'Hone Krasae' showed elderly and bedridden patients held in beds covered with cramped iron cages, with minimal space above their heads. Following the exposé, health authorities raided the facility and found it was licensed to house only 50 beds but actually held more than twice that number. The nursing home housed patients with physical disabilities, dementia, and complex psychiatric needs together, despite not being registered as a medical facility. The owner, a former nurse named Ying Pornramsiri, defended the use of cages, claiming it protected patients from falls and even called it an innovation in nursing care. Authorities announced plans to close the institution and consider filing criminal charges. The case highlights Thailand's structural elderly care crisis; the country is the second-fastest aging society in Southeast Asia, with 30% of its population expected to be 60 or older by 2035. Experts warn of severe shortages in pension funds, hospices, and long-term care.