The three former election commissioners yesterday failed in their attempt to be moved to "better" quarters after suffering three days in prison, a source said.

"They had asked to go to a new detention centre," the source said.

Vasana Puemlarp, Prinya Nakchudtree and Virachai Naewboonnien are reportedly feeling stressed since the Criminal, Appeals and Supreme courts all denied them bail out of fear they could cause more trouble and obstruct judicial proceedings.

They were reportedly still locked up in Bangkok Remand Prison as of last night.

The Criminal Court on Tuesday convicted the trio of mishandling the April 2 election and sentenced them to four years behind bars. The three then resigned.

Natthee Jitsawang, director-general of the Corrections Department, said he was considering moving the former election watchdogs to nearby Bang Khen Detention Centre, located in the Police Club compound.

Since Tuesday, many EC supporters had come to visit and spend the night in the compact area in front of the prison, making it difficult for guards to control the crowd, he said.

The three former commissioners were given special privileges, such as a private room with a television and the chance to make five phone calls, he said.

The source believes that if the three ousted commissioners were transferred to the other facility, they would feel relieved and more comfortable as they would be kept out of the eyes of the media. But that could also raise doubts about whether they were under detention or free to walk around the compound.

As the detention centre is run jointly by the police and the Corrections Department, Vasana, as a retired senior police officer, along with his cohorts Prinya and Virachai, would likely receive better treatment than they got in the prison, the source said.

Their new cells would be renovated to welcome the newcomers, the source said.

Despite prison rules banning the use of mobile phones, the three men took theirs with them into prison, the source said.

Piyanuch Tamnukasetchai

The Nation