The doctor who conducted the post-mortem examination on the body of a drug suspect who died in custody has concluded that death was caused by serious brain injuries.

The Provincial Court of Nakhon Ratchasima on 3 March 2017 held an inquest into the death of Anan Koedkaeo, 34, a drug trafficking suspect who died in suspicious circumstances three days after being interrogated.

Anan was arrested by investigators of Nakhon Ratchasima Provincial Police on 9 November 2015. Two days later, on 11 November, the police told his family that he had been transferred to Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital. He died there on 13 November.

At the hearing, a pathologist from Maharat Nakhon Ratchasima Hospital testified that Anan was already unconscious when he was taken to the hospital, adding that his body bore the signs many physical injuries inflicted 3-5 days before he arrived to the hospital.  

The doctor told the court that Anan died from severe injuries to his brain from the impact of hard objects, but did not conclude whether he was beaten to death or not.

Wasana and Phanom Koedkaeo, parents of Anan, have sued the Royal Thai Police for 9,653,500 baht in compensation for allegedly breaching the 1996 Governing Liability for Wrongful Acts of Competent Officers Act over the death of their son.

Despite acknowledging that the two have low incomes, a criminal court, however, ruled that the lawsuit will not be accepted unless court fees are paid within 15 days of 27 February 2017.