abandoned prison

This prison in Chiangmai, northern Thailand has been abandoned since 2013 and now hosts only snakes, rats, cats, and graffiti artists. The site began operation in the early 20th century & initially housed only male inmates, but the men were moved out and into a bigger prison when it was constructed in around the 1970's. This location operated as a women's prison until 2013, when the women were relocated to the aforementioned men's prison, and the men there moved to yet another new location. The facility was closed for good in 2013, with plans made for a demolition that has yet to happen.


Executions were performed here as it was a death row facility, and a number egregious events were said to have occurred here, including suspicious 'suicides' of inmates in a water well.

There were 7 day and nights of Buddhist rituals held by monks after the prison’s closure, which were paid for by the local government. Thai cultural belief often requires such rituals to be held at places with an odious history. Thai people hold a place of special reverence for spirits, and it is widely understood that they must be treated with respect and vigilance. These ceremonies are sometimes held at a location to appease the spirits of those who once dwelled there so that they do not seek vengeance on future inhabitants. Seven days and nights of rituals is very unusual, however, indicating that there were believed to be a lot nefarious happenings at the prison during its century of operation. Buddhist monks were even called to perform a ritual as the main sign of the prison was taken down.


The was originally the location of the Chiangmai provincial governor’s house before the jail buildings were constructed. Accounts differ as to when the penitentiary officially opened with some saying it became a prison in the early 1900’s, and others saying it opened in the 1920’s. It seems to have been in operation for around a hundred years in total.

A number of bodies were found in a certain well on the premises, with suicide being given as the cause of death. Jumping into a well doesn’t seem the optimal way to commit suicide. Sometimes it’s just easier to list the death as a suicide to avoid having to do an investigation. The official number will likely never be made public.

We saw several snakes and made sure to keep our distance from those areas. It’s the perfect location for reptiles, as there is no shortage of overgrowth. The climate in Thailand allows nature to quickly take hold of places that aren’t maintained or well-trodden. The areas that don’t get regular foot traffic by the prison’s few visitors have deep, lush plant life where snakes make their home. I had to walk through some thick foliage to shoot different areas of the prison, so I used my tripod to clear the ground in front of me of snakes so that I didn’t step on one. Getting bitten by a cobra would probably just ruin the day.

While at the prison & shooting some images for my ongoing ‘Ghosts of Abandonia’ project, I took a series of 8 or so images which came out with an dark shadow over them(not included in this series).  I haven’t been able to get any definitive explanations for what may have caused when enquiring in photography forums. The figure in black is my girlfriend Mook, but I have no idea what is causing the overlaying shadow.  I personally believe in rational explanations for things like this, but Thais are very superstitions about ghosts, so we had to go to the temple afterward for Mook to make merit.  When we returned to the premises on the final day of shooting, we walked backward as we entered, which is something that some Thais believe appeases the ghosts. I personally don’t really believe in ghosts, but I do want to respect local custom when I can, as ghosts are a very tangible reality to people in Thailand.


A picture at the prison taken in 1935: https://www.matichonweekly.com/culture/article_31213
A forum that mentions the alleged ‘suicides’ in a water well & monk rituals, highlighting tours that were given in 2013 after the prison closed: https://pantip.com/topic/30089972
An excavation at the prison after closure: https://www.matichon.co.th/news/431365