After several postponements, the Thanyaburi Provincial Court has begun the inquest into the death of activist Netiporn Sanesangkhom, who died in May 2024 after a long hunger strike.

Two witnesses appeared in court last Wednesday (20 August). Pol Lt Anusorn Wiangsima from Khlongluang Provincial Police Station was an inquiry inspector on duty when the police were notified of Netiporn’s death. He attended Netiporn’s autopsy along with the public prosecutor, administrative officials, and doctors. He also took a statement from Dr Pongpak Areeyapinant, Acting Director of the Corrections Hospital, and was informed of an autopsy report saying that Netiporn died from an electrolyte imbalance.

The second witness testifying on Wednesday (20 August) was Dr Pongpak himself, who examined Netiporn while she was an inpatient at the Corrections Hospital. He found that she had low potassium and swollen feet. He also treated Netiporn during her hunger strike and was with her when she was transferred to Thammasat University Hospital.

The inquest was initially scheduled for 20 – 21 August. However, Thursday’s court date was postponed to 8 – 9 October after three witnesses, including a Corrections Hospital doctor who treated Netiporn after she became unconscious, could not come to court due to other obligations.

The two other witnesses who were unavailable were a doctor who treated Netiporn while she was hospitalized and a Thammasat University doctor who performed her autopsy.

Netiporn died on 14 May after suffering cardiac arrest while on a hunger strike to call for judicial system reform and the release of political dissidents. Her death certificate said that she died from heart failure and asphyxiation, while the autopsy concluded that the cause of death was acute heart failure, electrolyte imbalance, and cardiomegaly (enlarged heart). She was 28 years old.

Netiporn was being held in pre-trial detention on a royal defamation charge after the South Bangkok Criminal Court had revoked her bail on 26 January 2024 for participating in a protest at the Ministry of Culture on 6 August 2023. At the same time, she was also serving a 1-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

Netiporn’s medical records from the Corrections Hospital, where she was held before her death, diagnosed Netiporn with Re-feeding Syndrome, a condition caused by a severe shift in electrolytes when a person who is malnourished begins feeding again. Her family have questioned the credibility of her medical records after several discrepancies were noted. Different documents recorded different times at which resuscitation began after she went into cardiac arrest. The records also stated that she was sent for a chest x-ray and a brain CT scan while CPR was being performed, which would mean that CPR was interrupted.