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NAKHON SI THAMMARAT : The chief of Thung Song prison in Nakhon Si Thammarat and two of his subordinates were wounded in a gun attack that authorities believe is linked to his attempts to clamp down on drug networks behind bars.

The attack took place at about 11pm on Tuesday at a house in tambon Tham Yai of Thung Song district. Pichit Wanjit, the 56-year-old commander of Thung Song prison, was having dinner with three subordinates _ Pakdee Surapak, 53, Veerasak Ruenggerd, 53, and another man, whose name was not disclosed.

According to police, at least three assailants were involved in the shooting. One broke into the house and started spraying gunfire at the victims.

Mr Pichit, Mr Pakdee and Mr Veerasak sustained gunshot wounds, but are not suffering from life-threatening injuries. Authorities believe the assault was carried out in retaliation for Mr Pichit's efforts to stamp out drugs networks operating inside the prison.

He has been on the job for only one month. Frequent checks of inmates' cells have turned up scores of drugs and mobile phones.

Pol Col Thammanoon Faiju, superintendent of Thung Song police station, said Mr Pichit had no other enemies as far as he was aware.

The Corrections Department's director-general Suchart Wonganantachai said many prisoners who were transferred from Nakhon Si Thammarat prison to the Thung Song facility remain active in the drugs trade despite prison authorities' efforts to stamp out inmates' links to traffickers. Mr Suchart said the new prison chief might have stirred up resentment among inmates.

On Aug 18, Nakhon Si Thammarat prison warder Od Sae Pua was shot dead on the way home from the prison where he had worked for years. Authorities believe that Od was killed because he alerted police to an attempt by an inmate's relative to smuggle drugs into the prison on July 30.

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