Life In Thailand Prison

[reeky]

Recently a good friend of mine has made some mistakes and ended up in jail for at least 3 years, I wonder if there is anybody with some experience in this matter and who can share some information?

[Begs]

Recently a good friend of mine has made some mistakes and ended up in jail for at least 3 years, I wonder if there is anybody with some experience in this matter and who can share some information?

Reeky he will be ok, as long as he has got some money. Where is he, Chonburi?

[danoco70]

This should be helpful and informative:

http://www.prisonersabroad.org.uk/publicat...in_Thailand.pdf

[Sexy Beast]

Life In Thailand Prison

Sounds sh*t!

[john b good]

Life in prison (anywhere) is not supposed to be the same as parking up in the Waldorf Astoria

As someone has said 'if ya can't do the time don't do the crime'

That means think before you act.

Life in a Thai prison would not be a bed of roses (and neither it should be)

[RooBoy]

While I agree with your ideology on crime and punishment John, I would never want someone to be stuck in a Thai prison for any reason! The Immigration detention centre is bad enough, I have had to visit the place before to drop off money, and its supposed to be much better than the prisons!

To try and offer some advice to the original poster, he needs a network of friends who can drop off money to him, and visit him regularly, and maybe he will come through it unscathed. Without this I feel 3 years is going to be rather nasty to endure.

[Yohan]

Life in prison (anywhere) is not supposed to be the same as parking up in the Waldorf Astoria

As someone has said 'if ya can't do the time don't do the crime'

That means think before you act.

Life in a Thai prison would not be a bed of roses (and neither it should be)

Very good reply...

I wonder, why foreigners are visiting Thailand for criminal actions....

Prisons are not comfortable like in Europe, prison terms are much longer, inmates are often drug-addicts.....

Considering the time to travel up to Thailand, travel expenses.....

Why are they really coming into Thailand to try it out?

[TingTawng]

Read "Damage Done" by Warren Fellows.....it will give you an insight into prison life.....

I also read "Forget You Had A Daughter" by Sandra Gregory which gives you a female perspective on Thai prison life.

The bottom line: you CAN'T do the time (you definitely wouldn't want to), so DON'T do the crime.

[siam]

Maybe crims see LOS as a soft touch,and not so much security about,as in the banks are all open plan,

[konangrit]

Read "Damage Done" by Warren Fellows.....it will give you an insight into prison life.....

I also read "Forget You Had A Daughter" by Sandra Gregory which gives you a female perspective on Thai prison life.

The bottom line: you CAN'T do the time (you definitely wouldn't want to), so DON'T do the crime.

Damage Done is a good read, not sure how factual it actually is though.

If you liked that book you should enjoy Marching Powder, which is about life in a Bolivian prison.

[wolf5370]

I saw the BBC documentary the other week on Bangkok Gaol. The first time any TV cameras have been allowed in - ever. So all that you've read and seen have either been made up, or biased by the 'guy' giving the info.

With the exception of the hi-security inmates (usually in solitary as they have killed in the prison or attacked the guards and are deemed unsafe to themselves and the general populous) the prisoners are free to roam the compound. Each 'area' has its own cells and compound. In the film they visited every compound - including solitary - with the exception of hi-security (terrorists and dangerous crims) in which guards did the filming for them as the warden thought the BBC would make a nice hostage!

Each compound had cooking stoves - gas or charcoal (most of the Thai crims used charcoal and the gas burners were mostly free) - to cook on. There were shops to buy food, clothes, razors etc. Prisoners that had money from outside could but what they wanted to help themselves (within reason of course - the shop stocked mags, sweets, food, clothing, toys etc). Those that did not have money were encouraged to work either for other, richer, prisoners or guards. Work meant cleaning shoes, washing clothes, cleaning out cells etc. For this they earnt money enough to eat better than the stapple.

The prison had its own TV station, run by the prisoners and overseen by the warder. The anchorman is a criminal ex-TV presenter!

Those in solitary get two hours excersize twice a week. There have only been 300 executions in the last 40 years the prison has been opened for. Prisoner do not know they are to be executed that day until 6 hours before. They are allowed to go to the temple (just outside the grounds) under guard of course to talk with the monks. The abbot keeps the ashes of all unclaimed executed. Easch has a pot that carries the name, DOB, Date of death etc. He regularly takes them out and cleans them and prays over them.

Some of the lesser prison areas (short termers) are over crowded. People sleep side by side on mattresses on the floor. Fleas and cross contamination of ailments (colds etc) is rife. The lonmger term prisoners have smaller cells with less people in them and their own bed. Solitary have rooms with TV, desk, bed about 10ft by 6ft from what I could see.

When talking to the prisoners (even in English when the guards were not eavesdropping), they all pretty much blamed themselves. They were mostly drug smugglers (attempted) and accepted that they were guilty and stupid. Most were waiting for their 5 years to finish before transfer back to their native prison systems back home. They all hated the length of their sentances, and some of the Thai complained that they had to do the drug thing to make enough money to feed their families.

Guards are unarmed. On eguy had killed a prisoner and stabbed a guard (10 stitches needed). He ended up in solitary. He was interviewed by the BBC. He received no bad treatment and was even forgiven by the guard that he cut up! He will stay in confinement until they are happy that he is not a risk to others.

All in all, it wasn't much worse than western prisons, and there are much worse prisons in the world.

[ThaiPauly]

I saw that programme when in the UK, and I have read "The Damage Done" The stories are poles apart, if only 50% of the book was lies, I believe only 25% of that programme was true.

How easier than to bribe prisoners with an eiser life than to go on TV and lie.

Would u do it?

I bloody well would if it can save some of my time in that ######-hole.

I am absolutley positive that they would have made sure you only saw what they wanted you to see. T.I.T

[bina]

an israeli was recently extradited from thailand to israel, after being placed in i forget which prison, here. after a few weeks he complained and requested that he be re-sent to thailand as the conditions and behavior towards him were better there. this was in the past half year in Ma'ariv newspaper, cant remember details. go figure.

[naja]

From what I've observed at Chiang rai prison-on the outside not on the inside-visiting an inmate is like a social outing or picnic for the extended family.But not a joyous one,especially for the mothers.

On one occasion I was 1 of 9 people in a visiting party. I must say it was a little crowded in the visiting area as there were many other people ,including some hilltibe people,visiting the other 5 prisoners seated behind the armoured plated glass.

Visiting hours seem to be fairly reasonable from Monday to Friday,and I was told family members can visit many times a month.How many ,I don't know.

Items can be bought for inmates at the prison shop ,or bought in town and sent by post.