Visiting Bang Kwang prison - how to?

[alt]

Folks,

I will be in Bangkok in Dec 2014 and Jan 2015 (2nd backpacker holiday to LOS) and want to visit a prisoner (random, I don't know any) in Bang Kwang.

I did a bit of Googling and got [email protected] email address but it just bounces back.

I wouldn't mind starting a penpal before I go, or just arriving up there and talking to some random person. Yes, I have a morbid fascination with the place after watching documentaries but at least the prisoner will get some supplies etc. from me so i'm sure they'd be happy to meet.

Has anyone done it? Or does anyone know the procedure to 'book' your place? I don't know exact dates I will be in Bangkok yet so don't want to lock down a date to visit but if I could know the procedure it'd get things going.

Thanks

[Goshawk]

Yes, I have a morbid fascination with the place after watching documentaries but at least the prisoner will get some supplies etc

the hacksaw blade shop & cake shop are conveniently located adjacent to each other just around the corner . . . good luck!

[alt]

I have contacted the Irish & UK embassy to try and get a list of prisoners there (Googling says there are no Irish, but there are UK) - if i'm correct, the first thing to do is to get the name of a prisoner. More Googling seems to suggest that the embassy will help with logistics, but the main thing is to arrive at the prison, early, with relevant paperwork and dress neat.

Hopefully the embassy will advise if I need to 'book' my visit - still don't know the answer to that

[bartender100]

"Visiting Bang Kwang"

[alt]

"Visiting Bang Kwang"

Well i'm hardly planning a long-term stay now, am I?

Let there be no sugar-coating here, I have no problem admitting that my reason to visit is out of sheer curiosity. But, in doing that, I will hopefully brighten up someones day and stock them with essential supplies... I doubt the inmate will criticize me too much for it

[smokie36]

Try smuggling some drugs out....then you will get a real "behind the scenes" look at the place.

[nidnew]

here some info http://www.bangkwang.net/

[rhythmworx]

What supplies do you intend on taking?

Don't waste your money feeding the guards with the stuff that is disallowed, there is a very strict policy on what is allowed in the prison.

I would estimate 80% of what you had in mind would get confiscated.

[alt]

here some info http://www.bangkwang.net/

Thanks, I viewed that site earlier, seems a bit out-dated. But it still helped, so thanks.

What supplies do you intend on taking?

Don't waste your money feeding the guards with the stuff that is disallowed, there is a very strict policy on what is allowed in the prison.

I would estimate 80% of what you had in mind would get confiscated.

From what i've read, you are not allowed to bring packages in anymore. Instead, you purchase items from the prison store. I can only guess that everything in this store is allowed. I had intended on asking the inmate what they need/want, and if 'nothing' was the answer then probably fruit / other foods / washing items such as shampoo etc.

[cbluck58]

Just walk around long enough with pocketful of H and you get a free tour with plenty of time to satisfy your curiosity.

[pkspeaker]

I don't think it's a good idea to 'randomly' visit someone like that..if you know of a specific person that is having a hard time and needs help, particularly needs financial help-ie putting money into their jail account-then you can help that person..

bt when you show up randomly like that, not even being a journalist who is writing about the conditions there, you are just clogging the system, the visitation at those prisons is VERY crowded, people are waiting for legal help, they are trying to get a glimpse of a loved one, your putting legitimate visits at an inconvenience so you can gawk at some random prisoner..

Also you put the inmates themselves at an inconvenience, when you visit someone there-they have to change their personal cloths into this dirty prison garb ( i heard this through the grapevine), possibly miss one of the food handouts, wait in lines and all to see someone that has no business.. You have no business there, it's not a zoo and it's NOT a tourist attraction..just stay away from that place.

[schweizer]

I don't think it's a good idea to 'randomly' visit someone like that..if you know of a specific person that is having a hard time and needs help, particularly needs financial help-ie putting money into their jail account-then you can help that person..

bt when you show up randomly like that, not even being a journalist who is writing about the conditions there, you are just clogging the system, the visitation at those prisons is VERY crowded, people are waiting for legal help, they are trying to get a glimpse of a loved one, your putting legitimate visits at an inconvenience so you can gawk at some random prisoner..

Also you put the inmates themselves at an inconvenience, when you visit someone there-they have to change their personal cloths into this dirty prison garb ( i heard this through the grapevine), possibly miss one of the food handouts, wait in lines and all to see someone that has no business.. You have no business there, it's not a zoo and it's NOT a tourist attraction..just stay away from that place.

Agreed

If you really want to help discuss this with one of the consuls or charities that visit often, offer to pay money via them to prisoners known to be in need.

Your few thousand baht is not an admission fee to the show

[jacky54]

I thought this backpacker tourist mis guided do goooding had been stopped, or at least discouraged, it was all the rage a few years ago.

[iSabai]

Sounds creepy to me. As in a "naive tourist thinks Thai jails are some sort of freak show" kind of way. But by bringing 'gifts' it somehow makes it okay?

Plenty of ways to get your rocks off in Thailand without doing that sort of thing.

Creepy…

[JustinCider]

Long time lurker, first time poster. There is a lot of misinformation below that I thought I could help clear up. I have been to Bwang Kwang many times over the years and procedures are always changing. Please see my notes below in bold:

"I don't think it's a good idea to 'randomly' visit someone like that..if you know of a specific person that is having a hard time and needs help, particularly needs financial help-ie putting money into their jail account-then you can help that person.. 99.99% of the inmates would welcome a visit. Their days are extremely monotonous and even a 'banana visit' (feeling like they are in a zoo) is much better than the alternative.

bt when you show up randomly like that, not even being a journalist who is writing about the conditions there, you are just clogging the system, the visitation at those prisons is VERY crowded, people are waiting for legal help, they are trying to get a glimpse of a loved one, your putting legitimate visits at an inconvenience so you can gawk at some random prisoner.. The visitation area is not crowded at all. Usually there are about 30 or 40 Thai family members on one side of the visiting area and 5-10 non-Thai volunteers, missionairies, embassy staff, family members 50 meters away on the other side. Gone are the days of everyone shouting through a wire fence trying to communicate across an open space to the prisoners behind a second wire fence. Now, each prisoner and visitor communicates by phone and the volume of noise is at a minimum. NO ONE is waiting for legal help or trying to catch glimpses of anything.

Also you put the inmates themselves at an inconvenience, when you visit someone there-they have to change their personal cloths into this dirty prison garb ( i heard this through the grapevine), possibly miss one of the food handouts, wait in lines and all to see someone that has no business.. You have no business there, it's not a zoo and it's NOT a tourist attraction..just stay away from that place." The inmates definitely do not change their clothes. What they wear to the visit is the exact same clothes they wear back in the yard. They definitely do not miss out on chow time. A visit is 45 minutes long and a prisoner is informed 5 minutes before the visit starts that they have a visitor. They do not wait in any lines and very easily come into the longhouse that holds the phones.

Food cannot be brought for the prisoner nor can it be currently bought at the prison. Previously you could buy various items at the prison store that would be given to the inmate, but those days are over for now. You can however make a deposit into a prisoners account and the prisoner will use that money for canteen purchases and for toiletries etc.

Heather Luna-Rose is doing amazing work and http://thailandprisonersupport.org/the-prisons/ would welcome the chance to arrange a visit with an inmate in need. Please pm me if I can answer any further questions. Lastly, regardless of your intentions, 99.99% of the inmates appreciate a visit and welcome the chance to break up the soul crushing monotony that is their lives at BK.

Cheers

[jacky54]

But why would anyone want to visit a rapist, child abuser, murderer or more likely, Nigerian drug trafficker?

Edited August 26, 2014 by jacky54

[pkspeaker]

Justin, I don't know where your getting your information from, especially the stuff about visiting not being crowded..think of it this way, each visitor has a small amount of time, so the more people are showing up, the less time the prison is going to alot each visit.. so that's all a matter of volume in the first place.. What your saying about the prisoners not having to change into that dirty garb is total bullshit.. and then this 'statistic' that 99% of the prisoners want a 'backpacker'-that they don't even know to come and visit them.. oh sure that's reliable

If there is a particular prisoner this 'backpacker' heard of, like maybe that his family thinks he was wrongly convicted and they have started a campaign to have him exonerated , and he already sent them a letter and the guy has responded and said yes come and visit.. that's 1 think.. but to just get a random name of someone that might be a creep or just annoyed is pointless..what would you talk about? do you randomly visit prisoners in your country? that's just not right..the prison here is not a tourist attraction, why go there if you have no business?

i read that website..but if you wanna help the inmates, just put money in their accounts, or donate to that website or other org. and let them put money into their account..unless your a journalist and you have some legitimate business interviewing someone, i see no reason and treat this prison as a tourest attraction.

Edited August 26, 2014 by pkspeaker

[JustinCider]

Justin, I don't know where your getting your information from, especially the stuff about visiting not being crowded..think of it this way, each visitor has a small amount of time, so the more people are showing up, the less time the prison is going to alot each visit.. so that's all a matter of volume in the first place.. What your saying about the prisoners not having to change into that dirty garb is total bullshit.. and then this 'statistic' that 99% of the prisoners want a 'backpacker'-that they don't even know to come and visit them.. oh sure that's reliable

If there is a particular prisoner this 'backpacker' heard of, like maybe that his family thinks he was wrongly convicted and they have started a campaign to have him exonerated , and he already sent them a letter and the guy has responded and said yes come and visit.. that's 1 think.. but to just get a random name of someone that might be a creep or just annoyed is pointless..what would you talk about? do you randomly visit prisoners in your country? that's just not right..the prison here is not a tourist attraction, why go there if you have no business?

You are out to lunch mate! You spew things that you have 'heard this through the grapevine' and I have actually been there many times. Who do you think is more credible on this topic? As it is obvious to everyone that you don't actually know what you are talking about, let me enlighten you. A prisoner is allowed ONE 45 minute visit per day and would be allowed visitors two days per week. A non-Thai inmate that I have visited several times did not have a visitor in 4 years. Does that sound like a lot of volume to you? What credibility you had left has been completely wiped out with your idiotic comment that prisoners at Bang Kwang change from their apparently clean clothes, into dirty prison garb. That is probably the stupidest thing I have ever heard. Could you enlighten us as to why Thailand's heaviest prison would have a policy such as that?

I have been there and know first hand that the inmates are grateful to have contact with the outside world regardless of what the motive is for the visitor. You can have your opinion on why you should or shouldn't visit but you are making yourself look like an absolute fool when you make baseless claims and YOU HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN THERE ONCE.

[alt]

Many thanks for the info.

I have been in contact with someone independent who has offered guidance and will ensure that the inmate I am going to visit knows that there is a visitor coming, and more importantly that they WANT a visitor.

I know if I was 'banged up abroad' i'd happily take a visit from a monkey if it meant they could tell me a little about what's going on in the outside world and provide me with some supplies.

JustinCider - Interesting that you say the prison shop is gone, I did not know that. I assume lodging money into the inmates prison bank account is safe? (ie. nothing going missing along the lines?)

[GOLDBUGGY]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

here some info http://www.bangkwang.net/

Thanks, I viewed that site earlier, seems a bit out-dated. But it still helped, so thanks.

What supplies do you intend on taking?

Don't waste your money feeding the guards with the stuff that is disallowed, there is a very strict policy on what is allowed in the prison.

I would estimate 80% of what you had in mind would get confiscated.

From what i've read, you are not allowed to bring packages in anymore. Instead, you purchase items from the prison store. I can only guess that everything in this store is allowed. I had intended on asking the inmate what they need/want, and if 'nothing' was the answer then probably fruit / other foods / washing items such as shampoo etc.

Also, it is good idea to bring in a Cartoon of Cigarettes and Vaseline Petroleum Jelly for itchy and extra dry skin.

The Cigarettes, to try and bribe them off of you.

The Vaseline, in case the cigarette bribe didn't work.

[pkspeaker]

Oh allright goddamit, im possting from an anonymous handle anyways i shoulda just admitted this from the start.. Im the grapevine, I was IN Thai prison, I wasn't in that one-bang kwang.. i was in the one in in samut prakan, im not gonna say what it was..it wasn't that serious got into a lil jam- they caught me with some stuff-lets put it that way, wasn't able to get bail or do an unde rthe table thing when i got thrown into the slammer, they threw the book at me, case went to the prosecutor, I was transferred from the jail to THE PRISON..once there the deal was your case comes up in 3 months, i got my girlfriend involved so she could try to bring the case up sooner.. she eventually got it done in 1 months, so i spent a month in the prison..

When she used to visit, I told her..unless you have some news-like when i might get outa here, don't come and visit, i have to change into these disgusting rags and wait in line, dont bring my friends; if some backpacker woulda come outa nowhere to chat .. i think i would have punched him in mouth through the glass..ok the notion that I needed someone to talk to is non-sence, i made friends in there from the start, i'm still friends with this japanese guy i was in with and i'm gonna visit him next year in japan, he's gonna let me stay at his house..so there

like you have this bleeding heart website so you know everything..

have you been there many times as a prisoner or someone that has too much time on his hands.. a visitor.. ok maybe had you visited me i woulda been polite "oh sure i'm glad you came to visit me so i could miss dinner" AND I DID miss dinner once because my lawyer came to visit and he showed up late, and told me he was working on it,' i' was like "why are you telling me this i know your working as fast as you can'.. "your GF was worried about you" ok tx being crowded into that tiny cell with 72 people is gonna be even funner tonite since i missed dinner..

Edited August 26, 2014 by pkspeaker

[alt]

^^ Thankfully, you don't speak for the majority of inmates. As said, I have gotten in touch with an independent who visits the prison regularly and they are going to arrange a visit with someone who WANTS a visitor. Doubt they'll object to a few baht being put into their account either so they can actually survive in there.

You say you were in there for 1 month, fair enough. If you were sentenced to 50 years I doub't you have the same attitude about not wanting to have visitors.

[jacky54]

For those wanting to visit and help the disadvantaged there are far more deserving cases in Thailand than those in a high security prison for some very unpleasant crimes. But then AIDS homes, orphanages or homeless poor don't have the bragging rights on facebook do they by the limp wristed liberal fools who are slowly ruining their own countries.

Edited August 26, 2014 by jacky54

[JustinCider]

Many thanks for the info.

I have been in contact with someone independent who has offered guidance and will ensure that the inmate I am going to visit knows that there is a visitor coming, and more importantly that they WANT a visitor.

I know if I was 'banged up abroad' i'd happily take a visit from a monkey if it meant they could tell me a little about what's going on in the outside world and provide me with some supplies.

JustinCider - Interesting that you say the prison shop is gone, I did not know that. I assume lodging money into the inmates prison bank account is safe? (ie. nothing going missing along the lines?)

No worries Alt. When you return from the main prison building after your visit you will pass a small building on your left where you will fill out a form with the inmates details and the amount you want deposited. You will give the guard the money and he will give you a receipt for the deposit. Please feel free to PM me if you want more specific details.

[pkspeaker]

If I was sentenced to 50 years i'd be a rapist or a murderer, or i would have done something insane like bringing a kilo of yaba into the airport.. your damn right i'm gonna laugh about it-you bleeding heart douch..

lemme tell you this other funny prison story, when they transferred me from the jail to the prison, first they sent me to this 'police station' or so I thought, inside was a very scummy jail cell, we had to sit in it all day until the evening when they crowded us into this caged van that went to the prison.. there was this little window and every so often it would open and there was this young woman on the other side and she would read something off a document or call on someone.. every 2 weeks everyone was being sent back to that place and then back to the prison in the evening..it sucked when your name was called over the loud speaker because that was you court day, youd go there and they'd like give you some peice of paper youd sit there all day and then go back to prison.. the day i got released i saw my GF waiting outside when the van arrived, she said i was going to court that day and she thinks they got my case done, so i sat in there all day, and then at the end i got called up to that little window and that Girl read some stuff to me, my lawyer came in and had me sign some docs, he left and i saw my GF, I said it's almost time to go back, I thought i was going to court today.. she said THIS IS the court.. I said OMG this is a court?.. a scummy dirty jail cell with a small window and this girl on the other side that reads stuff.. this is the court.. they took me back to prison along with everyone else, only this time i didn't go up to the crowded cell, i appeared first before a prison warden of some sort, and out i went with about 2 other guys.. it was like pitch dark outside, they just the door behind us and my GF was there with her brother to drive me home..happy day that was..

^^ Thankfully, you don't speak for the majority of inmates. As said, I have gotten in touch with an independent who visits the prison regularly and they are going to arrange a visit with someone who WANTS a visitor. Doubt they'll object to a few baht being put into their account either so they can actually survive in there.

You say you were in there for 1 month, fair enough. If you were sentenced to 50 years I doub't you have the same attitude about not wanting to have visitors.

[pkspeaker]

you know dude, i appreciate that your doing charity work, keep up the good deeds i guess.. just you know.. be careful, dont beleive everything everyone says..maybe your org will put money in and it will go to the wrong person, that type o stuff.. when i was there me and the japanese guy were feeding 8 other guys with the money out GFs were putting into our accounts.. it seemed there were several little groups like that.. make sure you naive guys dont get taken for a ride, it is prison.. you can survive inthere if you dont buy your own food, they do provide food, it just makes it suck much more if you have to eat the free stuff.

[alt]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Many thanks for the info.

I have been in contact with someone independent who has offered guidance and will ensure that the inmate I am going to visit knows that there is a visitor coming, and more importantly that they WANT a visitor.

I know if I was 'banged up abroad' i'd happily take a visit from a monkey if it meant they could tell me a little about what's going on in the outside world and provide me with some supplies.

JustinCider - Interesting that you say the prison shop is gone, I did not know that. I assume lodging money into the inmates prison bank account is safe? (ie. nothing going missing along the lines?)

No worries Alt. When you return from the main prison building after your visit you will pass a small building on your left where you will fill out a form with the inmates details and the amount you want deposited. You will give the guard the money and he will give you a receipt for the deposit. Please feel free to PM me if you want more specific details.

Thanks for the info, i'll PM you closer to the date

you know dude, i appreciate that your doing charity work, keep up the good deeds i guess.. just you know.. be careful, dont beleive everything everyone says..maybe your org will put money in and it will go to the wrong person, that type o stuff.. when i was there me and the japanese guy were feeding 8 other guys with the money out GFs were putting into our accounts.. it seemed there were several little groups like that.. make sure you naive guys dont get taken for a ride, it is prison.. you can survive inthere if you dont buy your own food, they do provide food, it just makes it suck much more if you have to eat the free stuff.

Again thanks for the info. The person I have been in contact is doing nothing more than obtaining me the list of prisoners, hopefully they'll let the prison (and the prisoner) know that there'll be a visitor. The small amount of cash i'd be planning on putting in would keep the inmate going for a while, not planning on lodging any huge amount due to the reasons you mention.

As for the troll replies - Cheers, keep them coming... very entertaining

[connda]

Change your profession to a trafficking 'mule'? You'll eventually get there.

[justanotheroldhippy]

Long time lurker, first time poster. There is a lot of misinformation below that I thought I could help clear up. I have been to Bwang Kwang many times over the years and procedures are always changing. Please see my notes below in bold:

"I don't think it's a good idea to 'randomly' visit someone like that..if you know of a specific person that is having a hard time and needs help, particularly needs financial help-ie putting money into their jail account-then you can help that person.. 99.99% of the inmates would welcome a visit. Their days are extremely monotonous and even a 'banana visit' (feeling like they are in a zoo) is much better than the alternative.

bt when you show up randomly like that, not even being a journalist who is writing about the conditions there, you are just clogging the system, the visitation at those prisons is VERY crowded, people are waiting for legal help, they are trying to get a glimpse of a loved one, your putting legitimate visits at an inconvenience so you can gawk at some random prisoner.. The visitation area is not crowded at all. Usually there are about 30 or 40 Thai family members on one side of the visiting area and 5-10 non-Thai volunteers, missionairies, embassy staff, family members 50 meters away on the other side. Gone are the days of everyone shouting through a wire fence trying to communicate across an open space to the prisoners behind a second wire fence. Now, each prisoner and visitor communicates by phone and the volume of noise is at a minimum. NO ONE is waiting for legal help or trying to catch glimpses of anything.

Also you put the inmates themselves at an inconvenience, when you visit someone there-they have to change their personal cloths into this dirty prison garb ( i heard this through the grapevine), possibly miss one of the food handouts, wait in lines and all to see someone that has no business.. You have no business there, it's not a zoo and it's NOT a tourist attraction..just stay away from that place." The inmates definitely do not change their clothes. What they wear to the visit is the exact same clothes they wear back in the yard. They definitely do not miss out on chow time. A visit is 45 minutes long and a prisoner is informed 5 minutes before the visit starts that they have a visitor. They do not wait in any lines and very easily come into the longhouse that holds the phones.

Food cannot be brought for the prisoner nor can it be currently bought at the prison. Previously you could buy various items at the prison store that would be given to the inmate, but those days are over for now. You can however make a deposit into a prisoners account and the prisoner will use that money for canteen purchases and for toiletries etc.

Heather Luna-Rose is doing amazing work and http://thailandprisonersupport.org/the-prisons/ would welcome the chance to arrange a visit with an inmate in need. Please pm me if I can answer any further questions. Lastly, regardless of your intentions, 99.99% of the inmates appreciate a visit and welcome the chance to break up the soul crushing monotony that is their lives at BK.

Cheers

Absolutely agreed 100%... and well done for making it clear and a positive things to do (Sorry, don't mean that to sound as patronising as it does!). A visit can be a real highlight for a lot of inmates, and an opportunity to make a 'penpal' if deemed appropriate. Just remember that that not all inmates are murderers and rapists etc... some have just made dumb/stupid/wrong decisions or choices! Prisoners abroad has a website that is worth visiting. As far as I am aware you WILL need the name of the person you are going to visit... can't just turn up on-spec.Ignore the negative crap from people... the world needs more 'do-gooders'... just please don't treat it as a freak show. Good on'yer!

[justanotheroldhippy]

If I was sentenced to 50 years i'd be a rapist or a murderer, or i would have done something insane like bringing a kilo of yaba into the airport.. your damn right i'm gonna laugh about it-you bleeding heart douch..

lemme tell you this other funny prison story, when they transferred me from the jail to the prison, first they sent me to this 'police station' or so I thought, inside was a very scummy jail cell, we had to sit in it all day until the evening when they crowded us into this caged van that went to the prison.. there was this little window and every so often it would open and there was this young woman on the other side and she would read something off a document or call on someone.. every 2 weeks everyone was being sent back to that place and then back to the prison in the evening..it sucked when your name was called over the loud speaker because that was you court day, youd go there and they'd like give you some peice of paper youd sit there all day and then go back to prison.. the day i got released i saw my GF waiting outside when the van arrived, she said i was going to court that day and she thinks they got my case done, so i sat in there all day, and then at the end i got called up to that little window and that Girl read some stuff to me, my lawyer came in and had me sign some docs, he left and i saw my GF, I said it's almost time to go back, I thought i was going to court today.. she said THIS IS the court.. I said OMG this is a court?.. a scummy dirty jail cell with a small window and this girl on the other side that reads stuff.. this is the court.. they took me back to prison along with everyone else, only this time i didn't go up to the crowded cell, i appeared first before a prison warden of some sort, and out i went with about 2 other guys.. it was like pitch dark outside, they just the door behind us and my GF was there with her brother to drive me home..happy day that was..

^^ Thankfully, you don't speak for the majority of inmates. As said, I have gotten in touch with an independent who visits the prison regularly and they are going to arrange a visit with someone who WANTS a visitor. Doubt they'll object to a few baht being put into their account either so they can actually survive in there.

You say you were in there for 1 month, fair enough. If you were sentenced to 50 years I doub't you have the same attitude about not wanting to have visitors.

ok... fair enough... that was YOUR experience... in THAT particular prison... but Bang Kwang is NOT like that! NO 'dirty' prison clothes... and the court is a 'proper' court... pretty similar to a UK court in some respects... so, in a nutshell... not everyone feels the same as you about visits... not everyone in prison had the same experience or attitude as you... and not every prison is the same as the one you were in. Glad you are out though mate... sounds like you had a bit of a rough time, and a month can feel like a year in that kind of situation I reckon.