Prisoners in Pattaya Soi 9 jail praise farang ‘heroes’ for unblocking their toilet

[Rimmer]

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[rosst]

6 hours ago, darksidedog said:

I used to be a volunteer with hand to hand visiting the cells at Soi 9 and Banglamung three times a week. It became apparent very quickly that the cops had absolutely no care whatsoever about any problems or how appalling the cells were. Blocked toilets were a regular occurrence and it was up to the inmates to sort it out. Virtually all of the maintenance, cleaning, painting, installation of fans etc. was done by Hand to Hand. Margaret Grainger, who heads the group up, is a very special sort of woman. The world would be a far better place if there were more around like her and well done to her again, for once more jumping in to save the day.

How wonderful of these people to help those in such dire circumstances, heroic efforts, that is not easy to do.  Well done all. 

[digbeth]

How long does the typical inmates stay in Soi 9? I understand it's only a holding cells for the station right? couple of days? weeks? or are there many who couldn't post bail and has to stay there until proper sentencing to get sent to actual prison on the dark side? 

[daboyz1]

Is it April 1st?

[roo860]

I had the pleasure of staying there a few weeks. the only time the cops entered the cells is to supply their ladyboy goons with yaba and collect proceeds from the days sales. there was one occasion when they came in and searched everybody because the ladyboy in charge had lost the proceeds from the days sales. apart from that, everything is done by the ladyboys, including negotiating payments for release.

Was your 'release' assisted by a lady boy?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[Thechook]

Isn't it the responsibility of the authorities and not farangs

[gk10002000]

I would support that.  Shame on the government and police or military or whoever for not maintaining things a little bit above cave man cave status.  But how are the volunteers actually allowed to help and do work?  Don't they need visas or work permits even for volunteer work?

[F4UCorsair]

22 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Sometimes also known as 'Hand inn Bog Foundation' !

Are you te lling me that the authorities would not pay a qualified Thai plumber for unblocking it ! 

A qualified Thai plumber?.....some of the plumbing I've seen In Thailand would suggest no such person exosts.

[Margie Grainger]

18 hours ago, Margie Grainger said:

Hi Chip Allen you don't have to be Christian to work with us and we would love to introduce you to our work. Please contact me on xxxxxxxx

 

Edited by KhunBENQ: it violates forum rules to publish phone numbers.

People interested can contact you via personal message in the forum.

Duplicate posts removed.

Thanks so much for letting me know. Sorry...

[balo]

Do you need work permits to do this kind of job ? 

[phycokiller]

16 hours ago, roo860 said:

 

Was your 'release' assisted by a lady boy?

Sent from my SM-G920F using Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app
 

no, soi 9 is just remand, most people are only there one or 2 days so dont get to study their activities, it was only because of their disorganisation that I was there long enough to observe their drug dealing activities

Edited August 21, 2017 by phycokiller

[Dobredin Ghusputin]

On 8/20/2017 at 2:03 AM, rooster59 said:

Many of the inmates are illegal immigrants from neighbouring countries, the foundation says.

 

Why can't they just unblock their own toilets?

 

 

[phycokiller]

8 minutes ago, Dobredin Ghusputin said:

 

Why can't they just unblock their own toilets?

 

 

because having to do it with your bare hands and no soap to wash with afterwards is sort of off putting, not to mention a health hazard, although you do have to wonder where the shit was going in the meantime

[chickenslegs]

On 20/08/2017 at 10:48 AM, Chip Allen said:

Though not a believer, I would be proud to help this group in any way I could. Contact information?  I live here in Jomtien and I often wonder about ways to help the less fortunate, especially those in jails. This is good work that these people do.

I was thinking the same and found this information with a Google search ... http://www.handtohandpattaya.com/

 

If the link doesn't work just search for hand to hand pattaya.

[thaibeachlovers]

Good on them for doing it, but while I know the food given is probably pretty bad, I'm disturbed to read that the prisoners don't get enough water. That is just cruelty, IMO.

Water is so cheap there is no excuse for that.

[darksidedog]

15 minutes ago, thaibeachlovers said:

Good on them for doing it, but while I know the food given is probably pretty bad, I'm disturbed to read that the prisoners don't get enough water. That is just cruelty, IMO.

Water is so cheap there is no excuse for that.

Mate, there is essentially no food(one portion of sticky rice in a leaf per day) and definitely no water given out for free. You have to buy it at horribly inflated prices. Your friends can visit and bring some, but the guards will expect a bribe to accept it. I remember one day taking some food and water to a guy in Banglamung cells and had just reluctantly paid 500 baht for the privilege. While I was waiting to hand it in, the guard went in to the cells and started berating the inmates as to how they were bad people and that they needed to change their ways. I was stunned at the hypocrisy and would have asked for my 500 baht back if I had handed the food in already. Remember, all of the people in the cells had been arrested, but not yet been to court, so were technically still innocent. The cops ARE cruel. Before Hand to Hand sent the water in it was 30 Baht a small bottle and 50 for a big one. Extortion apparently wasn't considered a crime.

[southcoast]

On 8/20/2017 at 5:38 AM, RichardColeman said:

If you're quick you can probably still catch the turds floating near the beach now.

And if you miss them today i am sure as hell you will see them tomorrow, and the next day and the following weeks to come...

[phycokiller]

theres no food at all at soi 9, your friends can bring you food during visiting hours, or can leave it outside visiting hours but the police eat it if looks good, and then the ladyboys will have their cut when they deliver it to you too. but fellow prisoners are generous, and the church group delivers barely edible jam on white bread sandwiches everyday, so you probably wont starve. and there is tap water

Edited August 23, 2017 by phycokiller

[thaibeachlovers]

2 hours ago, phycokiller said:

theres no food at all at soi 9, your friends can bring you food during visiting hours, or can leave it outside visiting hours but the police eat it if looks good, and then the ladyboys will have their cut when they deliver it to you too. but fellow prisoners are generous, and the church group delivers barely edible jam on white bread sandwiches everyday, so you probably wont starve. and there is tap water

That's shocking. So if a farang with no friends gets banged up they starve?

I was wondering about tap water.  Ok if one doesn't worry about getting some disease? I guess one can at least have a wash.

[phycokiller]

3 hours ago, thaibeachlovers said:

That's shocking. So if a farang with no friends gets banged up they starve?

I was wondering about tap water.  Ok if one doesn't worry about getting some disease? I guess one can at least have a wash.

the Thai prisoners will share their food if they see you have none, its generally quite a friendly atmosphere apart from some of the goons the police keep in there permanently,  so you wont stave. but you should only be there till court the next morning, unless its the weekend or they are trying to bribe money out of you. tap water in Pattaya is safe in theory. dirty concrete floors not so conducive to sleep, but to make up for it you get a nice view of the beach if you stand on the toilet

Edited August 23, 2017 by phycokiller

[Reigntax]

On Sunday, August 20, 2017 at 2:38 PM, RichardColeman said:

If you're quick you can probably still catch the turds floating near the beach now.

 

No, they have already been collected and escorted, by a flag waving guide back to their bus

Edited August 23, 2017 by Reigntax

[gk10002000]

On 8/21/2017 at 1:01 AM, phycokiller said:

because having to do it with your bare hands and no soap to wash with afterwards is sort of off putting, not to mention a health hazard, although you do have to wonder where the shit was going in the meantime

and after the unblocking it flows right across the street into the sea

[sklmeeera]

On 8/20/2017 at 0:30 PM, smotherb said:

Not all Thais are always trying  to eek out a living. There are many wealthy Thais and maybe even many more who have farang jackpots. The Thais have not yet developed the nanny state most of us are used to. Many jails in the middle east are far worse. They seem to believe, and I see some merit in it, that if you have violated the laws of the land, you have lost your right to decent treatment and normal expectations.

Its fairly DISGUSTING that there are many violent and sadistic killers living a life of luxury in UK jails . There seems to be no DETERRENT any more for these violent offenders . 

[smotherb]

6 hours ago, sklmeeera said:

Its fairly DISGUSTING that there are many violent and sadistic killers living a life of luxury in UK jails . There seems to be no DETERRENT any more for these violent offenders . 

Exactly, one of the men who worked for me in Saudi was arrested upon his return from leave in Thailand because he had two tabs of Captagon--a methamphetamine which was sold over the counter in the 80's here in Thailand. He was held in a cell with 30-40 other prisoners in a drug jail in Riyadh. There were no facilities, no furniture and only a dirt floor with a hole in one corner and a few buckets of water given daily. If you wanted food, no problem, a food cart was rolled past the cell. If you needed medicine, no problem, a pharmaceutical cart was rolled by. Only, you had to pay for the food and medicines; neither was provided for you. As was explained to me by a jailer; the prisoners had broken the laws of society and deserved no civil treatment. The jailers expected the prisoners to have people on the outside who thought enough of the prisoners to bring them food, medicines and money. If the prisoner had no outside help; that was his problem--he could just die. Needless to say, I brought my man food and money every few days. He and the other prisoners learned to share in that jail.  

[Mrjlh]

OK, I'll let you  in on a big secret and it won't be a secret after this!  Too many blabber mouths here.  After 11 years here I have learned a few things and seeing I'm leaving in 6 more weeks I really don't care too much anymore (as if I was worried).

 

First lesson, Thais are literal. So if you use the word "Volunteer" that equates to "work" which equates to "Work permit".  And that can spell trouble.

 

Second lesson: If you have provable "Expert" credentials in any field, there is a provision that allows you to get a WP provided an agency sponsors you. So keep that in mind. It's also a little more complicated than that.  So use that in you Hobby... the next lesson.

 

Third lesson: so you spend your time with your "Hobby".  Some peoples hobby is golf, some are camping, some are running...you get the idea.  Some are helping children with the English Language. Notice I avoided using the word Teaching? Some people have "advised" certain groups how to perform better. Notice I avoided the word "Consult". The words I avoided equate to "Work" and I don't do Work... I have a Hobby.

My hobbies have included doing things for Immigration when it first started using volunteers in the Phuket Office. Left that quickly when it became apparent a few were in it for the power trip and I just didn't care for their attitude.  My hobby's have included the Tourist Police in Korat with English flyers. Royal Thai Police in Bangkok  (cannot divulge but fun). The Air Force Museum in Bangkok.  And finally with the major government agency for which I will be parting with soon, knowing I have made a major impact on how that agency now conducts business for tourists. I actually lobbied and received acceptance for a policy change all the way up to the Inspector Generals Office but lost the bid at a higher office that would have helped all Expats living here. When I actually leave I might say who it was with and what it was for.

 

In all my hobby's I never took one baht for my time spent.  Therefore, I never worked and I never took any salary nor did I replace any Thai citizen's job.  In fact, I manged to get several Thais hired in my travels through my contacts. I would not say I was well connected as much as having made friends in the right places. So you see, you can have a Hobby here and do something constructive in your life if you work the system and not talk about it. You don't flaunt it. Try to keep a low profile.  It's funny that I say that, because my picture is plastered all over this country in all of my last government offices.  It's all about how you play the game.  So go out and find a Hobby!  So as not to rock the boat now, when I leave I'll suggest one for you.

Edited September 3, 2017 by Mrjlh

[jenny2017]

 

   Jesus did it. 

[Mrjlh]

Oops forgive me...I didn't mean and it wasn't my intention to hijack this thread. Only showing how you can spend your time here as these fine individuals are doing in helping the prisoners.