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Reply to this topicIt's a terrible experience, and certainly some lessons can be learned from his ordeal.
IAMA 32 year old man who spent the last 6 years locked up in a prison in Thailand.
Hi Reddit,
For reasons unknown to me I am willing to share the events of the past 6 years.
To start I have been back in the States for a little over 6 months and have come to appreciate all we have here, if not much by some standards.
I was arrested for "battery" while fighting in the defense of a young woman.
In answer to your assumptions, yes she was a dancer and yes I probably took it a little to far.
I was tried in less than 4 weeks with a favorable ruling for "The King"
I was ordered to pay $8,000 in damages with a 6 month prison sentence.
1 week prior to my release I was stabbed in the elbow by a fellow inmate. This altercation created a 30-50 man yard fight that was ultimately placed on my head.
At the time I was not sure what I had done to piss off my attacker. Years later I would find... he just didn't like Westerners.A pretty common theme.
This fight injured 6 guards and left 4 inmates dead.
I was given 15 years beyond my initial sentence.
I was declined any appeal, through 4 different law practices.
During that time, I was subject to savage treatment an conditions.
I suppose I will keep it to "just the facts" and leave the rest to be ferreted out by Redditors.
EDIT: I have been at it for a few hours, and I will respond to all questions. Just need a break. Thanks!
EDIT: Reddit you are great, but the comments just went from 230-720. I will get to as many as I can!
Q: Question
C: Comment
A: Answer
Q: Have you pitched your story to the Locked Up Abroad show yet?
A: Ha, EVERYONE has told me that. I have not, honestly would prefer to remain as anonymous as possible. Not a chance, I still put "never arrested" on the resume.
Q: How did you get out early?
A: I found out 2 days prior to my release that I would be leaving. They opened the door and put me on the street. My attorney says it is common for them to "clean house" when they cant cram anyone else in.
C: Ahh so its all about justice and due process. Fucking hell!
A: It was a zoo, The American consulate walked out of the courtroom and my attorney couldn't speak a word of English. That's a whole other story.
Q: Wow man, that sucks. How clean were the prison facilities in general?
A: Potable water was not running, a communal bucket for 12 men. The grounds were littered with feces, trash, animals, insects. constant disease. No waste cans, I lived in "temporary" housing that held 60 men. Designed for fewer than 15.
Q: What was the most horrific thing you saw?
A: I saw an inmate literally loose his eye (as in out of his head) on a concrete step. I saw someone so desperate for a dentist that he removed his own tooth with a metal can. I understand he never got the tooth out but fractured his jaw so badly they set him free without care.
C: Ok I had loads of questions to ask you. Your ordeal sounds fascinating and I hope you are adjusting to a happy life but I have to leave and throw up after the eyeball story. Almost every part of my body is convulsing with the images in my head. Sleep well.
A: Thanks,
Next time go with "what was a slightly unpleasant thing you saw"
C: No - i didn't ask that question. I just should never had read your answer. That must have been utterly horrendous :-(
A: I puked for weeks....weeks. Nightmares...I still see it today.
Q: Sorry, I don't understand the timeline. How long did you actually spend in prison? When did this attack on you happen?
A: I was sentenced in August of 2004, I was stabbed on Christmas day of that same year. February of 05 I was sentenced to 15 including time served. So I had about 14 years left. February of 2011 I was home. I spent approx. 6 years in.
C: Oh ok thanks. I hope you are enjoying your freedom.
A: Thanks! American beds are still way to soft for me!
Q: Did you carry a shank around for protection? Or is that more of a us prison thing ?
A: I did not carry a shank...most didn't... There are weapons everywhere. All over the prison yards, pieces of re-bar, decaying concrete, you can even peel sharpened tiles off.
Q: Curious about the incident that led to this. When you say you came to the defense, was he about to hit her or something? Also you say you probably took it a little too far. Not saying this was fair or just, but how badly was this other guy beaten up?
A: He was beating her, not sure what the argument was about, but it turned out to be her brother. I didn't know that at the time. In essence I saw him hitting her and I walked up behind him and hit him in the side of the head. I am no tough guy but he went down like a sack of bricks. I then kicked him in the head until the staff pulled me off. His injuries were pretty severe. Broken nose and cheekbone, scull fracture and partial vision loss in his left eye. (hence the monetary damages)
C: Not sure what to think. On one hand, I don't think anyone has a right to lay hand on a woman like that, family or not. I most likely would have intervened in someway. Also I know while the U.S. prison system is far from perfect, no one should be kept in such squalor and dangerous conditions as you have.
On the other hand, if he "went down like a sack of bricks" after a single punch, then that should have sufficed. He should have gotten the message. Probably would have still gotten in trouble from the authorities, but the consequences would have been far less severe.
I understand your intent was good but breaking bones and causing a guy to go partially blind in a situation, while fucked up, wasn't life threatening was a bit much.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
A: I completely agree,
I am no hero and alcohol most certainly made me take it way beyond necessary.
For years I walked around feeling like the Batman of Thailand. Screaming I was innocent, but ultimately... I made a horrible decision.
C: it was the heat of the moment I imagine is why you kept on beating the guy.
A: it was alcohol and a dancer named siu. I lost my cool, completely the heat of the moment. I didn't realize how much damage I had done until after. I had never been in a fight before in my life.
Q: what were you doing in thailand? i mean, traveling? for fun? hanging out? sabbatical?
A: That's the worst part.
I had just started a job with a BPO firm and was there for induction.
Q: How much Thai did you know before you went to prison and how much did you know when you left? Can you now read Thai script at all?
A: Very few people in prison can read or write. In fact there are no courses, libraries, no resources of any kind. I am now "semi fluent" in speaking Thai, but with so many regional dialects it gets very confusing. On top of that I kept to myself almost exclusively the first 2 years.
There are a lot more stories there in reddit of this American's ordeal in Thai prison. Check it out there.
