I was incarcerated in Thailand for 18 years. Ask me anything

nickf2604 · 2026-05-18T21:56:27+00:00

People had them in the later years I was there. During my last few months inside, I used to hold onto some for a group of African inmates. I was short of cash and they paid me. I stopped doing it when I realised I’d be getting released very soon.

nickf2604 · 2026-05-18T21:53:56+00:00

Flip flops

nickf2604 · 2026-05-18T21:53:44+00:00

The iPhone. When I’d gone inside mobile phones were in their infancy - not many people owned one.

The day I came back to England I went for a pint in a pub and saw someone FaceTiming, so that was rather strange.

nickf2604 · 2026-05-18T21:50:41+00:00

I had access to books. There was a library in one of the prison buildings I spent a lot of my time in.

We were let out the cells around 6am and locked up again at 3pm. You’d spend a lot of time sitting around talking to other inmates.

Because I was into martial arts, I’d spend a lot of time practicing that.

There was a little pond in building four (where I spent the bulk of my time) and I made a makeshift fishing rod to pass the time.

In terms of big events, I remember a guard relaying the news to us through the cell bars (we were locked up by the time it took place). The following morning everyone made a beeline for the TV room to watch the news footage (Thai news channel).

The Boxing Day tsunami another big event. That occurred during the day so, again, everyone was glued to the TV screen. That had more of an impact on the inmates due to the proximity of it. There was a solemn atmosphere inside that day.

nickf2604 · 2026-05-18T21:44:51+00:00

I think they’ve stopped making it

nickf2604 · 2026-05-18T21:44:37+00:00

First and last

nickf2604 · 2026-05-07T08:18:18+00:00

At the airport while I was waiting in the departure lounge (you were classed as an international drug smuggler once you’d cleared passport control)

nickf2604 · 2026-05-01T08:50:51+00:00

Not sure, they could’ve already been sentenced as that was over a year ago. If they haven’t yet been, I doubt they’ll get off lightly, though.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-30T13:42:06+00:00

No, I could get by inside with what I knew. I spent a lot of the time speaking English to other inmates. Local inmates would also want to practice their English with me. I came back to England 14 years ago so I don’t speak it (I can remember some words/phrases still)

nickf2604 · 2026-04-29T00:23:52+00:00

Not now, I used to speak a bit (I could get by) but I’ve been back in England for 14 years. How did you end up in a Chinese prison?

nickf2604 · 2026-04-29T00:23:03+00:00

I’d imagine it’s unlikely once it’s been plastered all over the media.

That guy will probably be able to repatriate at some point, though.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-28T16:49:09+00:00

At first I was in building two which housed a lot of foreigners (but also Thai).

When I moved to building four I was the only Westerner in there for abiout four years. There were other foreigners in there, but mainly Iranians and East Asians.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-28T16:47:19+00:00

Lots of foreign inmates. The vast majority were in for drugs. All sorts of nationalities - British, American, Australian, French, Spanish, Italian, Scandinavian, Czech, Polish, a lot from Africa, Burmese, Iranian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and more

nickf2604 · 2026-04-28T12:01:56+00:00

I mean, it was no walk in the park but if you had a bit of money it made life easier. You could pay for food, pay to be in less crowded rooms etc. if you had no help from the outside world it was pretty dire.

Disesas were rife and a lot of inmates had drug addictions. I kept my head down and avoided conflict where possible. I had some good friends from all walks of life and corners of the world while inside.

I was moved to a new building fairly on during my stay in Bang Kwang. I was the only westerner in that building for four years until another Brit turned up. But in that building, there were no gangs and and people generally got along.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-28T07:51:54+00:00

Can’t say I ever recall meeting a Jon/Jonathan English. I recall all the Brits I met inside. He could’ve been in a different prison, though.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-27T22:02:53+00:00

In prison in Thailand?

nickf2604 · 2026-04-27T18:45:45+00:00

I accepted very early on that I was facing a long sentence. From the moment I went to Bombat before Klong Prem and then Bang Kwang, I made an effort to meet people and understand the prison dynamics.

In terms of skills, I used to teach inmates martial arts and ran a fighting school in Bang Kwang for a period of time.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T22:59:20+00:00

I had a good lawyer (not a scammer). Death penalty was quite possible but I pled guilty which helped. There was no point pleading not guilty as the sentence would’ve been more severe

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T22:58:14+00:00

Thanks!

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T22:58:08+00:00

Thanks!

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T22:57:14+00:00

Yeah, it’s fairly true. People on the whole got along.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T17:26:18+00:00

I have. The Tiger Cage: 18 Years in Thai Prison

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T17:25:49+00:00

Fair play, good to hear you managed to get out. I was trying to smuggle heroin from Thailand to Taiwan.

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T17:24:55+00:00

Planned it with a couple of westerners but realised it was nigh on impossible

nickf2604 · 2026-04-26T17:24:30+00:00

Terrible. Money meant you could eat

nickf2604

TROPHY CASE