Life in thai prisons

Some of us often use the Paknam web network to learn thai, order books, read thai blogs and forums, and much more. This network includes many websites which are maintained by students from a school in Samut Prakan, and in fact I could not think of more complete resources covering many aspects of life in Thailand.

One of the students, who from what I understand was the leader in developing the sites, was called Gor, and he used to write a weekly column in the Bangkok Post when he was still very young. I had met him in his school where I had bought some books and besides being quite cute, he was also a very shy guy but with a great personality.

Gor is now in prison for having been found with five drug pills in his pocket ; he has just written a book which is a story about life of thai teenagers. This book (in English !) is entitled "Gor's Thailand life" and could interest many of us I am sure ...

Gor a student, columnist, webmaster, drug addict, father and prisoner

Gor also writes a blog about life in prison and describes his daily life ; you will find it at http://www.thaiprisonlife.com/

Those who want to know more about sex in thai male prisons will probably read this excerpt with some interest ...
Now I am the cell boss which is sort of good news, but it is also really bad news. I didn’t ask for this job. The old cell boss is now chained up in solitary confinement. Last week, about five people from my cell gang raped a hilltribe boy. It happened during the middle of the night and as I was sleeping I didn’t learn about it until the following morning. Normally these kinds of things don’t get reported if it happens to boys from Burma, Cambodia or Laos. They are never here longer than 90 days. But, this hilltribe boy knew someone who had been here for a while and he reported it for him. The cell boss didn’t actually have anything to do with this gang rape, but he is responsible for anything that happens. So, all of them have now been chained up and moved to a different section of the prison. The cell boss will probably wear leg irons for about three months. I doubt he will get his job back again.
Rapes don’t really happen that often. Usually after the first time it happens, the boy sort of agrees for it to continue in return for food and other stuff. This doesn’t mean that they are gay. It is just that they have been here a long time. People can also buy sexual favours from the lady boys. I hope I will never have to do that, but I must admit that some of the ladyboys are starting to look attractive. Pornographic magazines are naturally banned in prison. However, it is possible to rent one for the night for one packet of cigarettes. If the guards catch you they will punish you and confiscate the magazine. The owner of the magazine will then fine you 15 packets of cigarettes. You have to pay otherwise you will get beaten up.