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Thailand's Most Notorious Prison, Bang Kwang, Otherwise Known As "Big Tiger" Or "The Bangkok Hilton"

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Bangkok's Bang Kwang Prison has a reputation as one of the hardest jails on the planet, known for poor living conditions, gross human rights violations and violent abuse inflicted on prisoners at the hands of the guards. All prisoners are required to wear leg irons, having chains fastened to their ankles and welded in place. In the book "The Damage Done", former prisoner Warren Fellows describes how if you fail to pay the standard bribe to the prison blacksmith, he intentionally fastens the shackles far too tight, causing serious wounds and infection to the lower leg and ankle area.

The prison has earned the nickname of "Big Tiger", as Thai prisoners liken the jail to a "man eater", a place where men are chewed up and spit out. Prisoners tell stories of being starved, deprived of any meat, and given nothing but white rice. In the past it had been that Thai prisoners would be given more nutritious red rice (similar to brown rice), while foreign prisoners would only be given white rice. When foreign governments questioned this policy, labeling it as discrimination, the Thai authorities responded by giving all prisoners the less nutritious white rice.

Due to the lack of meat available for consumption inside the prison, inmates have been known to hunt and kill rats inside the prison walls, butchering them and trading them as if they were livestock. Warren Fellows describes this as being much like a butcher shop, with a rat drawn and quartered hanging on display for all to see. He said that many of the inmates would trade cigarettes for a side of rat, or a rat stew.

In his book, Fellows offers countless detailed accounts of the horrifying events that go on behind the walls of Bangkok's most feared prison, perhaps the most disturbing story was a tale of conjugal visits for prisoners in the prison barnyard. According to Fellows, prisoners would pay bribes to the guards in order to afford them some quality alone time with the pigs of the prison's farmyard.

Life inside the prison is unbearable, especially if you are not one of the few that are fortunate enough to have the financial means to purchase what little food and comforts that are allowed. Those who have no money to buy food and cigarettes, will end up working as virtual slaves for those prisoners who are slightly more fortunate. Due to the nature of corruption in Thailand, prison guards are easily bribed, and drug use is common among inmates.

Perhaps the most famous guest at the legendary Bangkok Hilton is the Russian arms dealer Viktor Bout, who was the subject of the Hollywood film "Lord Of War", staring Nicholas Cage. The film is based on the life of Viktor Bout, who was played in the movie by Cage.

Mr. Bout has since been extradited to America, where he says the conditions are even worse than they are in Bangkok. In a recent statement he said " It's like comparing a zoo and a mental hospital. In Thailand inmates are kept in cages in relatively fresh air and treated like animals. In the United States they are treated like highly dangerous lunatics. Total control of each movement. No sunlight, air or sky. Nothing of the kind."


Comments

Lynne on October 02, 2020:

gone quiet ..i guess it was you Paul after all

Lynne on October 01, 2020:

i have loads of info ..if your interested J

J on September 29, 2020:

All in good time Lynne .

IP addresses have been submitted to the police . Watch what happens next.

lynne on September 29, 2020:

Who are you J....more correct info please ...

Scroll to Continue

Not just for me ...but i have many people interested in the latest comment you made, for various personal reasons...we have all been effected directly in many many ways by this family .

We all want the TRUTH

Why is Peter back in Prison ? How did his brother put him back in there ?

IS ALL YOU SAY TRUE or will it be poinless to even read any future comments ?

Ross on September 27, 2020:

peter is no man he runs from his kids and i visit him in prison to say f you

J on September 16, 2020:

Peter is back in prison thanks to his brother .

peter Checkley on July 29, 2020:

yes it is me i am now free and in England

Lynne Dagmar Andrews on April 13, 2020:

why is nobody leaving option for contact on here ...what is the point of this conversation

Lynne Dagmar Andrews on April 13, 2020:

I am intreaged [ J ..who are you BTW. ] private message me on my FB account ..

n e..... yes it is the Peter from Redditch

Why would Paul put such a thing ?...it is a complete lie that Peter murdered his wife !...i am not defending or accusing Peter , but just saying he did not kill his wife .

Maybe some kinda sick joke

Contact his mother Anette J Jones on Fb if u want to know the whole story

A on March 24, 2020:

More info

J on September 02, 2019:

Hes not doing life for murdering his wife thats a lie!!! Paul being his brother maybe you should be telling everyone the truth

Paul Checkley on January 09, 2019:

He’s doing life for murdering his wife

n e on August 03, 2014:

Please can you tell me if this man PETER CHECKLEY used to live in Birmingham, redditch area, United Kingdom many years ago?

I have important information if this is the man in question!

weimcrazy on January 10, 2013:

I kow of peter what crime has he been charged with ?? i can't help if I don't know anything

jodi

Anonymous on November 12, 2012:

What's with all the question marks?

A Friend on April 03, 2012:

Please help Brit in Thailand Bangkok KLONG PREM ?PRISON PETER DARREN CHECKLEY DAN-5 will die soon. ?i am a close friend to Peter he is very well ?liked. he is doing a life sentence of which he ?has now done 4 years. he has no visits no letters ?he is all alone. the britsh embassy comes to see ?him from time to time but Peter does not.go to ?see them. he really is inocent and has the prof in ?black and white stamped by the big police in ?Chanthaburi. the English Embassy have a copy and ?say yes we can see he is inocent and the British ?Government says the same. but do not do a thing to ?help. many of us here can easyly see by the ?paperwork PETER DARREN CHECKLEY has he should ?never be here. his been in Thailand over 20 years ?never been in trouble has wife children bessness ?but all lost and gone. Please help him if only to ?get his side heared i have been asked by 22 ?prisoners to beg you to help. A man should not ?die like this not when he is inocent. even the ?Thai Law its writon its better to let go 10 ?gilty men than to put one inocent man in prison. ?well Peter is that one inocent man.

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