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Review
...disturbing account of life in a Bangkok jail, Martin chronicles his struggle to survive inside one of the world's most dangerous prisons.' --Dan Buckley, Irish Examiner, 20th June 2005.
Liverpool Echo
'A fascinating read, horrifying and entertaining in equal measure. Superbly written.'
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I have no doubt that the state of Thai prisons is as harsh as made out in this book.
Having lived in Thailand for months at a time, I would suggest that the corruption, and violence that stems from that rotten core, as described in this book is perfectly accurate. To say that Police, prison guards and other Thai's treat farang with utter distain I would suggest, is also highly likely. They don't like us much as it is when we're out on the streets, let alone convicted of a serious crime and awaiting sentance.
The thing that had me raising an eyebrow was the inconsistancy of Colin Martin's character.
A family man to start. Kids, wife, good business acumen. Conned out of some serious cash by hard hitting and large scale fraudsters. Ok. So far so good. It happens.
But then we see a darker side to Martin. Maybe its in the way he chose to write the book, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but a man goes from placid businessman, to someone who stalks and hunts the men who ripped him off. Still feasable. For 3 years? Benefit of the doubt.
But the moment comes when he meets one of the fellons and he smashes his face in with a headbutt?! No pre banterr, no real conversing or at least threatening... Just Bang !!! Headbutt and assault. From here on in I was just not taking to Martin's pitiful story probably as much as I should have been.
The fight by the road puzzled me greatly too. And the "evidence" brought against him at a later date. The fight itself seemed to be described in a disjointed fashion. Then later in the book we hear that the dead man had been stabbed more than once. Martin himself describes the police report. But he doesn't try to ask for answers. Or if he did, he didn't write it down in the book? If I had been sent to prison for murdering a man who's body went missing, then turned up, but was never physically seen by anyone, I'd demand to ask for photos, fingerprints. My lawyer to see the corpse... anything. But he doesn't. Its all just too weird.
As for his treatment by the police, the prison system and the general population of Lard Yao prison, among others, that part of the book I have no doubt is as accurate as you can get, and I feel desperately sorry for Colin Martin during that hellish plight.
I love Thailand to bits,and my thai friends, but I can see why after reading this you may never want to go there.
A book that is disjointed in its construction, but thoroughly frightening in its content. For a completely differing point of view, read "The last executioner" by Chavoret Jaruboon. This book will help you see that nothing is what it seems, and that no one is completely objective with the facts, in this case about criminality and punishment in Bangkok, be it Colin Martin or Mr Jaruboon.
Having lived in Thailand for months at a time, I would suggest that the corruption, and violence that stems from that rotten core, as described in this book is perfectly accurate. To say that Police, prison guards and other Thai's treat farang with utter distain I would suggest, is also highly likely. They don't like us much as it is when we're out on the streets, let alone convicted of a serious crime and awaiting sentance.
The thing that had me raising an eyebrow was the inconsistancy of Colin Martin's character.
A family man to start. Kids, wife, good business acumen. Conned out of some serious cash by hard hitting and large scale fraudsters. Ok. So far so good. It happens.
But then we see a darker side to Martin. Maybe its in the way he chose to write the book, maybe I'm reading too much into it, but a man goes from placid businessman, to someone who stalks and hunts the men who ripped him off. Still feasable. For 3 years? Benefit of the doubt.
But the moment comes when he meets one of the fellons and he smashes his face in with a headbutt?! No pre banterr, no real conversing or at least threatening... Just Bang !!! Headbutt and assault. From here on in I was just not taking to Martin's pitiful story probably as much as I should have been.
The fight by the road puzzled me greatly too. And the "evidence" brought against him at a later date. The fight itself seemed to be described in a disjointed fashion. Then later in the book we hear that the dead man had been stabbed more than once. Martin himself describes the police report. But he doesn't try to ask for answers. Or if he did, he didn't write it down in the book? If I had been sent to prison for murdering a man who's body went missing, then turned up, but was never physically seen by anyone, I'd demand to ask for photos, fingerprints. My lawyer to see the corpse... anything. But he doesn't. Its all just too weird.
As for his treatment by the police, the prison system and the general population of Lard Yao prison, among others, that part of the book I have no doubt is as accurate as you can get, and I feel desperately sorry for Colin Martin during that hellish plight.
I love Thailand to bits,and my thai friends, but I can see why after reading this you may never want to go there.
A book that is disjointed in its construction, but thoroughly frightening in its content. For a completely differing point of view, read "The last executioner" by Chavoret Jaruboon. This book will help you see that nothing is what it seems, and that no one is completely objective with the facts, in this case about criminality and punishment in Bangkok, be it Colin Martin or Mr Jaruboon.
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As I started reading this book,lying in my warm, clean and comfortable bed it was difficult to imagine the filth, inhumanity and degradation of life in a Thai prison.
Thanks to the brilliance of the author I was soon transported to the endless noise and smells of the streets of Bangkok. From there I was taken to Thai villages before visiting police stations and eventually a fetid jail.
This journey through eight years of the authors life took me six hours to read....I was captivated by the events and also the way they were told.
Thanks to the brilliance of the author I was soon transported to the endless noise and smells of the streets of Bangkok. From there I was taken to Thai villages before visiting police stations and eventually a fetid jail.
This journey through eight years of the authors life took me six hours to read....I was captivated by the events and also the way they were told.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is a bit of a belter, I had previously read The Damage Done, at least you could say Warren Fellows deserved to be there. This book highlights the sort of trouble you can end up in when overseas, it is both well written and hard to stop reading. I would argue that Thailand is in fact a wonderful country and the people can in most cases be trusted, the legal system is a real problem though.
Read this book it has something for everyone and is more than just another prison nightmare.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Disappointing
After reading The Damage Done by Warren Fellows (I recommend this highly if you're looking for books about prison life and corruption) I was excited about downloading this book. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dystopiana
Knowing is believing harsh but the truth ////
I read the book and could relate to what Martin experienced in the hands of the Thai Courts
and no laws expect monkey laws. Read more
and no laws expect monkey laws. Read more
Published 5 months ago by FREESPIRIT
Almost a complete nonsense
At best the author is a naive fool and at worst a complete moron. If there was a mistake to be made, he made it. If there was a logical solution to his problem he ignored it. Read more
Published 9 months ago by M. D. Scott
Innocent...? I am not so sure.....
I have read a few of these books so was expecting the same sort of story - Thai corruption, dirty prisons etc... Read more
Published 9 months ago by A. E. Bartholomew
Not for the faint hearted
Before reading this book I had read Schappelle Corby's book and also that of Warren Fellowes who both gave accounts of their time in Thai jails. Read more
Published 15 months ago by Unabryn
Time without hope
This is a fantastic book easy to follow and a change from the usual drug bust and banged up stories
That most Thai prisons are about
Having read Mr. Read more
That most Thai prisons are about
Having read Mr. Read more
Published 18 months ago by masspecguy
welcome to hell
I read this book in just under a week it is definatley worth reading, it is up there as one
of the best forign prison books i have read although not as compeling as warren... Read more
of the best forign prison books i have read although not as compeling as warren... Read more
Published on 5 May 2010 by Mr. P. J. Alexander
A superbly written, heartbreaking story.
I'll try to keep my conclusion on this book fairly brief as others have raised some quite valid and interesting points of discussion already. Read more
Published on 8 April 2010 by Adam Kitchen
Gripping and shocking
The true story of how an Irish businessman in Thailand is defrauded of a huge sum of money and then ends up being tortured and imprisoned for a murder he didn't commit. Read more
Published on 19 Mar 2009 by Chelli
Absolutely Unputdownable. As Fascinating As It is Hauntingly...
I challenge anyone to read an hour of this book and then try putting it down and forgetting about it. Read more
Published on 9 Feb 2009 by Mr. T. White
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