Hi guys. It’s going to be a long read. But if you wonder why Thailand is in such a deep shit, I recommend that you read this story.
Thawi Wattana Prison
This thread is translated from @abigblackdogis as best as possible.
Disclaimer: I do not own this content. Original content several slangs and feeling words which I might have not conveyed it as accurately. Some jargons such as names etc may also not be super accurate cos stupid “royal language”
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I will only write about things I have seen with my own eyes, have experienced it myself, and from what I have further researched regarding the different traditions during my work. Rumours and events that I have not witnessed will not be talked about here. About my experience at the Thawi Wattana prison, I will write about it separately.
By popular demand, this thread will be about the 3 months in hell at Thawi Wattana prison.
everything written in this thread is my first hand experience. Rumours or hearsay that I did not witness are not written here. I am only sharing what I saw, and what I went through. Let’s go!!!
Thawi Wattana prison’s offocial name is Temporary prison Phutthamonthon, Department of Corrections, but is situated on the Thawi Wattana Palace, next to klong Thawi Wattana, separated from the residence Court by a large pool. This prison is exclusively used to punish soldiers and staff who works for the royal office.
To land in this jail, you do not have to be sentenced by court, no getting served according to the law. The only thing you’d need is “the black ribbon” given to you from Him. Whenever something doesn’t please him, regardless what, all he would say is “two strips for you”. That’s it. (2 ribbon strips = 3 months)
In my case, it happened in 2018 during the Coronation ceremony, where my duty was to prepare a temporary rest point during the parade. I was in charge at Wat Rajabopit, we were a team of 11. All staff, no soldiers.
My job was to supervise the construction of the temporary rest point according to the design provided by Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning, and to make sure everything is accurate to the T; seating area, changing room, shower, toilet, but I was not involved on the day itself. The duty of taking care of Him belongs to 904 soldier troop. My team and I just stayed on stand-by outside.
But a while after he arrived and went in, 904 soldier called my entire team in to be reprimanded. “The Air-conditioning is not cold enough”. That was once again repeated “the Air-conditioning is not cold enough”. This was followed by “2 strips for each of you”. What that meant, was from that night on, and for the next 3 months, we couldn’t go home.
The first thing that happened was confiscation of mobile phones, wallet, the removal of all medal and markings on the uniform. All that is left is a white plain uniform. We had to wait until the ceremony was over. No food, just water. I was famished. I didn’t even have the chance to call my parents.
At about 1 am, we were picked up. Before getting on the car, we were all handcuffed in pairs. But because we were odd number in total, both my hands were handcuffed with two others. Crazy. By the time we left, by the time we arrived at Thawi Wattana prison, it was almost 3am. Madness.
Once we arrived, the staff came to fetch us and follow the procedure. To take off all clothes, left with just nakedness, to do squat and walk to get our head shaved. Once that was done, another staff washed our head with the hose. I asked to be completely washed. It was bloody hot and I was feeling so sticky.
We then queued up to be chained on our legs. It wad scary af. I was afraid they’d miss it and clamp my legs instead. But the staff were professional so it wasn’t so bad. We were just scared. When all 11 of us were done, we stood in rows and waited for clothes. We were given instructions on how to put on pants with chains on our legs. It wasn’t easy. Hahaha.
Once everyone have their pants on, we were given a zinc bucket each. We brought that into our cell. This bucket is for all the excretion; urine, faeces. We were locked up individually. It was completely dark and solid. There is one tiny hole on the top for ventilation, just enough to get some light. A gap of width approx 30cm at the bottom of the door. This gap is for receiving food and water.
We were living in darkness. No sun. Daily activities were eating and sleeping. When it was time, they’d give us food. We pee and shit in the bucket. And we slept with it. We could talk across the wall. But we couldn’t see each other.
We were allowed to shower after every 2 days, which include emptying the bucket, and cleaning. We take off the clothes, shower, wash our hair, brush our teeth to our heart’s content, because this was out one chance to be out of the dark cell. Most importantly, we had to polish the chain, because it always rust from the cell. Frigging burden these chains.
These were the daily life activities for a month before it was time to train. Don’t call it training, bloody hell, call it a torture. The first day when I was allowed out if the dark cell and the chains were removed, I was so happy. But after I started training, fml, I just want to go back into the cell. Fuck it.
The training was so fucked up. Many creative ways to do unbelievably gross, tiring, hard on the body. We have to get up at 4, be in rows for headcount. Training starts with running, push up, sit up etc until 8 am. Then it was national anthem, praying, sing coronation song, and breakfast.
After breakfast, training continued. Regardless of the weather, rain or shine. There was a day where it was pouring and my sneakers were wet. They told me to kick the wall until my shoes were dry. Fuck. It hurts so bad I could barely walk. Internal punishments were mainly caning. Other punishments were up to the imagination. Whatever they could think of.
There are two items that were used as a cane. Actual cane, and a metal bar. If you were caned with the wood, it would burn. If you were hit with the metal bar, it hurts inside. Don’t be alarmed. I was caned everyday. Everyday he would find something to punish me with. This or that.
Corporal torture came in many forms. For example, putting you in a bag and throw into the water, and you struggle for survival. Sometimes was for us to be naked and stay in a tub with huge ice cubes until all the ice melted. To dive into the waste container. There were many others. But these were the few that were repeated.
There was one day, the trainer said there was no training. Pause day. That we all can stay still. We were so happy. But no. We had to stay still on a cement pillar under the hot sun. If anyone fell, you get whacked with the metal bar. We weren’t allowed to even go to pee. So i just peed there. Fuck.
One of the harshest experiences was when I was whacked with the metal bar while I was caught off guard, when i was standing to pee. Peeing standing up was forbidden, but my legs were hurung so I did not want to sit down. I was whacked so hard I flew across 3 urinal and my head heat the corner of the cement urinal divider. My forehead was bleeding.
The nursing room exist. But it’s DIY. It was us the prisoners attending to each other, stitching. Fresh stitching, no numbing agent. It hurts so bad that I didn’t feel it anymore. I was a regular at the nursing room. I was injured everyday. The wound must be cleaned everyday.
During the training period, we had to sleep in the sleeping hall. But it wasn’t built to be particularly functioning. You know why? The floor and ceiling is 1m apart. You gotta sit down and crawl in to lie down. You can’t stand up. At the corner there is a “toilet”. Each day a bucket of water was carried inside.
One bucket is not enough. So we agreed that water were to be used only for washing. We shat after one another. We didn’t smell it anymore because we lived with it everyday. Fuck. We washed the shit down once in the morning.
Each day we were allowed to shower only in the evening, before we enter the sleeping hall. Forget about hygiene. Water used for showering was pumped from klong Thawi Wattana through a shitty old filter, which of course meant that the water still stank. After showering I would fill 1.5L bottle with clean water and secretly wash myself. I couldn’t stand the smell.
Clean water was only for drinking. It was forbidden to be use for washing of any sorts (hand, face, laundry). If you were caught, of course you were whacked. And I was caught so often because of this stupid water. Fuck
Training, or rather torturing, phase lasted a month-ish. Everybody were hurting, full of scars. Some had infected wound where flies would swim around while sleeping. We were all dark and burnt for the sun. The last two weeks were the recovery phase. We were recovering via doing labour work.
The day I finally get to leave, I cried so hard. I cried like I didn’t know what happened to me. When we were asked to sworn our loyalty, my heart replayed all that I went through. All that I felt was vengeful. When I came home, I was depressed. I couldn’t go back to work. I was off. I was sent to the hospital to be treated.
The doctor said I suffered from PTSD. He recommended that I quit my job and start therapy. I went through therapy for a year. I do not have any symptoms now, but I have to regularly take the pills according to the doctor.
I would like to not mention about the torture that resulted in death. Yes, they existed. While I was there, there were two deaths. Both soldiers. But the event and how it was handled was so fucked up. I don’t want to describe it because it still has quite a huge impact on me.
So that’s about it. I survived that point of my life, but I am constantly harassed. Right now, my dad has passed away and my mum ordained as a nun. I do not have anyone to worry because he truly destroyed everything in my life. Everyone submitted to their fate. But I fought. And so was I rewarded extra heavily.
The one thing that I will continue to do is to uncover the disgusting, inhumane activities. All the secrets that I witnessed, so that it would stay in the history. The reason I chose to do it now is because i’s the right time. It’s his last stretch. There’s nothing else to fear.
If you can still play with me, bring it on. The anger, the hate that I have is enough for me to sacrifice my life. I will make you a crazy tyrant, so that the next generations will get to know you for who you really fucking are. Bye. You son of a bitch.
The end