Birmingham teacher: 'I spent five months in hellish Thai jail - I shared a cell with 180 people'

A British teacher has told how he spent five months in an "inhumane" prison in Thailand - sharing a cramped cell with 180 criminals.

Jamie Morton, 30, was living in Thailand and teaching English and would get involved in the drug and alcohol scene on the weekends.

In January 2019, Jamie stood on a street corner and claimed he was surrounded by eight people who then took him to IDC detention centre, Thailand.

He said the prison was a "nightmare" and "horrendous" where inmates were only allowed out for one to two hours a day and they would only have running water for a few hours.

In May 2019, Jamie was released from prison and was flown home to London, where said he was "elated" to be back on English soil. Since coming back to the UK, Jamie has turned his life around, he has given up drinking and married his partner, Faaizah.

Jamie, an online coach, from Birmingham, said: "I was young, living in Thailand and working illegally as a teacher.

"I got into the wrong crowd of people and put into prison. It was one of the most abhorrent things to happen to me in my life.

"It was a nightmare, the conditions were so inhumane and horrendous." Jamie was working illegally in Thailand teaching English after his tourist visa ran out.

From there, he fell into the drug and alcohol scene. Jamie said: "I got into the wrong crowd of people, I ended up being taken in by undercover police. I was standing on the street corner and suddenly eight people were surrounding me and took me to prison."

Jamie was taken to a maximum security prison where he shared a cell with 180 people. He said the issues were "inhumane" and he would have to choose between drinking water or going for a shower.

Jamie said: "At first it is very intimidating, but, over time you live in this community of people.

"You never know when your end date would be - it was very frustrating. "In my little cell, there were probably 180 people. "Someone who stole five mobile phones would be in the same cell as someone who killed five people.

"We might be allowed out for one to two hours a day and there was no air con." In May 2019, Jamie was released from prison and flown home to the UK.

After being released Jamie was handed a five-year ban on travel to Thailand - which ends this year. He said: "It was an amazing feeling to leave that prison but I was not convinced until the plane took off.

"Once I arrived into the UK I was elated to be back on English soil and see my family again." Soon after arriving back home, Jamie said he fell into old habits and would often be found down at the pub.

In September 2022, he decided enough was enough and gave up drinking. Jamie said: "I started to get into some minor scrapes with the law when I got back and I realised enough was enough.

"I noticed everyone around me could happily go to the pub for one or two drinks and go home.

"I would be there till two am and carry on the party - I could go out for three days straight." After he gave up drinking, Jamie met his wife Faaizah in October 2022 and the pair got wed on August 15, 2023.

Jamie said his life is "completely different" and he wants to discourage young men from following his path. He has also set up an online coaching business to train young men in fitness at @itsjamiemorton.

He said: "Being married has completely changed me but I still have that temptation every day to go back to drink. I have a totally different life now but I still have my moments where I contemplate and see if I could go to the pub for a few but it is never a few.

"I am currently teaching fitness online from the basics to competition level. Now I want to teach young men how to swerve a drink."