What awaits Daniel Sancho in the jaws of the great tiger

The dangerous high-security prison houses Thailand’s most dangerous criminals, “about 5,000, including 200 foreigners,” a guard estimates. He may join them in a few months Daniel SanchoIf the competent judge rules in his sentencing next August that the Spaniard had already planned the murder and dismemberment of his partner edwin arrietaA crime punishable up to the death penalty, a one-way ticket to Bang Kwang.

Foreigners have popularized the nickname “Bangkok Hilton” to refer to the prison. However, the natives give him another, less sarcastic and more revealing name: “The Great Tiger.” Because Because this place swallows men. Therefore, the fence represents the snout of the animal.

Bang Kwang is hidden just outside Bangkok’s municipal area, in the town of Nonthaburi, on the banks of the Chao Phraya River that flows through the Thai capital. The fame of its unsanitary conditions and brutal practices has endured for decades, a horror demarcated by solid gray walls and watchtowers, in turn behind fences with barbed wire.

Relative

There is a crowd of people outside the jail, mostly elderly people and women with small children, remnants of families trapped in the jaws of the tiger. Busily, they search for their beloved name in endless lists while they stand in line under the merciless Bangkok sun to collect papers, stamps and signatures. Everything for the reunion. “Today is a special day,” the same guard explains, “they will be able to see each other more closely than usual.”

For this reason, he explains, “a special permit from the Embassy is required to see any prisoner”; Regular shifts will not resume until mid-May. In previous communications with ABC, the Spanish Embassy in Thailand warned that “Visiting prisoners is prohibited Each detainee places family members and close friends on a list of up to ten pre-authorized people. Lawyers and embassies can visit prisoners and detainees without restriction.

People who frequently perform this procedure confirm through this that this is indeed the case. “Five years ago you could visit anyone, but it is becoming more restrictive. It should be twenty minutes but you can hardly wait fifteen minutes and even if you talk on the phone the person is far away. Besides, each prison has its own system,” he explains.

Amid the crowd of brown faces, there comes to the fore the paleness of an Anglo-Saxon woman, who looks around her and guides a two-year-old white girl by the hand. He is waiting for a diplomat from his country who will assist him in this process, other than that he prefers not to reveal any details about his personal situation. “There are no general rules”She summarizes resignedly.

“hell”

Across the street, next to the main entrance, those who have already completed the intricate preparations deposit their possessions inside a locker before returning for the last time to wait their turn. there is twenty year old Monher husband hole And his one-year-old daughter, who is distractedly playing with some stones on the ground. On the other side, a brother, a brother-in-law, an uncle are waiting for him, whom he usually comes to say hello to once a week. The most fascinating question – “How long have you been here?” For what reason?” – are left without answering. Only the third – “What’s life like inside?” – With difficulty makes out two syllables: “Okay”.

The most vivid reaction in the face of silence remains in the autobiography warren fellow, who saw the prison doors closing… from the inside. This Australian was arrested for heroin trafficking in 1978 and sentenced to life imprisonment. Twelve years were spent “in hell” until a royal pardon allowed him to return home, where he captured his demons in a book called ‘The Damage Done’, of which there was no Spanish edition.

“I was well aware of Bang Kwang’s reputation, simply put, as the scariest prison in the world. When I was on business in Bangkok I kept in mind the possibility that if I was caught I could be sent there. But somehow it seemed remote, a place where I did not belong. Fellows described torture, executions and starvation to such an extent that Used to fight. “The sadness and pain boiling in his stomach satisfied the Great Tiger brilliantly.”

Now, thirty-five years have passed since then. He says, “The conditions have improved a lot, now the situation is not so bad.” mix, sheltering behind the cash register. During the day the young man works in the complex’s outdoor cafeteria, at night he works inside as a security guard. “I can’t give more details about my responsibilities,” he excuses himself.

Mix isn’t the only one who’s been on both sides of the blast door. All of the cafeteria staff are prisoners who have not yet completed their sentences but have special permits, part of the reintegration program. They serve juices, smoothies and cakes to their cellmates’ relatives while a classical guitar plays in the background, a soft tune that lulls the Great Tiger to sleep behind closed doors.