Thai jail nightmare: British tourist forced to drink urine after arrest
A British tourist revealed he had to drink his own urine in a Thailand jail after being drugged and beaten in a Thai police cell after he was spiked while partying in Hua Hin.
Lewis Green was on the final day of his eight-week solo adventure in Thailand when his dream trip turned into a nightmare.
Arrested on January 24, just a day before his flight home, the 22 year old from Staffordshire was left battered and bruised in a squalid police cell, where he claims he was starved, shackled, and brutalised by officers before finally buying his freedom for £7,000 (307,000 baht).
Speaking out for the first time since his return to the United Kingdom, the British man believes he was deliberately targeted and spiked with the potent hallucinogen Dimethyltryptamine (DMT), possibly through his drink, a vape, or even an injection, making him an easy victim.
“The whole experience was terrifying. I was handcuffed to the prison bars, my arms chained up, and I wasn’t given any food or water.
“They flooded the cell and left the water in there for days. I had no choice but to drink from the filthy floor. Every time I needed the toilet, I had to go right there on the floor, then drink the same water I’d urinated in.”
The builder suffered fractured ribs, a broken wrist, and foot lacerations at the hands of Thai officers. He claims that at one point, six police officers stormed his cell and launched a savage attack.
“They just came in and started punching me, beating the sh*t out of me. I tried to cover myself, but there was nothing I could do.
“I was just lucky I had the money to get out. There are a lot of British and American lads getting caught up in this kind of thing over there.”
Green has little recollection of the incident that led to his arrest but insists he did not take any illegal substances. Although cannabis was decriminalised for medical use in 2022 and is now openly sold to tourists, he says he only had a few beers that evening.
“I was arguing with the owner of a cannabis dispensary in Hua Hin when two police officers took me away. I thought they were taking me to pay a fine, but they threw me in a cell instead.
“I was in there for four days before being released, only to be re-arrested and locked up for another six days over a stolen car.”
Green insists he was not responsible for any theft.
“The car’s owner told me I could drive it, but later the police arrested me for stealing it. I was still under the influence of the drug. I don’t even know if they injected me while I was in there. My memory is hazy, but I know I wasn’t in control of my actions.”
His nightmare only ended when he was forced to pay £4,500 (198,000 baht) in fines and an additional £1,700 to compensate the car owner, The Daily Mail reported
While Green languished in his cell, his distraught parents launched a desperate bid to get him home. His 51 year old father, Peter, flew to Thailand to help, while his 51 year old mother, Colleen Wilding, reached out to police and the British Embassy.
“This was supposed to be a dream trip for Lewis,” Wilding said. “He’s always been independent and wanted to see the real Thailand. But it turned into a nightmare.”
She recalls the chilling message Green sent just before his disappearance.
“‘Where does it begin and where does it end?’ That’s never something he would say. When we stopped hearing from him, I feared the worst.”
The family only learned of Green’s arrest after he had been in jail for three days – alerted by concerned locals who realised he was missing.
Upon his return to England, he was rushed to St George’s Hospital in Stafford, where doctors discovered his injuries. Medics also noted drastic changes in his behaviour, prompting them to temporarily admit him to a psychiatric hospital for further evaluation.
“They ran a brain scan to check for head trauma,” Green said. “When they ruled that out, they realised something wasn’t right and had to section me for my own safety. I’ve never had mental health problems before, but what I went through really messed with my head.”
Determined to raise awareness, Peter and Wilding have set up a GoFundMe page to help Lewis recover financially and warn other young British holidaymakers about the dangers of travelling in Thailand.
The Foreign Office has repeatedly warned of tourists being spiked across Thailand, with both men and women falling victim.
While drink spiking is common, concerns have also been raised about vape spiking – a method in which psychoactive substances, including the synthetic drug Spice, are introduced into disposable vapes.
A 2023 University of Bath study found that 16% of vapes confiscated from schoolchildren contained illegal substances.
Lewis is now focusing on recovery but remains deeply shaken by his ordeal.
“I wouldn’t wish this on anyone. I just want to get back to normal and make sure other people don’t fall into the same trap.”
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