‘Mum on the run’ feared dead after shocking Thai prison video
A British woman who fled the UK for a dream life in Thailand has sparked fears for her safety after shocking footage showed her detained in a grim Thai prison alongside her toddler.
The woman, 32 year old Ellis Matthews, who once appeared on the reality show Judge Rinder after claiming to have blown through a £6 million (around 261 million baht) fortune, has been posting bikini-clad TikTok videos boasting that her life in Asia is funded by £2,300-a-month British benefits.
But friends in the UK are now deeply concerned after Matthews shared footage ten days ago from inside a Thai detention centre, and has since gone silent.
Kama Clark, 40, a close online friend who had planned to visit Ellis in Thailand, said she fears the worst.
“I’m really worried for her. She’s been targeted by online trolls who even paid a local to follow her and take pictures of her son. We believe the trolls reported her to Thai authorities, and that’s why she was arrested.”
Matthews, who has used various names including Ellise May Matthews, claimed to be locked up in dire conditions, posting an image of another inmate peering through bars in a squalid cell.
Apparently referring to her young son, Cairo, Matthews wrote: “I don’t care about me but please pray for my son.”
@mumontheruninasia
Visa overstay
Her arrest has raised serious questions over her legal status in Thailand. British nationals can only stay three months on a tourist visa, which may be extended by a month. Overstaying results in daily fines of 500 baht (£11.40).
Matthews previously flaunted her ability to claim UK benefits while living abroad, telling her TikTok followers: “I pick up my Disability Living Allowance today – been doing so for four years.”
In another video, she claimed: “I have six mental disorders. Without a year of hospital treatment, my prognosis is poor, so I require ongoing treatment costs to be covered by the NHS. Thank you, taxpayers!”
She even offered guides on how others could claim UK benefits while living abroad and avoid mandatory UK-based meetings.
Kama has launched a GoFundMe campaign to help Ellis and Cairo, which has so far raised £150.
“Ellis is still in the detention centre. No one has been able to make direct contact with her,” Kama wrote. “Anyone who knows about foreign detention centres understands they are no place for an adult, let alone a child.”
Before her arrest, Matthews posted conflicting details about her life. She initially claimed to live in a one-bedroom bungalow covered by UK benefits, but later boasted about residing in a two-bed villa with a communal pool and 24-hour security, reported Daily Mail.
According to the UK Government’s website, British citizens overseas may still qualify for certain benefits depending on the country and duration of stay. Thailand is not listed as one of the eligible countries.
The circumstances surrounding her arrest remain unclear, but the case has ignited debate over benefit fraud and expats living lavishly on UK taxpayers’ money. As Ellis remains behind bars, her fate – and that of her son – hangs in the balance.
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