What do you think?
Rate this book
Welcome to Hell: One Man's Fight for Life Inside the Bangkok Hilton
Written from his cell and smuggled out page by page, Colin Martin’s autobiography chronicles an innocent man’s struggle to survive inside one of the world’s most dangerous prisons. After being swindled out of a fortune, Colin was let down by the hopelessly corrupt Thai police. Forced to rely upon his own resources, he tracked down the man who conned him and, drawn into a fight, he accidentally killed that man’s bodyguard. Colin was arrested, denied a fair trial, convicted of murder and thrown into prison, where he remained for 8 years. Honest and often disturbing, but told with a surprising humour, Welcome to Hell is the remarkable story of how Colin was denied justice again and again.
240 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2005
79 people are currently reading
671 people want to read
About the author
Colin Martin
2 booksColin Martin was born in Liverpool, England and worked all over the world as a welder before going to Thailand. On arrival in Bangkok he was swindled out of half a million pounds. Martin didn’t go home however, and began searching for the conman. When he eventually tracked him down a fight took place and a member of the gang was killed. Martin ended up being arrested for murder, denied a fair trial and spent 8 years in prison.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews
May 5, 2011
I'll admit it. I'm a sucker for books that discuss the seamy underbelly of a given nation — bonus points if said nation is located in Asia. It's no secret that Thailand is home to corrupt cops, relentless conmen and scammers — as well as a great population and some of the best tourist sights in the region. Martin discusses the former, of course, as he walks us through his tale of being conned, being jailed then being freed. No spoilers there, the story is as simple as that. After all, if he weren't freed, who would be writing the tale? Don't answer that...
Okay. Let's recap. Simple plot, easy to follow language, un-boring plotline. Average.
It's the details that Martin brings to the table that give this book its fourth star: He describes the not-oft-discussed interior of what is sarcastically known as th e Bangkok Hilton and tells readers about how he managed to pass his years there. Intriguing stuff — stuff that I would rather not experience firsthand.
I won't lie though. If you are easily disgusted by descriptions of inhumane living conditions, this really isn't for you. Put it down and please, go find the nearest Lonely Planet guide. Or something.
Okay. Let's recap. Simple plot, easy to follow language, un-boring plotline. Average.
It's the details that Martin brings to the table that give this book its fourth star: He describes the not-oft-discussed interior of what is sarcastically known as th e Bangkok Hilton and tells readers about how he managed to pass his years there. Intriguing stuff — stuff that I would rather not experience firsthand.
I won't lie though. If you are easily disgusted by descriptions of inhumane living conditions, this really isn't for you. Put it down and please, go find the nearest Lonely Planet guide. Or something.
February 25, 2014
Worth reading for its description of the criminal justice and penal system in Thailand. However, the writing is poor and the author was not a very sympathetic character to me. As others have reviewed, he comes across as a hot head.
December 20, 2012
Now you come to Bangkok and you scour the book stalls for something to read and on every shelf there is something about the legendary Bangkok Hilton. This of course means the harsh prison in Bangkok not the lovely white building that overlooks the Chao Phraya River. Usually its a drug dealer who was short of money and thought he'd slip through the net at the airport. Instead they end in this harsh prison where they sleep on a hard floor, eat dirty rice, watch men wank and a few rapes and beatings thrown in, because that's what happens in prison. Mainly the reason why citizens try not to break the law too often. This guy Colin Martin suffered all the above, but mainly because he was the worlds greatest imbecile.
His Bangkok story starts with a scam when he pays a company $100,000 and some to employ him and his team of welders. Here I would walk away, but he didn't he; came up with the money. The money went and the would be employers stopped answering their phones. The Thai police were not as helpful as he would have liked, and instead of admitting he fucked up royally and trade his way out of the situation, he spent 3 years in Bangkok chasing down the men concerned, oh and getting married and fathering a child. He finds one of the conmen, and punches him, and manages to reclaim some of the money, but it wasn't all of it, so he went after the main guy, finds him, kidnaps him and ends up in tussle with his bodyguard. His version of the events concerning the tussle, which end in the death of the bodyguard and his charge for murder, seem very confused and lead you to believe he did it good an proper m'lud.
His slow acceptance that Thailand has a seperate legal system to England and Wales (not least of all as they stubbornly conduct their courts in the language of Thai) leads him to much frustration. Also his slow acceptance at prison life. From his first day announcing how appalled he was that his fellow inmates pick their noses, gives the reader concern that he is in for a rough ride. He complains about the beatings himself, yet beats up an English inmate for having a cheaky bit of solo fun. Not a likable character and also not a learner from mistakes. Despite not trusting Thais and admitting his Thai wife only saw him as having money, he had no qualms about handing over to her $40000 his Irish family scraped together for his bail. He never saw bail nor the money again.
All appeals fail, even up to Thai Supreme court, yet he only served 8 years for a murder, which makes him a lucky man in some ways. In all a great book as you squirm with embarrasment and feel like shouting at the book when you see the oaf walking blindly into yet another stupid mistake. You also take the view, that if you were a Thai policeman dealing with this cock, you'd hit him with a telephone directory too.
His Bangkok story starts with a scam when he pays a company $100,000 and some to employ him and his team of welders. Here I would walk away, but he didn't he; came up with the money. The money went and the would be employers stopped answering their phones. The Thai police were not as helpful as he would have liked, and instead of admitting he fucked up royally and trade his way out of the situation, he spent 3 years in Bangkok chasing down the men concerned, oh and getting married and fathering a child. He finds one of the conmen, and punches him, and manages to reclaim some of the money, but it wasn't all of it, so he went after the main guy, finds him, kidnaps him and ends up in tussle with his bodyguard. His version of the events concerning the tussle, which end in the death of the bodyguard and his charge for murder, seem very confused and lead you to believe he did it good an proper m'lud.
His slow acceptance that Thailand has a seperate legal system to England and Wales (not least of all as they stubbornly conduct their courts in the language of Thai) leads him to much frustration. Also his slow acceptance at prison life. From his first day announcing how appalled he was that his fellow inmates pick their noses, gives the reader concern that he is in for a rough ride. He complains about the beatings himself, yet beats up an English inmate for having a cheaky bit of solo fun. Not a likable character and also not a learner from mistakes. Despite not trusting Thais and admitting his Thai wife only saw him as having money, he had no qualms about handing over to her $40000 his Irish family scraped together for his bail. He never saw bail nor the money again.
All appeals fail, even up to Thai Supreme court, yet he only served 8 years for a murder, which makes him a lucky man in some ways. In all a great book as you squirm with embarrasment and feel like shouting at the book when you see the oaf walking blindly into yet another stupid mistake. You also take the view, that if you were a Thai policeman dealing with this cock, you'd hit him with a telephone directory too.
November 3, 2009
I'm in Thailand so I figured, "why not get a book that will remind you to stay away from trouble". Corruption, greed, filth, and hoper...what else would you rather read on your honeymoon?
It was an incredibly fast read. It's a story of an Irish businessman who falls prey to an overseas business shceme in Thailand. Of course, he gets waaaay over his head when he tries to solve it on his own. I just found myself constanly wondering how much further this guy was going to get screwed by the Thai legal system.
He's a tough man who gets throught it but you would never want to want to walk in his shoes. Anytime you get a sense that the American legal system is screwed, try Thailand....ouch.
It was an incredibly fast read. It's a story of an Irish businessman who falls prey to an overseas business shceme in Thailand. Of course, he gets waaaay over his head when he tries to solve it on his own. I just found myself constanly wondering how much further this guy was going to get screwed by the Thai legal system.
He's a tough man who gets throught it but you would never want to want to walk in his shoes. Anytime you get a sense that the American legal system is screwed, try Thailand....ouch.
October 27, 2014
I picked this book up because
1) My mother always spoke very unremarkably about her experience in Thailand - no, she wasn't arrested there or had any contact at all with the police - but she did however go there for holidays and she was terrified. Even though it was beautiful, she said, the fear of being getting involved in something illegal, either she wanted to on not was very high.
2) I recently watched The Beach, directed by Danny Boyle in 2000. Its fucking Danny Boyle - director of Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours - all films I absolutely love. And it stars Leonardo Dicaprio. I don't need to elaborate any further... But the movie is set in Bangkok, and I was fascinated by all the life that seemed to be into that city.
3) The title
4) There was a portuguese soap opera a couple years ago on which one of the characters was a young girl sentenced to death (or something like it) in Thailand because drugs were put into her bag by strangers and I remember wondering why the hell would that be.
I had to know more! My interest with Thailand has now started oficially, and the more I read about it, the more I want to go there - and the more terrified was I to actually do so. I might go there one day. I do not know.
I picked Welcome To Hell because it was cheap, and I just finished it and it is... extreme. The brutality presented in Colin Martin's words are evident, and the corrupt, the lies, the absense of justice are all very well represented in the book.
Colin Martin is a strong man, who lived through a lot. He probably didn't consider himself much of a writer, and the writing style in the book isn't lyrical, poetic or whatever - but he managed to get his point across and that is the most important part. It expresses a raw reality which lives nearby and thousands of people are haunted by that same thing every single day of their lives. My major issue with the book was how repetitive it all felt at times, but after all, we're reading a true story. It probably felt repetitive for the author too - and he probably didn't enjoy it, not even a little bit, but that was the truth.
This counts the story of a man who fought like hell for what he believed and what he wanted, and he didn't prove his innocence, but in his heart he knows he's not a bad guy, and as long as his children and family believe the same - he'll be saved.
1) My mother always spoke very unremarkably about her experience in Thailand - no, she wasn't arrested there or had any contact at all with the police - but she did however go there for holidays and she was terrified. Even though it was beautiful, she said, the fear of being getting involved in something illegal, either she wanted to on not was very high.
2) I recently watched The Beach, directed by Danny Boyle in 2000. Its fucking Danny Boyle - director of Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire and 127 Hours - all films I absolutely love. And it stars Leonardo Dicaprio. I don't need to elaborate any further... But the movie is set in Bangkok, and I was fascinated by all the life that seemed to be into that city.
3) The title
4) There was a portuguese soap opera a couple years ago on which one of the characters was a young girl sentenced to death (or something like it) in Thailand because drugs were put into her bag by strangers and I remember wondering why the hell would that be.
I had to know more! My interest with Thailand has now started oficially, and the more I read about it, the more I want to go there - and the more terrified was I to actually do so. I might go there one day. I do not know.
I picked Welcome To Hell because it was cheap, and I just finished it and it is... extreme. The brutality presented in Colin Martin's words are evident, and the corrupt, the lies, the absense of justice are all very well represented in the book.
Colin Martin is a strong man, who lived through a lot. He probably didn't consider himself much of a writer, and the writing style in the book isn't lyrical, poetic or whatever - but he managed to get his point across and that is the most important part. It expresses a raw reality which lives nearby and thousands of people are haunted by that same thing every single day of their lives. My major issue with the book was how repetitive it all felt at times, but after all, we're reading a true story. It probably felt repetitive for the author too - and he probably didn't enjoy it, not even a little bit, but that was the truth.
This counts the story of a man who fought like hell for what he believed and what he wanted, and he didn't prove his innocence, but in his heart he knows he's not a bad guy, and as long as his children and family believe the same - he'll be saved.
September 8, 2008
this book was inevitable. someone had to write it.
im a bit hesitant about carrying business anywhere abroad, although it feels compulsory. but thats nothing to do with the book, just fiscal laziness.
how different is public administration from business... both requiring the skill of "managing" human resources, or becoming your best human resource. martin too talks about the moneymaking inside Thailand's prisons. I think the book is emotional, there's several times he says the thai justice system and police department (particularly tourist police) is completely corrupt. and you believe him for the sake of the book. unless thats the price you pay for not knowing the language enough, or its culture. There is such a strong sense of the thai "cooperation" (toursim nexus?-- which works because they have excellent infrastructure) and enterprise i noticed as a tourist, which he describes as a businessman. His terrible time in prison, were the only thing though i felt justified abhorring. it was gruesome to sit through. the tourist police, were interesting. everything was made like a tourism conspiracy. even his wedding.
i dont know the importance of modernizing prisons/prison systems. it just feels like cleanliness should be the only or critical requirement in prisons. i would not read this book again. story told, purpose served?
im a bit hesitant about carrying business anywhere abroad, although it feels compulsory. but thats nothing to do with the book, just fiscal laziness.
how different is public administration from business... both requiring the skill of "managing" human resources, or becoming your best human resource. martin too talks about the moneymaking inside Thailand's prisons. I think the book is emotional, there's several times he says the thai justice system and police department (particularly tourist police) is completely corrupt. and you believe him for the sake of the book. unless thats the price you pay for not knowing the language enough, or its culture. There is such a strong sense of the thai "cooperation" (toursim nexus?-- which works because they have excellent infrastructure) and enterprise i noticed as a tourist, which he describes as a businessman. His terrible time in prison, were the only thing though i felt justified abhorring. it was gruesome to sit through. the tourist police, were interesting. everything was made like a tourism conspiracy. even his wedding.
i dont know the importance of modernizing prisons/prison systems. it just feels like cleanliness should be the only or critical requirement in prisons. i would not read this book again. story told, purpose served?
August 20, 2016
i loved this book, i read it in one day,
it is actually about colin martin who is a man from ireland , he lives in ireland and then he goes to bangkok , thailand , where he is accused of murder by the corrput thai police and he has to suffer alot .
he is wrongfully accused of murder and then he is sent to prison for 8 years and as a result he has to suffer a lot and go through so much agony , this book it based in thailand.
he was sent to prison and was accused of murder and then he spend 8 long years in prison and then he is finally freed in 2005 after spending 8 years in jails starting from 1997.
i bought this book when i went to thailand , it was great read!.
it is actually about colin martin who is a man from ireland , he lives in ireland and then he goes to bangkok , thailand , where he is accused of murder by the corrput thai police and he has to suffer alot .
he is wrongfully accused of murder and then he is sent to prison for 8 years and as a result he has to suffer a lot and go through so much agony , this book it based in thailand.
he was sent to prison and was accused of murder and then he spend 8 long years in prison and then he is finally freed in 2005 after spending 8 years in jails starting from 1997.
i bought this book when i went to thailand , it was great read!.
December 23, 2015
The narrative from Martin lacked the passion I would expect from the unfairness of his stint in prison. A blow by blow account of the brutality doesn't a good book make.
It seemed that this is the story of pretty much any prisoner in the Thai prisons. For sure, the indifference to human life and disgrace they are subjected to makes you cringe but his story didn't stir any feeling in me.
It seemed that this is the story of pretty much any prisoner in the Thai prisons. For sure, the indifference to human life and disgrace they are subjected to makes you cringe but his story didn't stir any feeling in me.
December 6, 2016
Great book. Hard to put down. The amount of corruption involved is both astonishing and terrifying. If you have ever watched an episode of "Banged Up Abroad" and enjoyed it, then this is a book for you to read.
October 30, 2012
Glad I spent so much of my time in Thailand before reading this book! An opportunity to appreciate what you have after seeing life through the horror the author went thru while imprisoned.
September 2, 2013
another horrific story of injustice and another brilliant book. definitely worth a read.
December 5, 2016
No deja de ser una biografía de un señor que dice que fue a la cárcel injustamente. No es gran literatura, pero para lo que yo quería, documentarme, me sirvió.
July 20, 2017
This books tells about how an irishmen (the author, Colin Martin) was conned, charged with murder and locked away. The books tells many anacdotes about how life in prison was actually hell.
That having said, the author was very stubborn. There were many times that he could have walked away - dropping the charges and going home. The thirst for justice is in places like Thailand, hard to quench. This book has made me so scary for actually travelling to Bangkok.
The writing is very simple: no difficult words are told, the story is based on acadotes and some information that the reader has to know. The writer doesn't hesitate to curse and to describe gruesome acts. I read in an afternoon.
Overall, if you're interested in how it's like inside Thailand's prison system and have a good example of what not to do - pick this book up. If you have a weak stomach, I would advise to leave the book and search for something else.
That having said, the author was very stubborn. There were many times that he could have walked away - dropping the charges and going home. The thirst for justice is in places like Thailand, hard to quench. This book has made me so scary for actually travelling to Bangkok.
The writing is very simple: no difficult words are told, the story is based on acadotes and some information that the reader has to know. The writer doesn't hesitate to curse and to describe gruesome acts. I read in an afternoon.
Overall, if you're interested in how it's like inside Thailand's prison system and have a good example of what not to do - pick this book up. If you have a weak stomach, I would advise to leave the book and search for something else.
January 10, 2014
A read that's quick, easy and at times infuriating (although I think not for the reasons the author hopes). The first third of the book serves as a master class in how to make a bad situation worse, worse again, and even worse still. The realities of the prison are horrifying, though, and you do feel sorry for Colin and his struggles even if he may not be as innocent as he presents himself to be. Glad he got a happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2011
A mildly interesting account of an Irishman's difficult experience in Thailand. I was a bit skeptical of the book though, it seemed very 1 sided and its continuously negative assessment of Thailand and individual Thai people is questionable.
Read
February 28, 2015An easy read of pretty terrible abuse and deprivation of one man's freedom. Thai authorities come out of this story pretty badly, corruption, violence and judicial incompetence!
Not a great book, but probably an honest one.
Not a great book, but probably an honest one.
May 29, 2008
another crazy true story about the thailand prison system
September 17, 2008
A fast, simple read... Written by a non-writer. Great for, lets say, a plane read to Thailand. Be sure to bring a back-up.
July 18, 2011
Good book, easy to read, finished in a couple of days. Unbelievable story how his whole world turned upside down which resulted in long years in Bangkok Prison
August 19, 2012
Amazing story. Such a strong man
September 10, 2014
Someone should have helped this poor man to edit his book, because this SUCKS. Totally scattered, poor writing, skips years at a time...just terrible. How did it become an international bestseller?
March 26, 2015
Not as good as The Damage Done but very readable nonetheless
May 12, 2016
I'm a big of these type of books.. People locked in a hell hole prison.. Great read.. Shocking in places
July 29, 2024
I don't often read books like this, but I really enjoyed it. It's not very well written, the prose is quite basic, but at the same time it's very easy to read.
The things this man was subjected to in Thai prisons is horrific, and at times it actually felt like a horror novel.
Reading something like this makes you appreciate your life more (if your life is reasonably comfortable), and teaches you an important lesson: don't get arrested in Thailand!
The things this man was subjected to in Thai prisons is horrific, and at times it actually felt like a horror novel.
Reading something like this makes you appreciate your life more (if your life is reasonably comfortable), and teaches you an important lesson: don't get arrested in Thailand!
May 12, 2017
După câteva zile, confrații mei, pușcăriași, au început să-mi producă silă. Se scobeau în nas în timp ce vorbeau unii cu alții. Unul dintre ei și-a băgat toate degetele în nas, ca să se scobească, până când în cele din urmă a scos bucățica de mucus pe care o vroia, apoi a mâncat-o și toate acestea pe durata unei discuții față în față cu prietenii lui.
Era oripilant și mi-a întors stomacul pe dos.
În celulă, pușcăriașii se așezau deseori lângă mine și-și suflau nasul ori își storceau coșurile. Repetau această scenă și în cantină unde întindeau infecția din coșuri pe masă ori pe scaun. Asta era și mai rău.
În timpul primei săptămâni, i-am văzut pe câțiva dintre pușcăriași așezându-se și, în văzul tuturor, își scoteau pensurile și le comparau, se căutau de păduchi în părul pubian, apoi își miroseau degetele. AM văzut un bărbat care se scărpina la subraț cu lingura, apoi s-a scărpinat și la fund cu ea înainte de a o folosi ca să-și mănânce prănzul.
Am mai observat, de asemenea, cum pușcăriașii făceau schimb de scuipat cu iubiții lor fără să le pese de nimeni și de nimic în lumea asta. Obișnuiau să-și sufle nasul direct pe jos. Totul semăna cu ceva ce ținea de infern.
Este incredibil câtă cantitatea de mucus poate ieși din nasul unei persoane. Același lucru e valabil și pentru scuipat. Nu puteai să pășești în celulă fără să calci în mucii sau flegmele cuiva. Nu aveau nicio urmă de respect pentru ceilalți.
Tot în prima săptămână îmi amintesc că stăteau în picioare la troacă plină cu apă încercând să facă duș. Câteva minute mai târziu, am remarcat că bărbatul vecin cu mine urina pe picioarele mele. Nu există noțiune de igienă, iar pentru hoți onoarea nu conta.
Era oripilant și mi-a întors stomacul pe dos.
În celulă, pușcăriașii se așezau deseori lângă mine și-și suflau nasul ori își storceau coșurile. Repetau această scenă și în cantină unde întindeau infecția din coșuri pe masă ori pe scaun. Asta era și mai rău.
În timpul primei săptămâni, i-am văzut pe câțiva dintre pușcăriași așezându-se și, în văzul tuturor, își scoteau pensurile și le comparau, se căutau de păduchi în părul pubian, apoi își miroseau degetele. AM văzut un bărbat care se scărpina la subraț cu lingura, apoi s-a scărpinat și la fund cu ea înainte de a o folosi ca să-și mănânce prănzul.
Am mai observat, de asemenea, cum pușcăriașii făceau schimb de scuipat cu iubiții lor fără să le pese de nimeni și de nimic în lumea asta. Obișnuiau să-și sufle nasul direct pe jos. Totul semăna cu ceva ce ținea de infern.
Este incredibil câtă cantitatea de mucus poate ieși din nasul unei persoane. Același lucru e valabil și pentru scuipat. Nu puteai să pășești în celulă fără să calci în mucii sau flegmele cuiva. Nu aveau nicio urmă de respect pentru ceilalți.
Tot în prima săptămână îmi amintesc că stăteau în picioare la troacă plină cu apă încercând să facă duș. Câteva minute mai târziu, am remarcat că bărbatul vecin cu mine urina pe picioarele mele. Nu există noțiune de igienă, iar pentru hoți onoarea nu conta.
October 13, 2018
This book has a story that can be divided in two parts / stories:
(i) a story on how the author was victimized in a complex business scam;
(ii) a story on what the author experienced after being arrested, including his experiences in prison.
These two stories could have been read separate from each other.
The book was a very nice read and easily deserves four stars. I wished the book would have had more pages:)
(i) a story on how the author was victimized in a complex business scam;
(ii) a story on what the author experienced after being arrested, including his experiences in prison.
These two stories could have been read separate from each other.
The book was a very nice read and easily deserves four stars. I wished the book would have had more pages:)
August 9, 2019
Not really sure how much of the author's story is true. And his very bad temper or bad choices don't really make him a likeable character.
2 are the big take aways here:
1) I will think it twice before visiting Thailand, especially the capital city.
2) What kept pushing the story on and on and what was the cause of all of this suffer in the first place is plainly human greed, in every possible level.
Fast read and relatively small. You won't be able to put it down once you open it.
2 are the big take aways here:
1) I will think it twice before visiting Thailand, especially the capital city.
2) What kept pushing the story on and on and what was the cause of all of this suffer in the first place is plainly human greed, in every possible level.
Fast read and relatively small. You won't be able to put it down once you open it.
May 20, 2018
Welcome to Third World Justice
Colin was subjected to the worst abuse any human being could imagine.......How can this torment and violence be called justice.......even feral animals in the jungle would behave better......
Colin was subjected to the worst abuse any human being could imagine.......How can this torment and violence be called justice.......even feral animals in the jungle would behave better......
November 12, 2008
Interesting account of an Irishman's troubled business dealings and subsequent actions landed him in notorious Thai jail.
July 19, 2010
Like he said in the book suprising how much the human body can take,but his perseverence paid off in the end. Very brave man. Good Book
Displaying 1 - 30 of 61 reviews