Forget You Had a Daughter: Doing Time in the 'Bangkok Hilton' [Paperback]

Sandra Gregory (Author), Michael Tierney (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2003

Following two years of living abroad in Thailand, Sandra Gregory suddenly became desperately ill and as her medical bills began to mount, her bank account dwindled. In exchange for $2,000 she agreed to carry 89 grams of heroin to Tokyo for a friend, but before she even boarded the plane she was caught by Bangkok Airport security and ultimately sentenced to 25 years inside the infamous Lard Yao prison. In this shocking account, Sandra details the four and a half years she spent in Thai prison and describes scenes of horrific brutality and suffering. She tells of her daily fight for survival, of the many women who died with no medical care or loved ones around them, and of her acceptance of her guilt and ultimate redemption. Amidst the pain and torture, this honest recollection shows how Sandra fought for survival, and prevailed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Documents Gregory’s harrowing incarceration in Thailand’s barbaric prisons . . . her story holds the reader’s interest." -- Artsforum --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Sandra Gregory spent more than 20 years in a British jail after her time in Lard Yao. She was released in 2000 following a pardon from the king of Thailand and now tours schools to warn children of the dangers of drug smuggling. Michael Tierney is a journalist for The Herald.

Product Details

• Paperback: 280 pages
• Publisher: Vision (January 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1904132278
• ISBN-13: 978-1904132271
• Product Dimensions: 7.1 x 4.2 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (16 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #516,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Planing on doing some serious traveling? Read this!, November 9, 2003

By 

IndigoKare "indigokare" (San Francisco-area) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forget You Had a Daughter: Doing Time in the 'Bangkok Hilton': Sandra Gregory's Story (Hardcover)

I picked up this book on a whim while traveling throughout Southeast Asia last month. Having heard various horror stories about the horrendous prisons there, Gregory's book perked my interest.

If you have read Warren Fellow's similar account, read this one! Unlike Fellows, Gregory fully admits her guilt, still finds beauty in Thailand and its people, and was honest about what she thought she deserved. I had a lot of sympathy for her.

Like many young travelers, Gregory was naive, sick, desperate to get home, and broke. She agreed to be a mule for smugling drugs out of Thailand. Her reward: 1000 pounds, more than enough to get her back home to the UK.

It is not uncommon for young travelers to do Southeast Asia on a VERY limited budget. Many people set out for a year or more at a time. Though SE Asia is very inexpensive compared to the West, funds can run out. Or even if that is not the case, some naive travelers see smuggling (drugs, gems, silk, etc) as an easy way to make some good money.

I think that ANYONE heading out to Southeast Asia to backpack through the area MUST read this book. It is a harsh reminder that no matter how easy transporting drugs may seem, it is simply not worth the risk. Many people think "that could never happen to me," but if you read Gregory's story, you quickly realize that it can and does. Gregory was not a repeat smuggler. She had never done anything like that in her life. And she really paid for her crime. There are MANY farang in Thai prisons who were young, naive, first time mules like Gregory.

Gregory hopes that her horror story will convince travelers, like herself, NOT do try anything like that.

All around a good (though horrifying) read that portrayed a VERY different side of the same country, even the same city (Bangkok), that I had been enjoying.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars very honest memoir, June 30, 2005

By 

Julia T - See all my reviews

This review is from: Forget You Had a Daughter: Doing Time in the 'Bangkok Hilton' (Paperback)

Gregory's book details her life from meeting the guy who offered her money to smuggle drugs, to her life in Thai prisons, adapting to the harsh way of life and finally moving back home to a British prison. The development of her character from beginning to end is evident to all through her concise narrative about her guilt and shame, especially when she speaks of her family members. All in all, this is a haunting real-life story that shouldn't be missed by anyone, especially Caucasians travelling for long periods of time in Southeast Asia. The temptation may be great when funds are running low, but the horrors of prisons in the less-developed regions are not exaggerated.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Beyond expectation, January 22, 2004

By 

D. W. Miller (Bangalore, India) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Forget You Had a Daughter: Doing Time in the 'Bangkok Hilton': Sandra Gregory's Story (Hardcover)

On the way back to Taipei City, TAIWAN, I picked this book just to have something to read on the airplane. It turned out to be a very interesting book and one of the favourite ones that I would recommend to my friends. I am Thai and when I watched Thai movies about Thai prisons, I always thought the stories were a bit exaggerated. Kneeling down when talk to the officers? Sex between prisoner and prisoner, prisoner and officer? Stunningly, after finishing this book, I realize how accurate and surprisingly good this book is. This book deserves a good recommendation, indeed!