An elderly Thai woman desperate to keep her drug and gambling-addicted son away from temptation installed an iron jail cell inside her home.
After more than 20 years of living in constant fear of her drug-addicted son, a 64-year-old woman from Thailand’s Buriram Province took extraordinary measures to protect herself and her neighbors. She recently had contractors build a jail cell inside her home where she could confine the 42-year-old man when he became violent. She told police that she had tried everything to save her son over the years, including several rehabilitation attempts in over 10 different centers across the country, but nothing worked and he became increasingly violent as time went by. To make matters worse, at one point, the son became addicted to gambling as well, which only made things worse.
Photo: Khaosod
“For twenty years, I’ve lived in constant fear,” the Buriram mother told reporters. “I have lived alone with my son since my husband passed away. One of the causes of my husband’s death was depression and stress caused by my son’s drug addiction. I installed iron bars in my house because I was worried about my safety and that of my neighbors.”
On October 23rd, the woman had to call the police because he couldn’t control her own son. He was committed to a hospital, but she knew he would return, so she decided to have a jail cell installed. The elderly woman, referred to only as Mrs. A. by the media, made sure that her son had access to basic amenities and left a space between the metal bars to give him food and water.
Photo: Khaosod
“The room with the bars has essential amenities such as a bed, bathroom, and WiFi,” the woman said. “I designed a small hole to deliver food and drinks to my son and installed a CCTV system to monitor his behavior 24 hours a day. I believe this measure will protect me and my neighbors from his aggressive behavior.”
It’s not clear how police found out about the woman’s homemade jail cell, but they certainly weren’t too happy about it when they visited her home last week. A spokesperson told reporters that the woman could be found guilty of infringing on human rights and unlawful detention.
“Mr. A’s actions may violate Article 310 of the Criminal Code, which deals with unlawful detention resulting in death or serious injury, and is punishable by a prison sentence of three to 15 years,” the District police chief said.
It is unlikely that the desperate mother will face any criminal actions, especially now after her story made international news headlines, highlighting Thailand’s growing drug addiction problems. She was however ordered to dismantle the jail cell, with police promising to find a better solution to her problem.
