A New Forest man who spent 18 years in one of Thailand's most notorious prisons after attempting to smuggle heroin has revealed his darkest moments in a new book.
Johnathan Wheeler, from Holbury, was 33 when he went in search of a new life in Thailand in 1993.
Being a martial arts enthusiast, the former roofer found paid work competing in Thai boxing fights - but needed a substantial sum of cash in order to follow his dream and open a restaurant.
In order to get the cash, Jonathan agree to smuggle 4lb of heroin, then valued at more than £1m, for around £10,000.
He was subsequently arrested at an airport in Bangkok and locked up at Thailand’s vicious Bangkwang Central Prison, facing a 50 year sentence.
Wheeler was even told he could face the death penalty – which would have involved being shot in the back five times.
The 64-year-old, who has documented his story in The Tiger Cage, said: “It has taken two years to put this book together, working with my writer Nick Ford.
"We have met face to face a number of times and spend hours on the phone and texting.
“That’s why you can really hear my voice and emotion in this story.”
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After being released, having served 18-years, Jonathan caught up with family and now works in asbestos removal.
He added: “I remember hitting breaking point after being locked in a single dark room for four and a half months.
“Once I had to cover myself in toothpaste so I would blister and be able to sleep in a hospital bed.
“Another time I took a bowl full of my toilet water and threw it on a prison guard when he opened the door – when I expected to get a beating they finally put me back in my cell.”
It was an amnesty granted on the Queen of Thailand’s 80th birthday on August 12, 2012, that finally set Jonathan free.
He said: “The day they told me I could face being shot in the back, I remember feeling the colour drain from my face – the only reason I was granted jail was because I admitted my crime from the start.
“One of the things that cut me up the most was not being able to catch up with my grandmother before she died.
“I wanted to share stories and show her how much I had grown and reflected – I never got the chance to do that.”
Jonathan has been able to reunite with his daughter, who was just two-and-a-half years old when he was arrested in Thailand.
The Tiger Cage is available to buy on Amazon and other retailers.
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