Horrific conditions inside Thai jail where teen arrested for '$100 airport crime' was held

Conditions inside Surat Thani Prison, where teenager Loukas Rainger was held for six days after being arrested at an airport, have been described as horrific.

New Zealand lad Loukas is alleged to have picked up someone else's watch, which is worth around $1000, from a tray at Surat Thani airport during a security bag check and then pocketed it on 3 July.

His mum Natasha says her son was travelling through Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok on 16 July when immigration officers told him there was a warrant out for his arrest and he stands accused of 'theft at an airport', which in Thailand is classed as a more serious crime than theft.

She's raising money on GiveALittle to help fund the various costs involved with the legal struggle.

Overcrowded cells with inmates serving lengthy sentences for violent crimes is the norm in the jail (RTVE)

The teenager denies the charges against him and his mum says he only picked up the watch because it was 'on the airport tray with his belongings' so he picked it up along with the other things in the tray, a warrant for the teenager's arrest was issued on 10 July.

The 18-year-old was taken into custody and his mum said he spent 12 hours handcuffed to a chair as he was transported on a train, with him then being interrogated and held in Surat Thani Prison.

Many of the inmates kept there are serving lengthy sentences for violent crimes, there are no mattresses to sleep on with so prisoners use towels to create makeshift bedding.

Prisoners aren't provided proper bedding in their overcrowded cells (RTVE)

According to the Express, cells are overcrowded and can hold as many as 24 people since the prison is well over capacity, and they can go for up to 17 hours without food at a time.

Violence in the prison is common, and guards act harshly towards prisoners as they will raid cells and leave inmates half-naked, while the prison doesn't have enough clothing to keep everyone warm and there are fights over clothing.

Visits to inmates are for blood relatives only, and Natasha said her son had lost around 10kg from his six day incarceration in the jail and that he'd also had his hair shaved off.

Speaking to Stuff, his mum said: "I have never ever in my life been so happy to just see my son, I can't stop looking at him.

The mum says her son lost 10kg in a week and had his head shaved (GiveALittle)

"He just walked into my arms and his first words were, 'Oh mum, mum, what are you doing here?' I didn't know whether to laugh or cry - it was like nothing of the last days ever happened."

Loukas is now out of the prison after bail was granted yesterday (21 July) as a fee of 100,000 baht (£2,210) was paid, but he'll have to wait in Thailand for months until his case can go to trial.

The teenager's legal representative Werabhat Hemthansarp explained that compensation was also being set up for the woman who owned the watch, who has accepted an apology from Loukas.

Conditions in the prison are horrific, Loukas has since been bailed and will stay outside it in the lead-up to his trial (RTVE)

The lawyer said: "I have been told the watch was around $80 to $100 on Ebay, and the watch has been returned to her, and she has also received an apology from Loukas in prison.

"I have been told that she accepts the apology and will accept $1,000 (£435.90) in compensation, which I said I would pay."

Natasha says her son should have handed in the watch when he found it and realised it wasn't his, but insists the 18-year-old 'didn’t maliciously steal it or intend to steal someone’s belongings'.

Having to check in with the police every two weeks while he awaits a trial, Loukas faces up to five years behind bars if convicted.