Brit mum who boasts about claiming benefits abroad blasts ‘hell on earth’ Thailand prison after being jailed
A BRIT mum who fled to Thailand has been locked up in a hellhole prison claims she has been “left to rot” after overstaying her visa.
Ellis Matthews, 32, has spoken out on the horrors of being imprisoned in a “rat infested” Bangkok jail along with her four-year-old son Cairo.
Ellis left the UK four years ago to live her “dream life” in Thailand and has managed to rack up 16,000 followers thanks to her social media advice.
Several bikini-clad clips show her sharing how her sun-soaked lifestyle is funded by the British taxpayer.
She claims she is gifted £2,300 a month in benefits due to her “six mental disorders”.
But the mum, who has previously appeared on reality show Judge Rinder after squandering a £6million fortune, said earlier this week her tropical escape has taken a dark turn.
She alleges police raided her one-bedroom bungalow home in Pattaya, where she lives with youngest son, before being thrown in jail.
Since being locked up, the Lancashire native has shared several snaps of the Mothers and Children Immigration Detention Centre in Bangkok where she is being held.
The facility has a notorious reputation for being one of Thailand’s most overcrowded jails and is constantly condemned for its rough conditions.
Speaking from the prison, Ellis cried to the MailOnline: “This is hell on earth, it’s the worst prison that you can imagine.
“I’m locked up in a cell for most of the day with 16 other people and none of them speak English. It’s so hot and overcrowded that you can barely breathe.”
She also claimed the conditions she is having to endure has left her skin covered in rashes and insect bites.
Both Ellis and Cairo have already got lice, the mum said.
“Nobody is helping me, and I’ve just been left here to rot,” the Brit added.
She even complained about the food as she called it “so disgusting” that she is refusing to eat anything other than the rice.
Another major issue Ellis has experienced since being incarcerated is the noise of her fellow inmates.
She revealed: “We can’t sleep at night because there’s so much screaming and shouting. There are 35 women and children in the cell next to ours.
“It’s unbearable in here, I can’t stop crying and just want to get out as quickly as possible.”
A history of controversy
Before her arrest, Ellis had built a following online by openly sharing how she was able to live in Thailand while claiming UK benefits.
Posting under the name @mumontheruninasia, she boasted about getting £2,300 per month in Disability Living Allowance, despite having lived abroad for years.
One of her clips shows her in a bikini, holding cash, as she says: “I picked up my Disability Living Allowance today and I’ve been doing so for the past four years of not living in the UK.”
She added: “So, I receive around £2,300 per month undisputable [SIC] money and that pays for my lifestyle out here in Thailand.”
What is Disability Living Allowance (DLA)?
DISABILITY Living Allowance (DLA) is a UK government benefit that helps with the extra costs of living with a disability or long-term health condition.
However, it is now mostly phased out for adults and has been replaced by Personal Independence Payment (PIP).
Who Can Get DLA?
- Children under 16: DLA is still available for children who need extra care or have mobility difficulties.
- Adults aged 16 or over: New claims for DLA are no longer accepted; they must apply for PIP instead.
- Existing DLA claimants: Some adults still receive DLA, but they are gradually being moved to PIP
Ellis claimed she qualified for the payments due to her “six mental disorders”, which he said required “ongoing treatment costs to be met by the NHS by the taxpayer.”
Despite her claims, Thailand is not on the list of countries where British citizens can usually receive UK benefits while living abroad.
According to Thai immigration rules, British citizens can stay in the country for three months on a tourist visa, which can be extended for another month upon request.
But overstaying comes with a fine of 500 Baht (£11.40) per day.
Ellis has previously claimed she received £6million in compensation after being let down by Lancashire local authorities during her childhood — although no official record of this payout has been found.
In an appearance on Judge Rinder, she said she grew up in extreme hardship, living in 130 different homes as a child while her mother was frequently arrested in drug raids.
Ellis is also a mother to older children, who remain in the UK.
She has controversially claimed she doesn’t miss them, referring to them as “surrogacies.”
As news of her imprisonment spread, a GoFundMe page was set up in her name, with donations currently sitting at £180.
But the page description states that it was created “without her permission” and at the “request of others on TikTok“.
The fundraiser reads: “Keeping it short but will update. Funds needed to support Mum On The Run and Cairo.”
While some of her supporters have shown sympathy, others have questioned whether her story is entirely true.