The Angel of Bang Kwang Prison

For the past 30 years, Susan Aldous has been an inspiration to many: Cambodian refugees, terminally ill prostitutes, Thai prison officers, drug addicts, disabled children in Laos and thousands of prisoners wasting away in Thailand's squalid prisons.

Impressive achievements for a high-school dropout and former hell raiser who rebelled against her suburban upbringing in Melbourne, because as she put it: "I wanted my life to have meaning. I didn't want it to be just three meals a day, getting married, having kids, and dying".

As a young woman Susan had been on a path of self-destruction when she decided to give her life to others instead of wasting it away in Melbourne's dark underbelly. Leaving a world of drugs and petty crime behind, she helped those who needed her while making ends meet by working as a Playboy bunny.

Realising she wanted to help the poorest, Susan moved to Singapore and then Thailand to work a nine day project helping the socially disadvantaged. She is still there 18 years later.

She now recounts her transformative journey in her inspirational memoirs 'The Angel of Bang Kwang Prison'. "Something that I find particularly rewarding about writing my book was in knowing that I was giving a voice to those who suffer unimaginable indignities," says Susan Aldous.

Recently, Susan has become involved in running a shelter for abused women in Bangkok. The shelter acts as a sanctuary for women and children escaping domestic violence. "These women and children have been exposed to terrible abuse, and more often, they have no one else to turn to," she says. The centre also incorporates a facility for terminally ill women, many of them victims of Thailand's AIDS pandemic.

But her primary commitment remains to the thousands of men and women languishing in unspeakable circumstances in Thailand's prisons. The 7000 Thai and foreign inmates off the 'Bangkok Hilton' rarely have anything to look forward to; except for a visit from the woman they have dubbed the 'Angel of Bang Kwang'.

Susan Aldous
A mother of one, Susan Aldous has become a one-woman aid phenomenon. She grew up in Melbourne as a rebellious young woman. Growing tired of her wayward lifestyle, she decided to give all she had to others. She has no money, so she gives her life, helping those with nobody else to turn to. She campaigns for prisoner's rights and fundraising for various charities in Asia.

Review: This is an honest account of one woman's quest to help those who are in real need of contact with other women to boost their moral and respect for themselves. Her plight is an ongoing battle against a cruel reality on life in Thailand today. Moving.

Maverick House
Author: Susan Aldous
ISBN: 9781905379323
RRP: $24.95