A British mother who fled the UK four years ago claims she has been detained in a Thai jail for overstaying her visa while raking in thousands in benefits.
Ellis Matthews, 32, from Bamber Bridge in Lancashire, had amassed over 16,400 followers on TikTok by sharing videos of her sun-soaked lifestyle in Pattaya.
The former charity worker regularly posted clips online explaining how she claimed £2,300 monthly in benefits from British taxpayers whilst living abroad.
Matthews, who left older children behind in Britain, had been living in Thailand with her three-year-old son Cairo before Thai authorities conducted a police raid on her home.
Matthews used her TikTok account @mumontheruninasia to share tips on claiming benefits whilst living overseas.
In one video, she boasted: "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 claimed to have "six mental disorders" requiring ongoing treatment costs "to be met by the NHS by the taxpayer, thank you very much".
The mother explained how others could avoid UK-based meetings to maintain benefit payments.
According to the UK Government, British citizens living overseas "may still be able to claim some benefits" - though Thailand isn't listed among countries with a UK benefits arrangement.
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Matthews has shared images from inside a cell in Thailand
TIKTOK
The 32-year-old had amassed over 16,400 followers on TikTok by sharing videos of her sun-soaked lifestyle in Pattaya
GETTY
Matthews has since shared images from inside the Thai detention centre, showing bleak conditions with rubbish on the floor and dirty walls.
In one post, she wrote: "I don't care about me but please pray for my son."
A GoFundMe page has been established in Matthews' name, with donations reaching just £150 - but the fundraiser claims to have been set up "without her permission and at the request of others on TikTok".
However, another TikTok account has urged people not to donate, warning: "Ellis is fed, watered and sheltered whilst detained in the detention centre.
"Cairo is being cared for and doesn't need any money donating."
Prior to her life in Thailand, Matthews appeared on reality show Judge Rinder, where she claimed to have received £6million in compensation from Lancashire local authorities - though there is no record of such a payout ever being awarded.
A GoFundMe - which appears to have been set up by someone else - has raised £150
GOFUNDME
During the programme, she described a troubled childhood with "130 homes" and a mother who was "in and out of prison".
In 2020, Matthews was caught driving under the influence of cocaine and cannabis in the UK.
The Lancashire Telegraph reported that in 2018, then aged 28, she failed a roadside test and was found to be driving without insurance and not in accordance with her licence.
She was fined £200 with £85 costs.
GB News has approached the Foreign Office for comment.
