Daniel Sancho spends nearly €3,000 a month on food and ice while serving life sentence in Thailand

Spanish chef Daniel Sancho spends nearly €3,000 a month on his needs in prison in Thailand, with much of the money reportedly going toward protein-rich foods and ice to maintain his muscle mass, according to Spanish media.

The son of actor Rodolfo Sancho is said to fill a bathtub with ice twice a day as part of his cold therapy routine. Journalist Richard Pena told the Spanish television program Fiesta that the practice is popular among people who exercise regularly and want to preserve their muscle mass.

Sancho is also reportedly learning as much Thai as possible, reading extensively and practicing Muay Thai. According to the reports, he has even won competitions while in prison.

Crime and sentence

Sancho was sentenced to life imprisonment in August 2024 for the killing of Colombian surgeon Edwin Arrieta, committed on August 2, 2023. After the crime, he disposed of Arrieta’s remains in bags that were thrown into the sea and later recovered.

He was arrested five days after the killing and has remained in prison since then. His lawyers argued that he acted in self-defense and dismembered Arrieta’s body out of fear after realizing he had died. However, the victim’s legal representatives maintained that the crime was premeditated, citing the purchase of plastic bags and a knife the day before the killing.

The latest reports about Sancho’s prison spending come weeks after audio recordings allegedly linked to requests for bribes to judges in Thailand were leaked. The recordings could create further legal complications for him.