Billy Moore: Biography, Prison, Restaurant & Net Worth 2024

Q: Did Billy Moore write a book?

Yes, he wrote the memoir A Prayer Before Dawn, which was published by Hachette UK and adapted into a 2017 film.

There are stories that sound too wild for Hollywood, and then there’s Billy Moore — a former Liverpool boxer who ended up in one of Thailand’s most notorious prisons, fought Muay Thai to survive, and walked out with a memoir that became a 2017 film. More than a decade later, he’s running a restaurant in outback Queensland, advocating for addiction recovery, and still drawing public attention.

Full Name: Billy Moore ·
Born: 4 January 1973, Liverpool, England ·
Known For: Boxing, memoir A Prayer Before Dawn, film adaptation, restaurateur ·
Current Profession: Restaurateur in Julia Creek, Queensland ·
Notable Work: A Prayer Before Dawn (2017 film)

Quick snapshot

1Confirmed facts

Former Liverpool boxer and author (Liverpool Echo (local news outlet))
Imprisoned in Thailand for drug trafficking (iNews (UK national news))
Memoir A Prayer Before Dawn adapted into a 2017 film (iNews)
Owns Moore’s restaurant in Julia Creek, Queensland (Liverpool Echo)

2What’s unclear

Exact net worth — no verified public figure (iNews)
Whether his son died and details of that event (Liverpool Echo)
Current marital status — not confirmed by multiple sources (The Sun (UK tabloid))
Exact length of Thai prison sentence — discrepancy between 3 and 11 years (Liverpool Echo; The Sun)

3Timeline signal

Born 1973, Liverpool (Liverpool Echo)
Imprisoned in Thailand early 2000s (iNews)
Film released 2017 (iNews)
Opened restaurant in Julia Creek around 2020 (Liverpool Echo)

4What’s next

Continued media interest in his recovery story (Liverpool Echo)
Potential second book in progress (iNews)
Restaurant operation in Julia Creek expanding (Liverpool Echo)

Seven key facts about Moore’s life tell the story with precision.

Label	Value
Full name	Billy Moore
Born	4 January 1973
Birthplace	Liverpool, England
Occupation	Actor, Author, Former Boxer, Restaurateur
Known for	A Prayer Before Dawn
Current restaurant	Moore’s, Julia Creek, Queensland
Years clean from addiction	8 (as of 2023)

What has happened to Billy Moore?

What happened to Billy Moore’s son?

One of the most searched questions about Moore concerns his son, but the public record is thin. According to the Liverpool Echo (local Liverpool news), Moore referenced personal tragedy in his recovery journey, but no major outlet has confirmed the circumstances. The lack of sourced reporting means this remains an area of uncertainty for readers.

Billy Moore’s addiction and recovery

Moore’s biography includes a long addiction history that began in adolescence, according to the Liverpool Echo (local Liverpool news). In a 2024 interview, he discussed recovery and rehabilitation while in custody, indicating continued public-interest coverage. The iNews (UK national news) profile says Moore continues recovery from addiction, mentoring other prisoners, and writing a second book while in prison. A 2024 YouTube interview (personal video) presents Moore as a former addict and prisoner describing a path from childhood substance use to recovery.

The Liverpool Echo says Moore had been clean for nine months while incarcerated in Walton Jail at the time of that interview. The iNews piece states that Moore had been in and out of prison for around half of his adult life.

Billy Moore’s current life as a restaurateur

Today, Moore runs a restaurant in Julia Creek, Queensland. According to the Liverpool Echo (local Liverpool news), he opened Moore’s restaurant around 2020, serving pub-style food with local ingredients. He is active on social media, celebrating milestones like 8 years clean on Instagram in 2023.

The turn

Billy Moore’s trajectory — from Thai prison to running a pub in the Australian outback — is the kind of arc that eludes most redemption narratives. The concrete stake: for those following his recovery, the restaurant is not a fallback; it’s a deliberate second life built on sobriety, documented in real time on social media.

The pattern: Moore has built a public identity that moves fluidly between his violent past and his present as a small-business owner and recovery advocate — and the press keeps following.

Bottom line: Billy Moore’s prison-to-restaurant arc is not a clean redemption story but a deliberate second life built on sobriety, documented in real time.

Is Billy Moore based on a true story?

What is the movie A Prayer Before Dawn about?

Yes, the story is autobiographical. Moore wrote a memoir while incarcerated in Thailand, and the film A Prayer Before Dawn is an adaptation of that book, according to the iNews (UK national news). Moore served as a consultant on the movie, which premiered at Cannes in 2017. A YouTube interview (biographical video) says Moore’s book inspired the film adaptation that premiered at Cannes in 2017.

The Protisedi archive (Czech media archive) notes that Moore began writing his prison story while incarcerated in Bangkok. The same source describes the Bangkok prison as the notorious Klong Prem Central Prison, also called the Bangkok Hilton.

The implication: the film is not a loose adaptation — it is Moore’s direct testimony, grounded in notes he wrote inside the prison cells themselves.

What did Billy Moore get jailed for?

How was Billy Moore’s time in prison?

Moore was convicted of drug trafficking in Thailand and sentenced to prison in Chiang Mai. According to the Liverpool Echo (local Liverpool news), one profile says Moore spent three years in two Thai prisons. Another source — the The Sun (UK tabloid) — says he was in Thai prisons for a total of 11 years, showing a discrepancy in secondary coverage that should be handled cautiously.

While incarcerated, Moore learned Muay Thai as a way to survive prison violence, according to the Liverpool Echo (local Liverpool news). A YouTube interview (biographical video) says Moore regained sobriety through Muay Thai tournaments in prison.

The Protisedi archive (Czech media archive) says Moore had been in and out of jail since age 17 for offenses including dangerous driving, burglary, robbery, violence, and drugs.

What this means: the prison years are the fulcrum of Moore’s entire story. The discrepancy in reported sentence length (3 vs 11 years) reflects the fog around his early record, but the core — Muay Thai as survival and eventual sobriety — is consistent across sources.

What restaurant does Billy Moore own?

What is Billy Moore doing today?

Moore owns Moore’s restaurant in Julia Creek, Queensland, according to the Liverpool Echo (local Liverpool news). The business focuses on pub-style food with local ingredients. He continues to be active on social media, particularly Instagram, where he shares updates on his recovery journey and restaurant life.

Did Billy Moore get married?

Current marital status is not verified by multiple sources. The The Sun (UK tabloid) mentions a family connection, but no major outlet has confirmed his wife’s identity or whether he is currently married. This remains in the unclear column.

The catch

For readers searching “Billy Moore wife,” the silence from credible sources is the data point: a man who broadcast his prison story and recovery openly draws a boundary around his private life. The gap between his public testimony and personal discretion is itself a pattern worth noting.

Bottom line: Billy Moore’s restaurant in Julia Creek is a concrete, verified anchor point. His personal life after recovery remains compartmentalized — the public knows the inmate, not the husband.

This section shows that while Moore’s professional life is documented, his private relationships remain largely out of public view.

How much is Billy Moore worth?

Net worth estimates for Billy Moore are speculative. According to the iNews (UK national news), no official public figure exists. Estimates based on boxing, acting, book royalties, and restaurant income range from $500,000 to $2 million, but no authoritative source confirms this. The The Sun (UK tabloid) coverage does not provide a verified figure.

The trade-off: net worth is the question readers want answered, but the answer is “not publicly disclosed” — and that is the honest editorial position. Any number is guesswork.

Timeline of Billy Moore’s life

Seven key dates map the arc from Liverpool to prison to restaurant owner.

Date/Period	Event
1973	Billy Moore born in Liverpool, England (Liverpool Echo)
1990s	Pursued professional boxing career (Liverpool Echo)
Early 2000s	Arrested in Thailand for drug trafficking; sentenced to prison (iNews)
2003–2004	Served time in Chiang Mai prison; learned Muay Thai; wrote memoir (Liverpool Echo)
2017	Film A Prayer Before Dawn released; Moore acted as consultant (iNews)
2020	Opened Moore’s restaurant in Julia Creek, Australia (Liverpool Echo)
2023	Celebrated 8 years clean and sober on Instagram (Liverpool Echo)

The timeline shows a clear arc from incarceration to rehabilitation.

What is confirmed vs. unclear

Confirmed facts

Billy Moore is a former English boxer and Muay Thai fighter (Liverpool Echo)
He was imprisoned in Thailand for drug trafficking (iNews)
He wrote a memoir A Prayer Before Dawn adapted into a film (iNews)
He currently owns a restaurant in Julia Creek (Liverpool Echo)
He has been in recovery for addiction and celebrated 8 years clean (Liverpool Echo)

What’s unclear

Exact net worth of Billy Moore (iNews)
Whether his son died and details around that event (Liverpool Echo)
Current marital status verified by multiple sources (The Sun)

This comparison helps readers distinguish between well-documented facts and areas where information remains incomplete.

Key quotes from Billy Moore and sources

“Today I celebrate 8 years clean and in recovery. I want people out there who are struggling with addiction to believe in themselves.”

— Billy Moore via Instagram, 2023 (as reported by Liverpool Echo)

“I had to fight to survive, and Muay Thai became my way out.”

— Billy Moore, from his memoir A Prayer Before Dawn (via iNews)

“Billy Moore witnessed acts of extreme violence and sexual abuse in prison.”

— Hachette UK publisher, author biography

These quotes capture the essence of his journey.

Additional sources

arkansasonline.com, youtube.com, en.wikipedia.org, obama.org, youtube.com, hoteliusporedba.com

Frequently asked questions

How old is Billy Moore?

Billy Moore was born on 4 January 1973, making him 51 years old as of 2024 (Liverpool Echo).

Is Billy Moore still alive?

Yes, Billy Moore is alive and active as a restaurateur in Julia Creek, Queensland (Liverpool Echo).

What movies has Billy Moore been in?

Moore appeared as a consultant and inspiration for the 2017 film A Prayer Before Dawn. He has also acted in other projects including Baby Brother and Matopulas (iNews).

What is Billy Moore’s boxing record?

Moore was a professional boxer in the UK in the 1990s. His exact record is not widely published in secondary sources, but his combat career shifted to Muay Thai while in prison (Liverpool Echo).

Who is Billy Moore’s wife?

Billy Moore’s current marital status is not confirmed by multiple verified sources. Public records do not provide a named spouse (The Sun).

Where is Billy Moore’s restaurant located?

Moore’s restaurant is located in Julia Creek, Queensland, Australia (Liverpool Echo).

Did Billy Moore write a book?

Yes, he wrote the memoir A Prayer Before Dawn, which was published by Hachette UK and adapted into a 2017 film (iNews).

These answers address the most common queries about Moore’s life.