Sam B

@CharlieH Important hint—much points to that. Thanks!

Fellow expats, imagine being dragged into a courtroom battle where only one side is throwing punches. Despite my efforts to keep things civil and avoid a legal showdown, the other party seems determined to escalate every step of the way. I'm stuck in a dispute that's spiraling out of control, and I need your help to steer it back to calmer grounds. Here's the scoop: I hired a solar installation company in Chiang Mai, lured by their European name and the ease of communicating in German. Everything seemed sunny until the installation stretched from a promised week to a grueling two months with many incidents. Let's leave that out here - in the end, the installer didn't even agree to my suggestion, that I waive all costs incurred as a result of all these issues and will pay the outstanding amount in two tranches: half on the day of putting into operation and after a month-long test phase. He obviously seemed to prefer to put me under pressure to pay with a criminal claim instead of subjecting his system to a test phase. This was my first bid to dodge legal chaos (I name it Action 1). But alas, my friendly neighborhood Expat wasn't having it and decided to take the courtroom route over alleged embezzlement! I've been navigating this storm with a series of actions: Action 2: Paid the remaining balance immediately after receiving the information/threat that he will file criminal and civil charges against me. I made a modest deduction for the missing warranty (another issue which arises), hoping to stave off a court case. Action 3: After I received the lawsuit against me, I instructed my lawyer to rescheduled the initial court date, buying time to find a resolution. Action 4: Contacted the installing expat twice via email, explaining the needless criminalization of one expat by another, but was met with silence and a request to stop the emails. Action 5: We suggested that there should be no more delays, discussions, or negotiations—just one more figure, then proceed to the lawyers and withdraw the claim, only to be told there was "no time"—a weekend hope left dangling. Action 6: Turned to you, my fellow expats, for fresh ideas. Here's the issue in a nutshell: It's absurd to drag a simple payment disagreement into a criminal court when it clearly belongs in civil court*1. That's where these kinds of disputes should be sorted out. But no, I'm facing a bizarre embezzlement charge just because I made a deduction over a missing warranty—even though I've paid for everything I actually received. He did not even try to negotiate about the guarantee deduction but decided to criminalize a fellow Expat in Thailand. *1 By the way: According to the lawyer, this kind of legal action is often used against Expats in Thailand. If the complaint is accepted, you have to pay bail and can't leave the country, possibly for up to a year. It's a stressful situation for any Expat and can make some give in even if they are in the right. It's truly tragic when one Expat does this to another. So, life-experience fellows, do you have any ideas for me? Any mediators among you willing to step in? Would you be willing to brainstorm for me and find a way out of this tropical legal storm! Share your thoughts, no critiques, please— I know maybe my actions weren't perfect, but I’m looking ahead. Thanks for your support!