British retiree Simon Charles Hill, 68, has returned to the UK after a romance scam left him homeless in Bangkok, unable to pay rent or buy food.
Hill, from Luton, had lived in Thailand for 11 years after retiring from his work as a UN flight operator. He had been living on a state pension of about GBP500 a month when he was contacted on Facebook by someone calling herself Emily Smith.
The supposed American woman, whose photographs showed her in sportswear, said she was due to receive a US$3 million inheritance. She told Hill that fees were needed before the money could be released and transferred to his bank account.
Hill said he made seven or eight payments over just under five months, sending his pension when it arrived and then exhausting his savings. He was eventually evicted from his apartment and spent several nights in the lobby of a hotel in Bangkok's Surawong area.
"I was able to sustain myself for a while, but it wasn't going to last," Hill said. "And that's when it dawned on me that I was actually homeless."
Charity found him weak and frail
The Bangkok Community Help Foundation (BCHF) found Hill at the hotel on July 9, describing him as "very frail and weak". By then, he had also overstayed his visa and was in Thailand illegally.
Hill said he had been advised by the British Embassy that he could be sent to immigration detention. The charity instead took him to its Centre of Dreams shelter, where he stayed while staff arranged fundraising and travel documents for his return.
Friso Poldervaart, 34, a Dutch national and BCHF co-founder, said Hill had sometimes suspected the online relationship might be a scam but did not want to accept it because it made him feel cared for.
The fictitious woman, seen in the pictures
"He lost essentially his entire pension," Poldervaart said. "Every month when his pension arrived, he would send almost all of it to the scammer. He then could not pay his rent, electricity or buy food, and was eventually evicted from his condo."
Visa problems can compound financial crises
For foreigners in Thailand, the case underlines how a sudden loss of income can quickly cause both housing and immigration difficulties. A visa overstay remains an offence, and those unable to fund onward travel may face detention while arrangements are made.
Hill praised the shelter's staff after initially fearing he would be on the streets. "The conditions on the street are absolutely horrendous," he said. "I was extremely worried I was going to end up there, but it never happened, thank God."
BCHF worked for nearly two months to repatriate him. Hill is now in a homeless shelter in London while waiting to enter assisted living.
Report made to Yannawa police
The scammers are reportedly believed to be in Nigeria, while Hill's money was sent to a Thai mule account. Poldervaart said the case was reported to Yan Nawa District Police and the bank received details of the account, although BCHF was unaware of a wider investigation.
Acting Police Major Loetchai Phiwlongchai, an investigation officer at Yannawa Police Station, said Hill made an official report in July and that it had been recorded as evidence.
"It is unlikely that Mr Hill will get his money back," Poldervaart said.
Pictures courtesy of Daily Mail
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9 September 2026
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