Frenchman who allegedly locked Thai workers in cage accused of donations scam

 

Picture: Daily News

 

It has been claimed that the Frenchman at the center of a row about locking his Thai workers in a dog cage is not only a bogus vet but has accepted up to 50 million baht in donations. 

 

He is being charged with animal abuse after videos posted on social media showed him euthanizing 22 dogs he claimed had rabies. 

Meanwhile claims on the Facebook page of Michael and his wife Tanyanan suggest the couple have been involved in a scam. 

 

Neither of the couple have responded to Thaivisa requests for comment. 

 

The case hit the Thai media when 15 workers at "The Sound of Animals" sanctuary in Ban Kruat, Buriram in Thailand's north east complained they were being locked up with 200 dogs and being denied food and water. 

 

Tanyanan was seen explaining the couple's side of matters on Thai TV and the Frenchman was seen arguing with his workers. His wife said that he could be a hothead at times. The workers complained of a lack of respect.

 

However, these claims that are not the subject of prosecution could be just the tip of the iceberg regarding investigations into their activities. 

 

A vet who is part of a group that cares for strays in Chonburi and has looked into the case filed a report with the Ban Kruat police about the couple's activities on October 25th, reported Daily News. 

 

Wanchai Chaipleum claimed that Mr Michael was acting as a vet without a licence. He claimed that he had injected 22 dogs who he said had had rabies. He was not allowed to do this. 

 

The Frenchman is facing charges of being a bogus vet and animal abuse. These are set to be presented to the public prosecutor early next year.

 

But Wanchai went further. He said that Mr Michael's bank account had received donations amounting to 8 million baht from September 2018 to August of this year alone. 

 

He had also sought donations for three years prior purchasing 6 rai of land and constructing many buildings on the property. Wanchai claimed that the total of donations received could be as much as 50 million baht.

 

Online a group called "Animal Welfare Whistleblowers" were mentioned in posts on Mr Michaels's Facebook page where one person said people should not donate and called it a "great scam". 

 

The couple are also being investigated by Buriram officials regarding their charitable foundation status and whether they are properly registered. 

 

Source: Daily News

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2019-12-24

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There is no better advice than to keep out of conflict, and keep your head down, while living in Thailand.

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Marvelous Thailand. If your first accusation against a farang has no merit, just keep throwing the mud. There is so much stupidity in this. Prosecuted for euthanising dogs with rabies? What should he do? Kick them out on the street to infect others?

If people want to donate and he has been looking after hundreds of dogs with the money, I see no problem.

20 minutes ago, darksidedog said:

Marvelous Thailand. If your first accusation against a farang has no merit, just keep throwing the mud. There is so much stupidity in this. Prosecuted for euthanising dogs with rabies? What should he do? Kick them out on the street to infect others?

If people want to donate and he has been looking after hundreds of dogs with the money, I see no problem.

There could be several problems:

He can't work as a vet without a license, work permit and the right visa.

If you run a charity, you need to set up a proper company for that which has to have certain rules.

When one thing does not stick, then there is 2 or 3 more claims of illegal activities coming up in just a day or two.

Wonder what this man has done to upset the authorities.

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Neither of the couple have responded to Thaivisa requests for comment. 

thats it then, obviously guilty.

 

3 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Marvelous Thailand. If your first accusation against a farang has no merit, just keep throwing the mud. There is so much stupidity in this. Prosecuted for euthanising dogs with rabies? What should he do? Kick them out on the street to infect others?

If people want to donate and he has been looking after hundreds of dogs with the money, I see no problem.

Problem there is dogs did not have rabies, he never tested the dogs , no indication or symptoms of having rabies, and the way he did it was also wrong, dogs died in agony screaming because he administered medication wrongly 

3 hours ago, Matzzon said:

When one thing does not stick, then there is 2 or 3 more claims of illegal activities coming up in just a day or two.

Wonder what this man has done to upset the authorities.

It’s not the authorities who started this but one person in Australia , backed my local “charities” 

Looks like he should hop it rather fast before the vinyl is dry advisable????

3 hours ago, Matzzon said:

When one thing does not stick, then there is 2 or 3 more claims of illegal activities coming up in just a day or two.

Wonder what this man has done to upset the authorities.

Maybe he is a Future Forward sympathizer?

7 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

Maybe he is a Future Forward sympathizer?

Wow! You just destroyed the guy´s Christmas. Do you smell the taste of death penalty?

if he did con 50 mil baht out of people in Thailand.then he should be named and. shamed.locking up people in a cage is also wrong.i suppose the police will sort it out and do something

4 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Marvelous Thailand. If your first accusation against a farang has no merit, just keep throwing the mud. There is so much stupidity in this. Prosecuted for euthanising dogs with rabies? What should he do? Kick them out on the street to infect others?

If people want to donate and he has been looking after hundreds of dogs with the money, I see no problem.

But did the dogs actually have rabies .

5 hours ago, webfact said:

He had also sought donations for three years prior purchasing 6 rai of land and constructing many buildings on the property. Wanchai claimed that the total of donations received could be as much as 50 million baht

The good life just ended.

 

16 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

The good life just ended.

 

Yes ended for his workers now out if a job, end for the 100 stray dogs that have been getting cared for (back on the streets to slowly die in agony). His mistake has been his success at raising money and jealousy and now being noticed by the police who will see it as easy pickings. So his crime is having lazy workers and getting onto them making them feel upset (then walk away). All of a sudden a post accusing him of locking them in a kennel appears on the internet. A jealous vet accuses him of pretending to be a vet because he injected some dogs (he never stated he was a vet)  he believed the dogs had rabies but the fact is there could be many reasons for putting the dogs to sleep. Now morphine is the normal drug used to put animals to sleep so we're did he get it from or who sold it to him and quite possibly the dodgy vet who now is throwing accusations at him. He should close up shop and leave Thailand with all his charities funds ASAP. 

If you want to keep doing wrong Things, try not be spotted. If they spot you then you are done and you will be repeatedly in trouble. 
 

 

once you are on their radar live becomes difficult

Not sure I believe all this - sounds like a Shaggy dog story...

5 hours ago, darksidedog said:

Marvelous Thailand. If your first accusation against a farang has no merit, just keep throwing the mud. There is so much stupidity in this. Prosecuted for euthanising dogs with rabies? What should he do? Kick them out on the street to infect others?

If people want to donate and he has been looking after hundreds of dogs with the money, I see no problem.

Unbelievable  crazy  comment

 

He could have called a registered  vet down

 

How do you know he injected properly

 

As for the staff locked in a cage. Seems like this forang taking  millions of baht in donations probably  got too big for his boots

 

He could  have employed  a registered  vet with that money

 

I know  people that really rescue aninals and they barleg have enough  money for fuel  ti get to the scene  to rescue  snake  big lizards crazy  monkeys  extra 

 

Jesus if real charities  had this money  they could  do allot for their  staff and animals 

 

 

1 minute ago, soalbundy said:

once you are on their radar live becomes difficult

Too many accusations and some have already stuck, like the tax evasion.

But as i said before, they get rid off him and who is going to look after over 200 dogs? who will run the shelter?

A live update, for anyone interested, All staff are gone from the shelter no one taking care of the dogs.

1 hour ago, Percy P said:

But did the dogs actually have rabies .

Who knows unfortunately we can’t trust a single word we read these days and lately that seems like it’s been a lot worse. It seems like the media is attacking this guy but there’s not many facts to back any of it up yet.  

5 minutes ago, BestB said:

A live update, for anyone interested, All staff are gone from the shelter no one taking care of the dogs.

Do you by any chance have the exact google maps location of the shelter? 

10 minutes ago, BestB said:

A live update, for anyone interested, All staff are gone from the shelter no one taking care of the dogs.

I sent you a pm. 

46 minutes ago, Scot123 said:

Yes ended for his workers now out if a job, end for the 100 stray dogs that have been getting cared for (back on the streets to slowly die in agony). His mistake has been his success at raising money and jealousy and now being noticed by the police who will see it as easy pickings. So his crime is having lazy workers and getting onto them making them feel upset (then walk away). All of a sudden a post accusing him of locking them in a kennel appears on the internet. A jealous vet accuses him of pretending to be a vet because he injected some dogs (he never stated he was a vet)  he believed the dogs had rabies but the fact is there could be many reasons for putting the dogs to sleep. Now morphine is the normal drug used to put animals to sleep so we're did he get it from or who sold it to him and quite possibly the dodgy vet who now is throwing accusations at him. He should close up shop and leave Thailand with all his charities funds ASAP. 

It would appear you have little knowledge of Thailand's animal cruelty laws and even less of the drugs used in the west to euthanise animals. Morphine...5555

10 minutes ago, DennisE said:

Do you by any chance have the exact google maps location of the shelter? 

No sorry

1 minute ago, DennisE said:

Tell that to the writer I agree no one really knows for sure if he’s guilty of anything but I don’t care apparently there are several dogs that might starve to death and I know they are less than 2 hours from where I live. If we all pitch in and do something a bad situation could at least be improved if we try instead of sitting around writing about it online. I use this site for information so I think that’s what I’m going to do and see if anything can be done to help. 

Knock yourself out. I'll pass thanks. I checked out a link posted in a previous thread asking for 'volunteers' which seemed to me to be a complete scam. Work for 12 hours and you stay for free (sort of). Work for 8 hours and you pay 500 baht a day for the privilege. that's after you have paid your own way there, visas etc.

 

Not for me.

I have had a look it seems he is running quite a big operation here,looking after dogs and finding homes abroad for them ,there is a lot of followers on several Facebook pages ,quite believable he has been receiving huge amount of donations,,,,I also see he has built himself a nice house on the land since January 2018.

The Sound of Animals that’s a start. 

3 minutes ago, emptypockets said:

Knock yourself out. I'll pass thanks. I checked out a link posted in a previous thread asking for 'volunteers' which seemed to me to be a complete scam. Work for 12 hours and you stay for free (sort of). Work for 8 hours and you pay 500 baht a day for the privilege. that's after you have paid your own way there, visas etc.

 

Not for me.

No I’m talking about helping the dogs there now in the short term as in emergency assistance so they at least don’t starve to death in the short term.