Why so difficult to get Thai landlords to realise that they don't own your deposit?

[KhunFred]

On 10/6/2020 at 9:02 PM, tomazbodner said:

Maybe you should buy your own condo and avoid all this.

This is an amazingly obtuse statement. You need a very large sum of money to buy a condo. Most expats survive on monthly income. I have never heard of a "rent to own" situation.

[spidermike007]

9 minutes ago, KhunFred said:

Shaming a Thai????? Surely you jest.

It can be very effective. They are so hung up on the silly practice of saving face, that often embarrassment or humiliation, or the threat of such, can be a good remedy. Sometimes, it takes as little as one phone call to an associate or family member, to wake them up. And do not concern yourself with the repercussions. You are doing society a massive favor, by showing these guys that there is a limit to their crimes, and moral turpitude. 

[Ks45672]

11 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

It can be very effective. They are so hung up on the silly practice of saving face, that often embarrassment or humiliation, or the threat of such, can be a good remedy. Sometimes, it takes as little as one phone call to an associate or family member, to wake them up. And do not concern yourself with the repercussions. You are doing society a massive favor, by showing these guys that there is a limit to their crimes, and moral turpitude. 

People have been killed for less... Making a Thai lose face usually ends badly for the foreigner

 

Don't forget about the defamation laws if you start posting stuff online either

 

For the sake of a months rent or a broken fridge  is it really worth it?

[spidermike007]

2 minutes ago, Ks45672 said:

People have been killed for less... Making a Thai lose face usually ends badly for the foreigner

 

Don't forget about the defamation laws if you start posting stuff online either

 

For the sake of a months rent or a broken fridge  is it really worth it?

For me it would be. I consider it a sport. Going after morally bankrupt souls is big fun. And usually it ends quickly and simply, if you are clever, and do it right. Very few people have been able to get over on me, with this approach. A few times. But, not many! The last thing in the world I am afraid of, is a defamation suit, from an empty suit, or getting killed by a guy over 7,000 baht. Timidity has it's price, also. 

[NoshowJones]

I think a word with the motorcycle taxi guys is in order.

[Dart12]

I can't help on getting that one back, but right now it's renter's market.  You can set the terms upfront, including NO deposit.

But I'd be ticked.  Take the TV's or sell his fridge since YOU bought it (and you have proof you he told you you did in an email)  lol.

thats the point of renting fully furnished places, you don't own the stuff or handle structural maintenance.

[Lilyofthevalley]

There’s no such thing as “refund”

in thai culture, shopping culture, consumer rights, so yes they do believe on eve the money is in their hands it is theirs... 

[mfd101]

It may not always be practical or possible (depending on timing) but in theory you could recoup at least some of the deposit by not paying the last monthly rental (ie delaying as long as possible till you're leaving anyway and without the owner or agent knowing you're planning to leave).

[DUNROAMIN]

TIT, if your a Farang here, be prepared to get stung. 

[kiwikeith]

On 10/7/2020 at 2:07 AM, samsensam said:

 

sorry you're having problems but such situations can easily be avoided. i've lived in several apartments and never had any issues, i dont know of any friends who have had problems either. i recommend putting effort and research into where you choose to live, check places out, speak to people who live there, if you have friends ask for recommendations. my current apartment block is managed extremely well; the owners are educated and speak english, courteous staff who speak passable english, good security, any problems are sorted efficiently by in house staff, anyone causing noise or other problems gets one warning and is then evicted. there are good places out there.

My landlady is about 80 and Chinese, she wanted me to pay for the roof to be fixed as it was leaking, she said we broke it. 

Then she said she would have to increase the rent to fix the roof. After some argument I told her your roof is wrecking my furniture and wrecking your house and nobody will rent your house. 

I keep it nice, I put air in and a new water pump as the old one died. 

I kept the old one and when I move I'm going to take my aircon and put the old pump back. Some landlords are good and some are ruthless 

[Ks45672]

2 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

For me it would be. I consider it a sport. Going after morally bankrupt souls is big fun. And usually it ends quickly and simply, if you are clever, and do it right. Very few people have been able to get over on me, with this approach. A few times. But, not many! The last thing in the world I am afraid of, is a defamation suit, from an empty suit, or getting killed by a guy over 7,000 baht. Timidity has it's price, also. 

I'm not shy of confrontations

But I'm also too wealthy to start a war over trivial amounts which to me a broken fridge would be

 

Just write it off and move on with the last month's rent in your pocket

 

 

 

 

[Uroller]

I think it’s an Asian thing, I had problems in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur where in both cases they seemed to think the deposit was theirs to keep and I should be thankful that they let me rent their property????Tenants don’t seem to have rights in Asia!

[mike787]

nobody cares.  It is how life goes here in LOS.  Airbnb is a much smarter choice.

[DefaultName]

I've just finished 3 years of renting, no deposit asked for when I moved in, though I did pay a year up front.  Anything broken got fixed.  Maybe I was just lucky.

[spidermike007]

1 hour ago, Ks45672 said:

I'm not shy of confrontations

But I'm also too wealthy to start a war over trivial amounts which to me a broken fridge would be

 

Just write it off and move on with the last month's rent in your pocket

 

 

 

 

If you have a dodgy landlord, best to avoid paying the last months rent, and tell the landlord to use that as a refund for the deposit. If they make a big deal about that, so be it. Take me to court. LOL.

Edited October 12, 2020 by spidermike007

[Sydebolle]

Eye for an eye .......... I lost my entire deposit on the very first rental I had 35 years ago and the amount of THB 45'000 - those days a fortune - was still too small to take the landlady to the cleaners. 

As of then I always stopped paying rent timely enough so when I moved out the deposit was balanced. To the big surprise of all landladies and landlords I had later on, I showed up six weeks later to clear all the still open bills and explained, why I did it that way round. Question is always and worldwide the same "who wants what from whom" and, likewise, a property owner has no legal substance if you're not in arrear for at least three months ......