Thai wife and ex-wife fight over ownership of cafe after husband’s death

[webfact]

 

A family dispute has surfaced over the ownership of a cliff-top cafe and restaurant in the central province of Chantaburi following the death of a man. The contention involves the man’s Thai wife and his ex-wife.

 

The conflict became public when Phanisa “Mook” Pongsawat, a Thai woman, posted a message on the Facebook page of the cafe, Sky View Cafe AT Chantaburi (Sky View cafe AT จันทบุรี) announcing the closure for maintenance from November 30 due to the passing of her husband, Songkran “Es” Taweeponsawat.

 

In response to the post, Es’ daughter, Supajitta Dermsomboon, created a new Facebook page for the cafe and insisted that she and her siblings would be the owners of the cafe from December 19, 2022. She added that the cafe would open as normal and urged Mook to stop interfering in her business.

Mook later explained to her customers that she had been in a relationship with Es for 11 years and had adopted a boy named Sky, who is now seven years old. They lived together in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat before moving to Chantaburi province in 2019.

 

by Petch Petpailin

Top Photo via Teawbebgru

 

Full story: The Thaiger 2023-11-15

 

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[Gottfrid]

So, does that mean Es was married to his daughter?

[huangnon]

Is that him checking out in the photo.?

[gomangosteen]

Been a lot of coverage of this on our local Facebook and also on CTV Chanthaburi; death threats, guns involved. Add in that the building itself is questionable in terms of the extensions, and that the land is 'owned' by Wat Ko Proet and whether they ever actually approved of the use of the site for a cafe and the amount of destruction of the landscape this has entailed, including the removal of some concrete structures related to the use of Ko Proet as a refugee camp for approx 5000 Vietnamese and later Cambodians fleeing conflict in their respective countries, many of whom died here.

 

2017 before any clearance for cafe

 

Mentioned in this book the author Michael Harpold was here

 

[JeffersLos]

Maybe the police can volunteer to take control of it until the family sort it out. 

[it is what it is]

 

another reminder to have your affairs in order, just in case.

[VocalNeal]

6 minutes ago, it is what it is said:

 

another reminder to have your affairs in order, just in case.

 Perhaps he did this on purpose?

[Gandtee]

If a farang's wife died before him would the house automatically belong to him?

[hotchilli]

19 hours ago, Gottfrid said:

So, does that mean Es was married to his daughter?

No,just a poorly written headline

it means that "E" had not re-married to Mook, they were in a relationship for 11 years.

His daughter believes the restaurant becomes hers after his death due to inheritance.

[Mike Lister]

17 hours ago, Gandtee said:

If a farang's wife died before him would the house automatically belong to him?

If the farangs wife is Thai, yes, ownership passes to the farang but only for one year, during which time it must be sold or new ownership arrangements made.

[Gottfrid]

3 minutes ago, hotchilli said:

No,just a poorly written headline

it means that "E" had not re-married to Mook, they were in a relationship for 11 years.

His daughter believes the restaurant becomes hers after his death due to inheritance.

Yep, and my comment was a joke. 

[hotchilli]

44 minutes ago, Gottfrid said:

Yep, and my comment was a joke. 

I did notice that.

[lom]

3 hours ago, Mike Lister said:

If the farangs wife is Thai, yes, ownership passes to the farang but only for one year, during which time it must be sold or new ownership arrangements made.

There is no farang involved in this case, the guy was Thai.

[Mike Lister]

11 minutes ago, lom said:

There is no farang involved in this case, the guy was Thai.

Poster Gandtree asked a question, I answered it, it was nothing to do with the news article, please read the thread again more carefully!

[KhunLA]

Don't know about the legal issue, but good advert for the restaurant.  Shame Gmap states 'permanently closed', though FB states temporary for renovations (settle legal issue ?).   May have to revisit the east side of the Gulf, as it's been over a decade since I explored over there.

 

Road trip

 

Edited November 30, 2023 by KhunLA

[BobBKK]

Surely if he did not marry this Mook it can't be hers? The daughter looks like she has the best claim.  An ex wife is... an ex-wife

[Chris Daley]

Aliens can't own property.  So who ever owns the building should take it back.

[gomangosteen]

The issue of the restaurant/ cafe and associated building has been resolved. All demolished and site cleared this week, I visited the site yesterday.

 

The whole construction was not legal, not consented / permitted and this could not be done retrospectively as was in breach of the minimum 12 metres from the clifftop requirements - it was built to the clifftop and in places extended over the edge, they were given until 30 December to demolish it all.

 

So maybe there was no 'winner' in the family dispute over ownership, and who paid for the demolition?

 

 

Beware the Drop (almost) it's loose stones near the edge don't get too close

 

 

There's now a coffee caravan and awning area for hot / cold drinks and food, set back towards the treeline. Signs for the (gone) Skyline Cafe remain at intervals on the roadside from about 3km away, but there's still the view to enjoy.

Edited December 28, 2023 by gomangosteen

[KannikaP]

On 11/16/2023 at 9:40 AM, lom said:

There is no farang involved in this case, the guy was Thai.

Called Songkran, with a son named Sky.   5555