Thai woman accuses renowned lawyer of stealing 1.8 million baht

[snoop1130]

 

A Thai woman came forward to expose a renowned lawyer who tricked her into signing a power of attorney document, stealing 1.8 million baht from her in the process.

 

The 47 year old victim, identified only as Ple, sought help from non-profit organisation Saimai Survive to retrieve the 1.8 million baht from the well-known lawyer, whose name was not made public.

 

In this case, Ple explained that she lent her neighbour 3.6 million baht, and the neighbour signed a contract to repay the debt within two years. However, the debtor only paid her 300,000 baht and begged her to extend the repayment period.

 

Ple said she agreed to the debtor’s request but still did not receive her money. As a result, she hired a lawyer in September 2015 to sue her neighbour over the debt. In 2017, the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Court ordered the debtor to pay her 3.3 million baht.

 

Ple then signed a power of attorney document allowing the lawyer to conveniently follow up on the repayment on her behalf. However, the lawyer allegedly used this power illegally for his benefit.

Ple disclosed that she repeatedly asked the lawyer about her money but he told her that the debtor had not yet paid, claiming the debtor was waiting to sell valuables to repay the debt.

 

Ple eventually sought the truth from the Legal Execution Department and discovered that the debtor already paid more than 1.8 million baht but the money went to the lawyer. Moreover, her lawyer also took a bribe of 50,000 baht from the debtor to manipulate the case in the debtor’s favour.

 

Saimai Survive added that this was not the first accusation against the lawyer. The organisation revealed a complaint from another victim in October last year, alleging that the lawyer failed to pay home rent for over a year.

 

The organisation has promised to help Ple seek justice and retrieve her money, but the next steps in their operation were not disclosed in the report.

 

By Petch Petpailin

Photo via DailyNews

 

Source: The Thaiger

-- 2024-10-09

 

 

[Henk Langeweg]

How to prevent this? I am in the proces to make a last Will but I am really reserved to name the Lawyer as executor. And this doesn't change my mind of course. But what then?

Edited October 9 by Henk Langeweg

[hotchilli]

13 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Ple eventually sought the truth from the Legal Execution Department and discovered that the debtor already paid more than 1.8 million baht but the money went to the lawyer. Moreover, her lawyer also took a bribe of 50,000 baht from the debtor to manipulate the case in the debtor’s favour

Trust no-one, not even your friends or lawyers...

[Grumpy one]

A dishonest lawyer.......... NEVER happened  

[StraightTalk]

15 hours ago, Henk Langeweg said:

How to prevent this?

To ensure checks and balances, consider appointing co-executor(s) (e.g. your wife or anybody else who you think you can trust) and clearly outlining in your Will the specific expectations you have following your passing.

[Henk Langeweg]

1 hour ago, StraightTalk said:

To ensure checks and balances, consider appointing co-executor(s) (e.g. your wife or anybody else who you think you can trust) and clearly outlining in your Will the specific expectations you have following your passing.

Thanks. I can do that but it seems that you cannot around a lawyer to free your bankaccounts for the beneficiaries. You even have to give power of attourney do them.

So there comes a moment that all the money is on their table to distribute according to the Will  ... or not.

Edited October 10 by Henk Langeweg

[StraightTalk]

21 minutes ago, Henk Langeweg said:

according to the Will

That’s why it’s crucial to word your Will carefully, wisely, and most importantly, in a way that eliminates any ambiguities.

[Zack61]

5 hours ago, Grumpy one said:

A dishonest lawyer.......... NEVER happened  

Hard to find an honest one here. They start off as if they are on your side but ultimately sell themselves to the highest bidder and often in cahoots with the opposition team. 
Reminds me of a joke I was once told about a lawyer. 
Goes like this. It was so cold yesterday that a lawyer had his hands in his own pockets. 

[Henk Langeweg]

1 hour ago, StraightTalk said:

That’s why it’s crucial to word your Will carefully, wisely, and most importantly, in a way that eliminates any ambiguities.

You need probably a honest lawyer to set that up. Maybe an idea before signing anything, to let it checked by another office?

 

Is there no authority in Thailand that check yearly or so or that the execution of Wills is done to the letter of the Will? Probably not I guess.

[StraightTalk]

3 hours ago, Zack61 said:

They start off as if they are on your side but ultimately sell themselves to the highest bidder and often in cahoots with the opposition team. 

Watching too many bad movies can cloud your thinking. You're talking about conspiracy, which is a serious crime in any country.

[StraightTalk]

2 hours ago, Henk Langeweg said:

You need probably a honest lawyer to set that up. Maybe an idea before signing anything, to let it checked by another office?

 

Is there no authority in Thailand that check yearly or so or that the execution of Wills is done to the letter of the Will? Probably not I guess.

First, consider the size of your estate—few lawyers would risk getting into trouble over what they consider trivial sum of money or assets. Second, you don’t necessarily need a lawyer to serve as an executor. Third, you can draft a Will yourself, with DIY kits readily available online. In Thailand, I believe pre-printed forms are also available at your local Amphur office. To the best of my knowledge, Wills written only in Thai are recognized by Thai courts before probate is granted.

[john donson]

my divorce lawyer was one of them easy bought by the other party... did not flinch a finger in court when I lost half of 2 houses... deemed a good deal just because it could have taken years to get my 1/2...