Beautician from Thailand battles British heirs for £400k inheritance

[khunPer]

The news-story shows the importance of making a will or change an existing – it's actually quite simple – if you intend to leave something to a "new" Thai partner. Even that a spoken word about heir is legal in court, you still need to prove it...

[whitfield]

She hasn't got a prayer, and her lawyers should have told her.  If the Will is properly drawn up and witnessed it will stand. 

[Samh]

12 minutes ago, whitfield said:

She hasn't got a prayer, and her lawyers should have told her.  If the Will is properly drawn up and witnessed it will stand. 

What is the betting she hasn't even spoke to a UK solicater let alone a barrister.

 

[Samh]

16 minutes ago, whitfield said:

She hasn't got a prayer, and her lawyers should have told her.  If the Will is properly drawn up and witnessed it will stand. 

It can be challenged but I don't see how she stands a chance. As he to her lending him £200,000 ( 8.6 million baht) there is of course a bank transaction to substantiate this? Not to mention where did she get 8.6 million baht from?

[Puccini]

4 hours ago, WHansen said:

Sounds like her family have got involved and can see a bright future as well as a lovely house and a business.

 

What in the news article makes it sound to you like this?

[Samh]

2 minutes ago, Samh said:

It can be challenged but I don't see how she stands a chance. As he to her lending him £200,000 ( 8.6 million baht) there is of course a bank transaction to substantiate this? Not to mention where did she get 8.6 million baht from?

I misread that, he promised it to her. hahahahahahaha

[spidermike007]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

How many women partners have you had that still looked good 10 years after you met?

Normally they let themselves go after 2-4 years of co-habiting.

Mine looks great after 19 years. She has good genes no doubt, but is making an effort to take care of herself too. 

[spidermike007]

Will we ever know the real facts? She likely has little claim on his UK assets. 

[Uttaradit farang]

3 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wonder how she got a VISA to show up in the UK?

 

Simple tourist visa for 6 months.  She has her own property, business. Money in the bank. Easy. 
now if you work in a bar in Pattaya with very little in the bank and own no property, it’s going to be a little tougher to get a simple tourist visa. 
 

My Mrs got the tourist visa 10 years ago. She had money in the bank, owned her own home. 
She showed that she could support herself here in the uk. 
She got her marriage visa 6 years ago ( right to remain) that was even easier. 

 

 

[Puccini]

31 minutes ago, Samh said:

It can be challenged but I don't see how she stands a chance. As he to her lending him £200,000 ( 8.6 million baht) there is of course a bank transaction to substantiate this? Not to mention where did she get 8.6 million baht from?

 

Not to mention, did she declare the income of that large donation to the Thai tax authorities?

[Seagull Sam]

A light hearted tone for a serious subject.

How many reading this thread have a Thai gf? Get your affairs in order. A Thai will and a will from your home country which are consistent are required. 

Taking a sem-idetached somewhere in Surrey all the way to the way to the High Court is risking the judgement of Solomon. 

A suicide is a tragedy for all concerned. Are you comfortable with the inevitable cross cultural friction back home of a relationship with a younger Thai woman? It's not as easy as it looks from LoS.

[Lokie]

Think the real story here is, make sure you have your legal affairs/Will up to date so you don't leave your loved ones in a pickle... 

 On balance sge has fone ok with the house for five years, but you can not blame her for having a punt at a bit more can you? Court will decide (because he could not be ar$ed) 

[Jonathan Swift]

She seems to not understand the difference between the corrupt brown envelope driven Thai court and a real court. I hope the sons win legal costs from this greedy c*&t

[Drumbuie]

I notice, while decrying the woman's looks, none of you has pointed out that a fat old bald guy like him was lucky anyone agreed to sleep with him, with or without money changing hands. 

 

[Samh]

3 minutes ago, Jonathan Swift said:

She seems to not understand the difference between the corrupt brown envelope driven Thai court and a real court. I hope the sons win legal costs from this greedy c*&t

In UK law if you challenge a will in the UK it the estate that you are taking to court, not those who inherit from the estate. In the remore chance that she wins then the estate pays her costs.

[Samh]

23 minutes ago, Uttaradit farang said:

Simple tourist visa for 6 months.  She has her own property, business. Money in the bank. Easy. 
now if you work in a bar in Pattaya with very little in the bank and own no property, it’s going to be a little tougher to get a simple tourist visa. 
 

My Mrs got the tourist visa 10 years ago. She had money in the bank, owned her own home. 
She showed that she could support herself here in the uk. 
She got her marriage visa 6 years ago ( right to remain) that was even easier.
 

If she is going to UK to bring a court case then would tourist visa be appropriate. She is not in the UK as a tourist.

 

[oldestswinger]

She has no chance. I would be surprised if she even submitted a security for costs.

[Briggsy]

I believe she will walk away from this out of pocket, potentially seriously out of pocket.

 

With the "security for costs" order she will need to deposit money with the court to cover any order regarding the sons' legal fees. And surely her lawyer will have requested a hefty deposit to cover her own legal fees.

 

Her case seems to be very weak. However, these contested estate cases come up with weird rulings sometimes. It makes me think the judges just side with the person who originally got nothing from the estate and simply share it around so everyone gets an equal part.

[Puccini]

1 hour ago, TonyFromItaly said:

...In fact, try to imagine the opposite: a foreign man who is the widow of a wealthy Thai woman, who tries to obtain the inheritance...

 

A foreign man who is the widow of a wealthy Thai woman in not the opposite of a Thai unmarried cohabitant of a wealthy foreign man.

 

[Surasak]

Nothing new here. It is a regular and on going thing to be taken to the cleaners by Thai women. I have witnessed it on a few occasions while living here.

[GroveHillWanderer]

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Ah the joys of dying "intestate" and a lesson to be learnt for all   Make a will, or some, possibly all, will suffer     Nothing brings out the worst in people (lawyers included) better than situations like this

 

He didn't die intestate. As stated in the OP:

 

Quote

The Burrage brothers maintain that their father’s last will, drafted in 2006, was clear in its intentions ...

 

[Uttaradit farang]

18 minutes ago, Samh said:

If she is going to UK to bring a court case then would tourist visa be appropriate. She is not in the UK as a tourist.

 

 

[Surasak]

9 minutes ago, Briggsy said:

I believe she will walk away from this out of pocket, potentially seriously out of pocket.

 

With the "security for costs" order she will need to deposit money with the court to cover any order regarding the sons' legal fees. And surely her lawyer will have requested a hefty deposit to cover her own legal fees.

 

Her case seems to be very weak. However, these contested estate cases come up with weird rulings sometimes. It makes me think the judges just side with the person who originally got nothing from the estate and simply share it around so everyone gets an equal part.

Yes. Would be quite something to that very nice house cut in half and moved to the UK, brick by brick. All numbered of course.

[Puccini]

24 minutes ago, Drumbuie said:

I notice, while decrying the woman's looks, none of you has pointed out that a fat old bald guy like him was lucky anyone agreed to sleep with him, with or without money changing hands. 

 

 

Not all money may have literally changed hands, but I should think that a large sum of money must have changed from the bank account of the man to whom you refer as a "fat old bald guy" to his Thai friend to pay for the land and the construction of the house.

[Bangel72]

I'm wondering if this is the clause she is aiming for?

She may have a legal claim under the Inheritance (Provision for Family and Dependents) Act 1975 if she can prove that:

She was financially dependent on him before his death.

She lived with him as a partner for at least 2 years immediately before his death.  *This one I think the sons ruled out.

 

Can of worms though if she was successful. 

 

[newbee2022]

The mainstream wokeness will grant her a share I reckon

[connda]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

According to Kanokporn, she’s owed nearly £200,000 (8.42 million baht), money she claims is based on promises made by the Surrey widower throughout their intense relationship in Thailand, where they shared a life filled with luxury and allure.

Signed documents or it's fabrication.  Honestly, when a "rich" farang parties-hardy with a Thai gal, but keeps the relationship strictly boyfriend/girlfriend, and nothing is in writing - then it's just hearsay.  It's not like they were married.

Now I'd ask - if the Thai courts were in the same position, ie, a foreign woman lays claim to an inheritance of a Thai man when the sons of the deceased survive him, and there is no explicit will but just the heresay testimony by the girlfriend that her Thai sugar-daddy promised an inheritance - how would that work out?  It's a rhetorical question, I know how it would work out.

[PopGun]

5 hours ago, BritManToo said:

Wonder how she got a VISA to show up in the UK?

 

Money 🤷

[connda]

2 hours ago, Bday Prang said:

Ah the joys of dying "intestate" and a lesson to be learnt for all   Make a will, or some, possibly all, will suffer     Nothing brings out the worst in people (lawyers included) better than situations like this

He had a will.  Re-read the article.

[chuang]

5 hours ago, proton said:

 

Some people need to be bashed, Thai or not

Yes but it seemed only Thais are bashed here..