Beautician from Thailand battles British heirs for £400k inheritance

[ThailandGuy]

5 hours ago, norfolkandchance said:

Thai bashing at its best.

That is why almost every article here is about the bad things Farangs/Foreigners do abroad in Thailand.

[kiwikeith]

5 hours ago, KannikaP said:

The sons quote his Will being drafted in 2006, but he didn't get together with her until 2016.  Hmmmmm?

She would have to been married to him any lived in England with him for x amount of years. Thai laws don't stand up in NZ, so probably won't in England, she's got a beautiful house and probably some money,,car ect, that's a pretty good share. 

[Samh]

22 minutes ago, Bangel72 said:

She was financially dependent on him before his death.

 

 

He returned to the UK in 2021. I can't see the date when he died. But I assume she ceased to be financial supported by him since 2021.

[bluemoon58]

6 hours ago, webfact said:

Picture courtesy of The Daily Mail

 

by Bob Scott

 

In an explosive legal showdown fit for a soap opera, a beautician from Thailand is taking her former British lover’s sons to the London High Court, demanding her slice of their late father’s £400,000 inheritance.

 

The contentious affair has captivated courtroom observers, as they watch the tug-of-war over promises, property, and pounds unfold in the British High Court.

Kanokporn Nattachai arrived in London from Thailand to square up against Simon and David Burrage, sons of the late Roger Burrage, a British builder who tragically ended his life in January this year at the age of 75.

 

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.

Burrage embarked on a new chapter of his life when he relocated to Thailand, using his construction expertise to build an opulent three-bedroom seaside villa in Hua Hin.

 

The luxurious abode, boasting breathtaking mountain views, sprawling grounds, a delightful outdoor pool, and enough amenities to rival any holiday resort, became the heart of their romance.

 

Picture of the pool villa in Hua Hin courtesy of The Daily Mail

The 40 year old Thai woman, now residing solo in the villa rumoured to be worth anywhere between £100,000 (4.21 million baht) and £240,000 (10.1 million baht), has laid claim to nearly half of her lover’s estate, arguing that she played a crucial role in his business and emotional landscape.

In court documents, Kanokporn detailed her alleged financial entanglement with Burrage, citing a £200,000 loan she purportedly provided to support his business.

 

 

She insists she’s entitled to a share of the builder’s assets, reasoning that the will fails to offer her “adequate financial provision.” Her claim sets the stage for a fierce legal struggle where glitzy romance clashes with complex estate law.

 

However, steadfast in their pursuit of preserving their father’s wishes, Burrage’s sons, Simon and David, reject the legitimacy of Kanokporn’s demands.

 

Their barrister, Lydia Pemberton, acknowledges their father’s generosity during his lifetime, conceding she had received gifts, including the luxurious Hua Hin villa along with support to establish her beauty parlour.

 

They state these gestures fulfil any obligations to her, firmly embracing the view that the British man was never in a position, or inclined, to borrow from Kanokporn.

 

Picture of Burrage and Kanokporn at the luxury villa he built in Hua Hin courtesy of The Daily Mail

Central to the sons’ defence is the assertion that their father, who battled mental health issues, was especially vulnerable in his final years and that his Thai companion exploited this fragility.

 

“The deceased was not maintaining the claimant before his passing,” argues Pemberton, dismantling the picture of a sustained romantic partnership in Burrage’s last months.

 

Instead, she highlights a rift that supposedly materialised when Burrage left Thailand for the UK, a move Kanokporn allegedly tried to counteract by urging his return.

 

Representing Kanokporn, solicitor Manoon Junchai presents an alternative narrative, arguing that the British builder’s promises were entrenched in their emotional bond which spanned from 2016 until his return to Surrey in 2021.

 

He alleges Burrage portrayed their relationship as a budding business partnership tied in with romantic undertones, assuring Kanokporn financial security for their “life together.”

 

Her solicitor further suggests the failure to honour this commitment would be unconscionable, emphasising her contributions to Burrage’s personal and professional life.

 

Picture of Burrage courtesy of The Daily Mail

Despite the interplay of claims and counterclaims about the couple’s financial arrangement, the proceedings reveal a more complex web of interactions and emotions.

 

The Burrage brothers maintain that their father’s last will, drafted in 2006, was clear in its intentions to leave his English estate to them, not her. They portray Kanokporn’s involvement as limited to the receipt of gifts and financial enhancements, refuting her active help in his UK property ventures.

 

Amidst these legal tit-for-tats, the court scrutinises the financial footprints and transactional history of both parties involved. Pemberton casts doubt on the Thai woman’s narrative of lending such a sizable sum, pointing out her financial independence contradicts claims of dependence on Burrage.

 

It is highlighted that any money transferred was linked to properties held in Kanokporn’s name, due to restrictions on foreign ownership in Thailand, rather than being contributions towards Burrage’s UK business dealings, reported The Daily Mail.

 

As legal drama continues to unfold, the brothers’ application for a “security for costs” order has garnered considerable attention. This protective measure seeks to ensure Kanokporn is financially prepared to handle their legal costs should her claim prove unsuccessful. If approved, it would require her to deposit funds upfront as a safety net.

 

The judge, Julia Clark, is presently reviewing this request, signalling that a formal decision is forthcoming. Observers eagerly anticipate her verdict, understanding it could set a significant precedent for similar future disputes involving cross-border relationships and estate claims.

 

Picture of Kanokporn courtesy of The Daily Mail

As the saga spins ever more intricately, it evokes age-old questions concerning love, loyalty, and the legacy of promises.

 

What remains to be seen is whether whispered assurances made under the moonlit skies of Hua Hin possess enough legal standing to reshape the life of a beautician from Thailand, or if the Burrage brothers’ interpretations of their father’s intentions will prevail, maintaining the integrity of a will crafted decades earlier.

 

The final outcome could prove as lucrative as it is enlightening.

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2025-02-04

 

 

Beautician...!!! She could have dolled herself up for that pic! Saying for a friend! 😉

[PopGun]

25 minutes ago, ThailandGuy said:

That is why almost every article here is about the bad things Farangs/Foreigners do abroad in Thailand.

That's what 'gossip columns' are all about.

People seem to find stories about the misbehaviour and misfortune of others, more interesting than good luck stories. 😏 

[newnative]

5 hours ago, Samh said:

Have I got this right. They had an affair, they weren't married. There are no dependent children. She was not mentioned in the will. So her reason to inherit is what exactly? Zero chance I would say. and spending a shed load of money to prove the point.

Agree.  Not married, not, apparently, in any Will.  Should receive nothing and be happy the sons aren't going after the house.

[connda]

What will 400K quid buy you now in the UK.  A 100 year old 2 bed, 1 bath, row house with bad plumbing?

[KannikaP]

25 minutes ago, bluemoon58 said:

Beautician...!!! She could have dolled herself up for that pic! Saying for a friend! 😉

And nice to see the boys all had matching Xmas shirts.

[PopGun]

24 minutes ago, Samh said:

He returned to the UK in 2021. I can't see the date when he died. But I assume she ceased to be financial supported by him since 2021.

 

25 minutes ago, Samh said:

He returned to the UK in 2021. I can't see the date when he died. But I assume she ceased to be financial supported by him since 2021.

Bank transfers 🤔

He could possibly have been sending her a monthly allowance.

Although she was a self sufficient 'business woman' 😊

 

I think she is being badly advised in pursuing this and be happy with what she has.

 

Ugly is as ugly does 🤷

 

[Samh]

4 minutes ago, PopGun said:

 

Bank transfers 🤔

He could possibly have been sending her a monthly allowance.

Although she was a self sufficient 'business woman' 😊

 

I think she is being badly advised in pursuing this and be happy with what she has.

 

Ugly is as ugly does 🤷

 

I can't see why he would still have been supporting her after 2021.

[Samh]

7 minutes ago, connda said:

What will 400K quid buy you now in the UK.  A 100 year old 2 bed, 1 bath, row house with bad plumbing?

£400,000 should still buy a reasonable semi but not in London or the surrounding areas. Certainly further away from London

[cardinalblue]

To go after his money in England takes some balls on her part…I bet she got this advice from similar Thai women who fleeced their foreign husbands

 

Flat out don’t believe she lent him money…prove it and the court needs to say including how she came up with 200k

 

she wants the cash b/c she has nothing of her own to support her lifestyle she grew accustom to ….his mistake 

[TheFishman1]

Wow so for a five year relationship she has a beautiful house which she can sell he gave her money for her business and supported her and now she’s trying to go for the kill oh my goodness these Thai women TIT

[Samh]

19 minutes ago, cardinalblue said:

To go after his money in England takes some balls on her part…I

 

Some stupidity not balls. But I misread the original post. She is going after the sons not the her, for want of a better word, her expartner's estate. I assume she is trying to scare them into making an out of court settlement. I fail to see that she has any case against the sons. They inherited based on theit father's will. That the estate goes to them.

I have no idea if there is any legal precident to go after benificeries. They inherited as per the will. Now  few years later she is trying it on.

[PopGun]

6 minutes ago, Samh said:

Some stupidity not balls. But I misread the original post. She is going after the sons not the her, for want of a better word, her expartner's estate. I assume she is trying to scare them into making an out of court settlement. I fail to see that she has any case against the sons. They inherited based on theit father's will. That the estate goes to them.

I have no idea if there is any legal precident to go after benificeries. They inherited as per the will. Now  few years later she is trying it on.

God loves a trier.🙏

Lawyers love them too.💰

[PeterPan63]

8 hours ago, JoePai said:

citing a £200,000 loan she purportedly provided to support his business

 

🤣🤣🤣 That's the best so far  !

What if her name was used for a bank loan to build the housing estate Sunset Views, doesn't that mean she gave Roger a loan?

[Regyai]

7 hours ago, sungod said:

Be happy with the house in Thailand you old hag. I seriously doubt anyone with a head like that is a beautician.

Well shes obviously due some kind of refund

[Samh]

I don't get this bit "It is highlighted that any money transferred was linked to properties held in Kanokporn’s name, due to restrictions on foreign ownership in Thailand, rather than being contributions towards Burrage’s UK business dealings, reported The Daily Mail. "

ie transfer from th UK to Thailand. How does that support her claim that she lent money to him?

 

[SanSaiExPat]

8 hours ago, Elvis Presley said:

Disgusting, greedy gold-digging cow.

 

I hope the London high court awards her nothing except her deportation papers.

Here!  Here!

[ukrules]

8 hours ago, KannikaP said:

The sons quote his Will being drafted in 2006, but he didn't get together with her until 2016.  Hmmmmm?

 

Yep, and there's the issue - the will was long out of date and now he's gone it's going to be quite impossible to prove anything one way or the other.

 

It can be very easy to 'lose' a new will after someone is dead if it's just sitting in a drawer next to the old one.....

 

Had they been married then the kids would possibly have gotten nothing.

 

He should have updated his will especially if the relationship went bad - just to clarify his thoughts after it ended.

These guys and the woman could lose all their money on legal fees alone as lets face it - they don't really have much anyway and barristers are not cheap!

 

Fighting over 400k - that sounds like one house to me that they're squabbling over.

 

[Liverpool Lou]

7 hours ago, BritManToo said:

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

 

By applying for it and qualifying for it, presumably.  Why shouldn't she have been granted one?

[farangkinok]

3 hours ago, Puccini said:

 

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.

 

A man cannot be a widow, although he could be a widower.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 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 did not die intestate!

[kenjinuk]

8 hours ago, KannikaP said:

The sons quote his Will being drafted in 2006, but he didn't get together with her until 2016.  Hmmmmm?

And he didn’t update his will having moved to Thailand permanently, what a Numpty!

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, TonyFromItaly said:

If I were in court I would tell her that since in Thailand a foreigner cannot own houses...

Huh?  Foreigners can own houses. Fine lawyer you'd be.

[Liverpool Lou]

5 hours 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.
What are the chances?

If he was her widower (a man cannot be a widow) he would be entitled under Thai law to inheritance. 

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours 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. 

You really think that valid wills are never successfully contested in the UK?

[PopGun]

9 minutes ago, kenjinuk said:

And he didn’t update his will having moved to Thailand permanently, what a Numpty!

A foreigner can own a house, but not the land it stands on.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, Surasak said:

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.

No one is making a claim on her house, it is not part of the deceased's estate.

[suspectdevice]

I hate it when a defender raises the “security for costs” order.

It's usually the rich who invoke it knowing the poorer man/woman won't be able to pay the defenders costs if they lose. So the plaintiff then has to either drop the action or take a reduced sum.

  Whilst it can be a tool in spurious claims, too often used by the rich/companies to force a case in their favour.