American man and Thai wife lose 15.2 million baht in Hua Hin property fraud

[webfact]

Photo via YouTube/ Tero Digital

 

by Petch Petpailin

 

An American man and his Thai wife are pursuing justice after being duped by a real estate firm into buying two plots of land and a house in Hua Hin, located in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan, amounting to 15.2 million baht. Despite their investment, they have been unable to gain ownership of the property.

 

The couple, Patrick Flippin and Vipavanee Kaewmueangklang, sought help from the non-profit organisation Saimai Survive and appeared on a news programme on Channel 7 yesterday, February 5, to seek justice.

Patrick revealed on the programme that he first arrived in Thailand in 2005. He worked and lived in the Sukhumvit area of Bangkok for five years before marrying Vipavanee in 2017. He later returned to the United States for work, intending to retire in Thailand with Vipavanee.

 

Vipavanee explained that she came across an advertisement for a real estate project on social media and became interested in purchasing a property because they were fond of Hua Hin.

The project allowed clients to buy a plot of land and build a house according to their own design. Vipavanee liked the concept and shared the information with her husband.

 

They then decided to pay a 100,000 baht deposit in 2022 to reserve two plots of land in the development.

 

Photo via YouTube/ Tero Digital

Land sold to someone else

The couple returned to Thailand in 2023 to finalise the contract and related documents. The total area of the land was 403 square metres, and they chose to build a one-storey luxury pool villa.

 

The total price for the two plots of land and the house was 15.2 million baht, which the couple paid in instalments of 1 million baht per month. The payments were made directly to the real estate company, and they received receipts each month.

Photo via YouTube/ Tero Digital

Last year, the company informed them that their house was ready for occupancy but later postponed the move-in date by two months, rescheduling it for July.

 

While awaiting the completion of the house, the couple repeatedly requested that the company transfer the land ownership to them. However, the company refused, stating that the transfer would only occur after the construction was completed.

 

Becoming suspicious, the couple conducted further investigations and discovered that the company had already sold the land to another person, identified as Ploy, under a sale agreement with the right of redemption.

 

Photo via YouTube/ Tero Digital

Bounced cheques

 

The company failed to redeem the land within the agreed timeframe, resulting in ownership passing to the buyer instead of the company or the couple.

 

Upon learning this, the couple demanded a full refund for the real estate development. The company agreed and issued three separate cheques to the couple.

 

Photo via YouTube/ Tero Digital

Unfortunately, two of them bounced, and the couple was unable to claim the money. The final cheque is due to be cashed on February 17, but they are doubtful they will receive the funds.

 

The couple filed a complaint against the real estate company over the bounced cheque but had not yet filed a complaint over the house and land issue.

 

Photo via YouTube/ Tero Digital

In the latest communication, the company urged them to claim ownership of the house but they refused, as they do not legally own the land.

 

Ekkaphop Lueangprasert, the founder of Saimai Survive, expressed his concerns over the case, suspecting that the new landowner Ploy and the real estate company’s owner conspired to defraud the couple. Ekkaphop vowed to escalate the case to the relevant law officials to ensure justice is served.

 

Source: The Thaiger 

-- 2025-02-06

 

 

[ChrisY1]

So easy to have this happen to foreigners. 

Often difficult to find a lawyer.....real estate people here are very similar to those in our own countries....here they just disappear and the courts are often useless!

[ukrules]

3 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

So easy to have this happen to foreigners. 

Often difficult to find a lawyer.....real estate people here are very similar to those in our own countries....here they just disappear and the courts are often useless!

 

So easy to avoid as well, I would never have a house built without first purchasing the land on which it is being built.

The giant red flag was when the 'developer' refused to transfer the chanote until after the building was completed. I mean that would be acceptable if there were no payments made - but only a moron would pay in advance with zero ownership.

I don't know how this is normally done when you pay a developer who currently owns the land in stages for the build and it's their land but if they wouldn't allow me (or the Mrs) to purchase the land and obtain the Chanote prior to starting the build then that's it - I'm walking out and would cancel it.

In other words - don't allow yourself to be ripped off - also any lawyer who isn't dim witted would tell you you're being scammed.

 

I wonder if they even used a lawyer and surveyor prior to the agreement

 

[bdenner]

Going back to 2001:- This is why Steven Heather's novel "A Private Dancer" Should have been compulsory reading in ALL flights to Thailand.

[blaze master]

I bet the developers went to the temple and prayed for a good life too.

 

This culture is so lost.

[Peterphuket]

11 minutes ago, bdenner said:

Going back to 2001:- This is why Steven Heather's novel "A Private Dancer" Should have been compulsory reading in ALL flights to Thailand.

That was indeed a long time ago, I still have it on a computer somewhere.

[dddave]

The most important phrase in Real Estate is "Due Diligence". 

Any honest Real Estate Attorney will stress, never sign or pay for anything without making sure every word of every sentence is understood and every property ownership claim is verified and documented.  

This case is far from the first time people have purchased or developed property from a distance and arrived to find out what they thought they owned, doesn't exist or that somebody else owned it.

[gargamon]

Rent, don't buy.

[Zack61]

This will not end well if the real estate mob is well-connected. A deal will likely be done between the lawyers on both sides, in cahoots with the judge overseeing the case, to ensure an outcome favourable to the developer. This has been what I've observed personally but only after a lot of money has already been paid out in legal fees. A slap in the face for anyone looking for legal redress. Good luck and I hope I am wrong in my opinion of what may happen.

[Duncan 100]

I was approached a couple of days ago by an estate agent in Hua Hin. She has a friend that agreed to purchase a new house in a gated estate, the deposit was 1.5m, house price 6m, discounted from 6.9m, then 60 monthly payments of 93,000 (75K in principle & 18,000 in interest), She signed a contract with the developer but could only come up with 1.2m for the deposit and ran out of money. The offer to me is to take over her contract, pay the remaining 300,000 for the deposit, give her back 800,000 of the 1.2m she has put in and pay the agent a commission fee. Then the agent will sell the house for 6.9m, leaving a decent profit. Interested in anyone's thoughts 

[gasman666]

When i first came to LOS in mid 90s a mate told me never forget the four Fs. If it flies, floats, fcks or in a foreign country always cheaper to rent than buy. How true this is.

[Duncan 100]

10 hours ago, bdenner said:

Going back to 2001:- This is why Steven Heather's novel "A Private Dancer" Should have been compulsory reading in ALL flights to Thailand.

 

[Duncan 100]

Great book, I think the author's name is Stephen Leather

[smew]

Crooks and more criminals here than any other country 

[ukrules]

50 minutes ago, Duncan 100 said:

I was approached a couple of days ago by an estate agent in Hua Hin. She has a friend that agreed to purchase a new house in a gated estate, the deposit was 1.5m, house price 6m, discounted from 6.9m, then 60 monthly payments of 93,000 (75K in principle & 18,000 in interest), She signed a contract with the developer but could only come up with 1.2m for the deposit and ran out of money. The offer to me is to take over her contract, pay the remaining 300,000 for the deposit, give her back 800,000 of the 1.2m she has put in and pay the agent a commission fee. Then the agent will sell the house for 6.9m, leaving a decent profit. Interested in anyone's thoughts 

 

Run forrest run!

 

In all seriousness, take this to a lawyer and get them to go over it all in detail, get copies of chanotes and check for liens, mortgages and leases and when finally stop laughing ask them what they think of the whole 'setup'....and if you should proceed.
 

Get your own lawyer who acts for you, unconnected with the seller and nothing to do with anyone else involved in this supposed deal/scheme.

[gravity101]

11 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

So easy to avoid as well, I would never have a house built without first purchasing the land on which it is being built.

The giant red flag was when the 'developer' refused to transfer the chanote until after the building was completed. I mean that would be acceptable if there were no payments made - but only a moron would pay in advance with zero ownership.

I don't know how this is normally done when you pay a developer who currently owns the land in stages for the build and it's their land but if they wouldn't allow me (or the Mrs) to purchase the land and obtain the Chanote prior to starting the build then that's it - I'm walking out and would cancel it.

In other words - don't allow yourself to be ripped off - also any lawyer who isn't dim witted would tell you you're being scammed.

 

I wonder if they even used a lawyer and surveyor prior to the agreement

 

To be fair, it is done like this. A chanote won't be transferred until all payment is made, that's standard if your paying in installments or based on construction conpletion tranches. The developers would face risk otherwis. The weird thing is why they were paying the agent and not the developer, I wonder who the contract was with?

[baansgr]

All too common in Thailand. I know many guys think they own their houses but in reality they do not, corrupt real estate agents and lawyers working together..a nice smile from some old issan tart dressed nicely and guys believe anything they say...be careful out there boys, all is not what it seems

[BritManToo]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Upon learning this, the couple demanded a full refund for the real estate development. The company agreed and issued three separate cheques to the couple.

 

Unfortunately, two of them bounced, and the couple was unable to claim the money. The final cheque is due to be cashed on February 17, but they are doubtful they will receive the funds.

I was under the impression that bouncing a cheque was a criminal offense in Thailand with jail time.

[blaze master]

10 hours ago, gargamon said:

Rent, don't buy.

 

Are you married ? 

[jippytum]

11 minutes ago, BritManToo said:

I was under the impression that bouncing a cheque was a criminal offense in Thailand with jail time.

It used to be. Changed some years ago to a clvil not criminal offence. No doubt to aid the developers. 

[hotchilli]

18 hours ago, webfact said:

Ekkaphop Lueangprasert, the founder of Saimai Survive, expressed his concerns over the case, suspecting that the new landowner Ploy and the real estate company’s owner conspired to defraud the couple. Ekkaphop vowed to escalate the case to the relevant law officials to ensure justice is served.

Go get -em... fraudsters through and through

[vukovar77]

As we can see, he has a cute Thai wife who wants to purchase property advertising on social media. He did not do due diligence and properly check the documents in LOS. I do not feel sorry for him. How anyone normal can pay upfront following social media only? 

[Webfoot]

They should use my attorney.  Her name is Sue Therepanzoff.

[norsurin]

So his wife find that interesting???

Im not surprised if she is a part of this scam.Happends many times in Thailand.

[patman30]

5 minutes ago, norsurin said:

So his wife find that interesting???

Im not surprised if she is a part of this scam.Happends many times in Thailand.

15 million for a quarter rai, 403sqm
that would be a hard sell that would definitely need some convincing

[jayboy]

12 hours ago, bdenner said:

Going back to 2001:- This is why Steven Heather's novel "A Private Dancer" Should have been compulsory reading in ALL flights to Thailand.

 

It's Stephen Leather and it's a lousy novel, quite irrelevant to this case.

[RT555]

1 hour ago, smew said:

Crooks and more criminals here than any other country 

No way Bro.. Lm2

[steven100]

19 hours ago, webfact said:

before marrying Vipavanee in 2017

 

There's his first mistake .....  as she caused the second mistake.     ouch  !  expensive wifey  !!

 

will farang ever learn ....

[Ironmike]

As a former builder I can tell you that the biggest mistake is to buy through a developer the prices are so inflated it's a joke my advise to anyone wanting to build here is to first buy the land and secure the title then contact a private builder that has good references and pay in installments incase they do a runner. 

Never allow your Thai wife to do much never allow any one group to handle everything and never pay upfront. 

[Jiggo]

12 hours ago, bdenner said:

Going back to 2001:- This is why Steven Heather's novel "A Private Dancer" Should have been compulsory reading in ALL flights to Thailand.

Tin Tin in Thailand is better lol