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

[norsurin]

The right headline should be.. American man lost 15.2 million baht.

[steven100]

8 minutes ago, marin said:

Perhaps the most bitter and unknowing poster on here 

haha ... so what is your stupid point 

[steven100]

5 minutes ago, norsurin said:

The right headline should be.. American man lost 15.2 million baht.

to the usual thai thief ... 

[KhunHeineken]

11 hours ago, gasman666 said:

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.

Yeah, but my real estate agent / developer "is different."   

[marin]

16 minutes ago, steven100 said:

haha ... so what is your stupid point 

 

14 minutes ago, steven100 said:

to the usual thai thief ... 

That you should get your bitter ass out of dodge. What good does bitching and whining all day  everyday do. Go dude, the world is your oyster. 

[KhunHeineken]

10 hours ago, baansgr said:

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

I agree. 

 

So many guys come to Thailand and get blinded by "the dream."  They lose touch with reality.  Unscrupulous Thai's prey on it. 

[patman30]

4 hours ago, UWEB said:

As per the Channel 7 Video the Landplot is 1.612 sqm, may be the house area is 403 sqm. All that fits more to the pictures as the perimeter wall is quite wide and the House is big.

the pic did look big to myself, but can only go on what is stated above,
15m seems too much even if on 1 Rai
the house does not look anything special
is land that costly down there?
and still if looking for retirement, so many better options

[ukrules]

6 hours ago, Antti said:

That's more than $450k USD. Isn't that an insane price for a tiny plot and a one-storey house in Hua Hin??

 

Same as anywhere, depends on the location really.

[Captor]

I wonder who the realestate agent is?

[iLuvThai]

12 hours ago, Duncan 100 said:

She has a friend

Jesus Christ had a friend named Judas and with a simple kiss on the cheek signalled the soldiers who Jesus was and they arrested him. 

Get a real estate lawyer that doesn't have skin in that game. Best of luck.

 

Cue the eye rolls.

[bdenner]

22 hours ago, Peterphuket said:

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

Yes, back in thoes days it could only be downloaded in *.pdf format but was published in paperback about 4 years later.

And as one member pointed out his surname is Leather. Sorry, = CRAFT !!!!

[What to do now]

They could have saved themselves a lot of trouble and just held up a sign that said " We're gullible, take our money." 

[save the frogs]

23 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.

why? that book talks about real estate scams? 

[ed strong]

Yes we 'brought' a few years ago in hua hin.

 

Very similar set up in terms of the house building from scratch and you pay per month as the build progresses.

 

Well still 5 years on now from completion and the house is still in the name of the property agent that sold us the build!

 

All monies paid from us but no property.

Most lawyers were off little hope as most of them work with the agent.

 

Lol won't be doing that again. I really thought we would be ok, seeing as the woman that sold us was a known established firm and had family in hua hin.

[newnative]

     15MB is a huge amount of money--at least it is for me.  Why wouldn't you spend a tiny percentage of that amount to hire a reputable lawyer to look over all the paperwork before you sign anything, answer any and all questions you may have, make sure you are happy and in agreement with all the terms in the paperwork, and be there for you through the entire transaction until its conclusion?    This gentleman is not a newbie--from the article, he worked in Bangkok for a number of years.   He should not have been so wet-behind-the-ears clueless.

     Before we hear from the Peanut Gallery, yes, there are reputable lawyers.  Before you hire any lawyer, have the lawyer supply you with a copy of their lawyer's license certificate.  This should be on an A4 size paper and include a photo and current, valid date showing the lawyer is in good standing with the Lawyers Council.   If they won't supply this, look for another lawyer.   Spouse and I built a new home last year.  First thing we did was buy the land.  We are planning to build another home this year--and the first thing we will do is buy the land.

     

      

      

     

[steven100]

1 hour ago, marin said:

 

That you should get your bitter ass out of dodge. What good does bitching and whining all day  everyday do. Go dude, the world is your oyster. 

you don't like it because someone speaks the truth.  you think they are all honest here, your dreaming !

 

I don't care what u think....  

[steven100]

1 hour ago, Captor said:

I wonder who the realestate agent is?

Noi honest realty 

[steven100]

6 minutes ago, newnative said:

Before we hear from the Peanut Gallery, yes, there are reputable lawyers.  Before you hire any lawyer, have the lawyer supply you with a copy of their lawyer's license certificate.  This should be on an A4 size paper and include a photo and current, valid date showing the lawyer is in good standing with the Lawyers Council.

so you have to verify the lawyer's not a Thai cheat and thief also ....  

WTF would anyone buy here is beyond me ....  

[ukrules]

1 hour ago, Captor said:

I wonder who the realestate agent is?

 

There is a Thai language facebook group for Hua Hin and the Thais are talking about this in Hua Hin - they are outraged.

People are naming companies in direct messages.

 

It's not an agent - it's one of these situation where you buy from the developer. Best to avoid agents in such situations as they can charge outrageous fees which can be avoided by simply going direct to the sales office on the site.

 

[KhunLA]

25 minutes ago, steven100 said:

so you have to verify the lawyer's not a Thai cheat and thief also ....  

WTF would anyone buy here is beyond me ....  

Age dependent of course, but for same reason anyone would buy instead of rent at anywhere, any time in their life.   Build equity, better investment / ROI than renting.  

 

I've done very well here, 1st - 2nd - 3rd / present land & house investments.   Along with appreciation, 19 or 25 year of being rent free.

 

Rent free without the appreciation is motivation enough.

 

Of course if I got here at 65 or 66 years old, age of most USA retirees, born 1954, then hell no, I wouldn't buy in.

 

As far as the OP, building before owning the land was just plain stupid.   The wife should have known that.  Even the farang should have had that little bit of common sense.

[newnative]

1 hour ago, steven100 said:

so you have to verify the lawyer's not a Thai cheat and thief also ....  

WTF would anyone buy here is beyond me ....  

       Well, verifying is one step but hopefully you've done more than that before you hire someone--here or anywhere else, for that matter, especially if money is involved.  There are cheats and thieves everywhere--anyone remember Bernie Madoff?   

       For my spouse and myself, we buy here because we like to be owners, not renters.   We really hate living in someone else's space.  Simple as that--and, life is short.  Through twentysome properties here, it's always worked out, actually very nicely.  I always say thank goodness we haven't been renting here for 14 years--we'd likely still be in the same 48 sqm View Talay 3 studio we started out with.  But, that's us.  Real estate is definitely not 'one size fits all.   For many, renting can be the better option here.

[GammaGlobulin]

On 2/6/2025 at 5:59 PM, ukrules said:

only a moron would pay in advance with zero ownership.

 

He is very, VERY old looking, you know.

Maybe this has bearing on his actions?

 

Also, he is WAY too old for his partner.

Looks like his daughter, or maybe even his granddaughter.

 

IMHO,  gargantuan age disparity leads to problems.

 

When we get old, it is better to rent, obviously.

This way, one can move to nursing home, as needed.

 

Another problem:  Did you see those slick-faux marble floors in the house?  Looks kind of dangerous, when walking around on rickety legs, maybe with a bit of water spilled on the floor.

 

Therefore, perhaps he is lucky that they did not allow him to move in, as expected.

Might even have saved his life.

 

Hope he gets his money back, though.

 

[Middle Aged Grouch]

12 hours ago, Ironmike said:

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. 

A good builder with good reputation......I stopped on "good builder".....a majority of the contractors in Hua Hin (and surely elsewhere in Thailand= are just a bunch of scammers and cheats. Not all of course, but most.

 

At the extreme they will con you of all your money like in this case...but usually the buyer is conned with poor construction and material that is invisible to any common buyer,  when the house is all nice finished and painted. The problems show up after a few years. And this is just the visible part of how most of the contractors and developpers scam foreign buyers in Thailand who are on leasehold and even on freehold.  They know they get away with it and know that foreigners in Thailand have only the right to shell out money from the builder to having to tip the expectant workers who show up for smaller jobs with that big greedy grin when they say it's a falang.

 

 

[CHdiver]

2 hours ago, GammaGlobulin said:

lso, he is WAY too old for his partner.

Looks like his daughter, or maybe even his granddaughter

 

and then there is I, thinking he could have done better 555

[dukebowling]

16 hours ago, Webfoot said:

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

Thanks, I will pass her name on to them. Pat and Mui are close friends of mine.

[Captor]

10 hours ago, ukrules said:

 

There is a Thai language facebook group for Hua Hin and the Thais are talking about this in Hua Hin - they are outraged.

People are naming companies in direct messages.

 

It's not an agent - it's one of these situation where you buy from the developer. Best to avoid agents in such situations as they can charge outrageous fees which can be avoided by simply going direct to the sales office on the site.

 

I see, ok thanks.

[IgoThai]

Are they still together Patrick and Vipavanee .?

Or is Vipavanished .

[vukovar77]

20 hours ago, RocketDog said:

Thus leaving the security of your domestic life in the hands and under the control of somebody you have no reason to trust.

 

This oft used argument cuts both ways. There is no 'right way' for every person.

 

Clearly renting is the right way for you.

 

I rented for three years (condo and then house in Chaam) while courting a Thai lady. We've now been together 7 years and I bought my pool villa 20min outside hua hin, 20 minutes from the Khao Tao beach, 10 min from the local fresh market amidst expansive pineapple farms. I own the house outright and have a 90 lease on the land with rights to purchase the land if I want. I have been spending my time and DIY skills in buying tools and improving the house and grounds, which greatly improves my everyday life as well as giving me a sense of accomplishment.

 

I sold my house in America in November and am now using those funds to make my life better every day as well as raising value for my Thai spouse after I pass. Win-win in my book.

 

Deep attic (50") insulation, vented soffits, and turbine vent keep my house pleasant and save on aircon bills. Of course there's no reason to expect Thailand will get hotter but you never know 🤔.

 

New pumps and piping for my pool. New sliding front gate and fence, all SS tubing and anodized aluminum panels. Complete renovation and painting of the concrete perimeter walls around my property. New landscaping and exterior lights. Upgrade to my pool house with windows and shades. New tile in the whole house.  New exterior and interior paint. New ceiling fans. New insulated metal roofing over low slope kitchen roof on top of clay tile. New water pump and tanks. Greatly enlarged Koi pond and pump. Exercise equipment for a home gym we both use.

 

Raised beds for the garden. Currently I have 12m of rows with chest high tomato plants bursting with green fruit. 4m row of bell and sweet peppers bigger than my fist. Lettuce okra cucumbers watermelon and cantaloupe plants.

 

I would never do anything like this to rental property yet it vastly, practically immeasurably, increases my pleasure and happiness and that of my wife (we all know the return on that investment! wink wink).

 

I appreciate it all every evening sitting by the pool, sparking a doobie, and watching the sunset far from roads, lights, and noise. She appreciates keeping up our golf-course lawn, raising orchids, tending her avacado and papaya trees. We spend very little time inside the house. The dog enjoys guarding the property and the long walks in the pineapple fields.

 

High dividends for such a small investment as far as I'm concerned.

 

To each his own. You voiced your opinion and I mine.

Do what makes you happy Sir. That's the best advice I can give anybody.

 

 

As a foreigner, you can not buy land (house) in Thailand in your name.

[outsidetrader]

On 2/7/2025 at 5:39 AM, Duncan 100 said:

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

Indeed it is and I have met him .The book was written about himself and I know all characters in the book as,well as the GO Go,Hotel and Restaurant .He wrote it on his own true events ,)

[jayboy]

4 hours ago, outsidetrader said:

Indeed it is and I have met him .The book was written about himself and I know all characters in the book as,well as the GO Go,Hotel and Restaurant .He wrote it on his own true events ,)

 

He writes potboilers which sell well in the UK and elsewhere.But though a commercial success he's not much of a writer and has only superficial understanding of Thailand.I'm tired of being told by lachrymose middle aged expats who have been "taken" by some Isaan bar girl that it's really necessary to read Private Dancer.By all means read the wretched book but it won't prevent silly Westerners who have read it being taken for a financially draining ride.

 

By the way Leather is something of a dick. See below.

 

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/jan/12/stephen-leather-cyberbullying-steve-mosby-jeremy-duns