On 8/25/2025 at 11:57 AM, lordgrinz said:

 

I've been working on that, with family and friends to help her find a lawyer and navigate probate. But in some cases, at least the larger accounts, she is already a beneficiary on those accounts. No more land or house to worry about, sold those and added the money to existing accounts. The biggest problem is that in the USA, she isn't able to get SS benefits after I die, that requires 5 years of us living together in the US. Not sure they would even continue paying her if she decided to leave and go back to Thailand after staying there 5 years, or not, it would be like 120,000 baht per month though......so that would suck if she can't get that.

I was unaware that 5 years of residence in the US is required in order for a Thai spouse to get spousal benefits for my Social Security, but I just checked and you are correct. Thanks for that useful and timely information. 

Here are some more photo's.

 

On 8/25/2025 at 11:25 AM, webfact said:

The couple’s ordeal began with what seemed to be a minor dispute over a boundary line with a neighbour,

 

I stopped reading here

 

Never, ever buy a house for your wife . Ever

 

Over 30+ years I've also met two men who bought homes and booted out as well 

 

Cards always stacked against farang.

18 minutes ago, sghanchey said:

I was unaware that 5 years of residence in the US is required in order for a Thai spouse to get spousal benefits for my Social Security, but I just checked and you are correct. Thanks for that useful and timely information. 

 

That is correct. That is death benefit. Unless she works ten years she will not have her own SS assuming it's even around in years to come 

On 8/25/2025 at 11:57 AM, lordgrinz said:

ve been working on that, with family and friends to help her find a lawyer and navigate probate.

 

Careful with family. My brothers are snakes. When my childless aunt passed all the daggers and lawsuits also came out. Friends can't make a claim lean on them 

11 hours ago, KhaoHom said:

 

I stopped reading here

 

Never, ever buy a house for your wife . Ever

 

Over 30+ years I've also met two men who bought homes and booted out as well 

 

Cards always stacked against farang.

 

It's not that simple. "Never buy a house". 

 

How many women in Thailand will agree to marry you if you refuse to buy a house?

 

Women want security. And perpetual renting means you can leave her at any time. 

 

And why were they booted out? Were they sleeping around? Did they have an alcohol/drug abuse problem? Did they marry someone 40 years younger? Was the entire marriage fake from the beginning? Or divorce can happen in the best of circumstances. 

 

Good luck if you can work out an alternate arrangement than buying a home if you want to get married, though.  

 

Also, the flip side of the coin is where women get nothing. I just spoke with a Thai woman who married a European guy. But they only married in Thailand. He died suddenly to a work accident and she was not able to get any benefits as they weren't married in his home country.

 

So it works both ways. Sometimes the woman gets the short end of the stick. 

 

How many guys eff off and leave the woman with nothing? 

 

10 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

Never, ever buy a house for your wife . Ever

 

Over 30+ years I've also met two men who bought homes and booted out as well 

 

 

A Thai massage therapist told me about a neighbor whose farang husband built a home on the wife's land. Once it was done she didn't want him anymore and kicked him out.

 

He hired a bulldozer and showed up at the house. She called the police.

 

The police said that since he paid for the house he could do what he want. He bulldozed it down.

 

12 minutes ago, davb said:

 

A Thai massage therapist told me about a neighbor whose farang husband built a home on the wife's land. Once it was done she didn't want him anymore and kicked him out.

 

He hired a bulldozer and showed up at the house. She called the police.

 

The police said that since he paid for the house he could do what he want. He bulldozed it down.

 

Rubbish..didn't happen...made up story

On 8/25/2025 at 11:25 AM, webfact said:

British expat Martin Savage (centre) and his wife Sudarat (right) had hoped for a dream retirement in Thailand — but it soon became a nightmare.

 

PATTAYA - In a tale of shattered dreams and alleged corruption, British couple Martin Savage, 65, and his wife Sudarat, 66, found their idyllic Thai retirement ripped apart by a legal quagmire. What was meant to be a serene end to their working lives devolved into chaos, costing nearly everything they owned, including homes worth £1.5 million (approximately 67.5 million Thai baht).

 

The couple’s ordeal began with what seemed to be a minor dispute over a boundary line with a neighbour, but it spiralled into expensive legal battles. Sudarat, holding sole ownership of their properties due to Thai laws against foreigners owning land, inadvertently violated property laws when she used these assets to fund their legal fight, leading to both being imprisoned.

 

Martin, a retired engineer whose distinguished career included work on the Channel Tunnel, saw his retirement income collapse from £38,000 (around 1.7 million Thai baht) annually to barely £100 (approximately 4,500 Thai baht) monthly from his remaining pension. Their secure lives, bolstered by rental income from a hotel block in Pattaya, turned precarious when a neighbour’s deceit led to the illegal sale of their assets.

 

They also bought a 40-room apartment block in Pattaya—now valued at around £1.2 million—which they hoped would provide a steady lifetime income.

 

In 2010, Sudarat borrowed £34,000 from a moneylender to support her court battle. They quickly learnt that an associate of the lender had purchased their hotel block, valued at £1.2 million today, for just £45,000. “She borrowed that money without my knowledge,” Martin lamented, adding that the lender exploited Sudarat’s trust, reported the Daily Mail.

 

Martin argued that the transfer was illegal under Thai marital asset laws, but he admitted that corrupt practices expedited the transaction. They lost their properties without realising it, funnelling their dwindling resources into an ongoing land dispute.

 

Their legal nightmares compounded in 2017 when they were arrested for breaching contract terms related to their property ownership. Allegations of forged documents and forced signatures marred their detainment. Martin described harrowing conditions in prison, where his asthma and subsequent bronchitis worsened due to overcrowded cells.

 

Following the intervention by the prison governor, the inmates' release after eight days was bittersweet. They returned to find their possessions scattered and homes lost. Their despair intensified when they discovered the shocking sale of their family home and three adjacent plots, valued at £270,000. Sale documents revealed fraudulent power of attorney claims, yet the judicial system ruled against them, upholding the sale due to the presumed innocence of the new owner.

 

Now destitute, the Savages reside in a humble rental costing £250 (approximately 11,250 Thai baht) a month. Martin relies on his minor pension, while Sudarat works full-time as a property broker. Despite their plight, returning to the UK merely to live on benefits isn’t an option for the resilient couple.

 

Desperate for justice, Martin and Sudarat sought intervention from the British Embassy, but they were met with disappointment. Correspondence from local MPs to the Embassy regarding the imprisonment of those individuals yielded little. Officials dismissed their pleas, citing the situation as a local property dispute without British national interest.

 

A spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated that the office offered support during Martin’s detention and maintained contact with local authorities. Yet, for Martin and Sudarat, the response underscores the vulnerability of expats in complex legal and bureaucratic systems abroad.

 

Martin’s warning is stark: the paradise they envisioned through decades of hard work can easily unravel amidst foreign legal entanglements. Their experience serves as a cautionary tale for those considering retirement abroad, highlighting the importance of understanding local laws and potential risks.

 

As the Savages navigate their current situation, their story remains a chilling reminder of how quickly fortunes can change, urging others to tread carefully when venturing into international retirement dreams.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily Mail UK 2025-08-25

 

anybody who would invest money here needs physciatric help, TIT they cant help them selves one born every minute or less

19 hours ago, couchpotato said:

Rubbish..didn't happen...made up story

Nevertheless I have heard that one before!

On 8/28/2025 at 10:44 AM, davb said:

 

A Thai massage therapist told me about a neighbor whose farang husband built a home on the wife's land. Once it was done she didn't want him anymore and kicked him out.

 

He hired a bulldozer and showed up at the house. She called the police.

 

The police said that since he paid for the house he could do what he want. He bulldozed it down.

 

Way back in the late 80's I was staying in The Village on Sai 3. Had a townhouse that looked onto the 1st row of bungalows. One of these was occupied by an American and his Thai lady, no idea of the ownership status. One day I noticed him above the entrance to the property bashing away with a sledgehammer. Seems something went wrong with the relationship and he decided to vent his anger by having a go at dismantling the property. Don't recall how it ended but such actions are likely not uncommon.

It costs a lot of money to live in a poor Country.

 

Especially if you've got a simian hanging off you.

The simple conclusion from this story? Farang,don’t marry a property broker,especially if she is older you…

All is not as it might seem. so many details and facts missing to this story.

However it may  be pertinent to note that money had been borrowed from a Thai money lender.

£34,000 the story says. Some moneylenders in Thailand charge as much as 5% a week.

With compounded interest the loan of £34,000 would mushroom to £409,000 after one year, and to £5.2 million after two years.
Thais, and for that some farangs, do not understand the power of compounded interest and are oblivious to its consequences. 

Maybe they pledged, by legal charge, the properties.

Lesson to farangs is not to put material assets in the name of their Thai partner.

Lesson to all, do NOT, NEVER, NEVER, borrow money from a Thai moneylender.

On 8/28/2025 at 10:29 AM, KhaoHom said:

 

I stopped reading here

 

Never, ever buy a house for your wife . Ever

 

Over 30+ years I've also met two men who bought homes and booted out as well 

 

Cards always stacked against farang.

 

Depends on the wife and where you met her

12 hours ago, Pla Simon said:

It costs a lot of money to live in a poor Country.

 

Exactly.

Move here for lower cost of living and end up spending more. 

 

26 minutes ago, proton said:

 

Depends on the wife and where you met her

 

No it doesn't 

 

I've run across many suspect women in proper places. 

 

You have little if any legal recourse for proper settlement. There is no rule of law in Thailand . 

 

Now, if you want to GIVE a house to your wife or SO that's another matter. Expect nothing 

7 minutes ago, KhaoHom said:

 

No it doesn't 

 

I've run across many suspect women in proper places. 

 

You have little if any legal recourse for proper settlement. There is no rule of law in Thailand . 

 

Now, if you want to GIVE a house to your wife or SO that's another matter. Expect nothing 

 

There is rule of law in Thailand, divorced foreigners routinely get awarded 50% of post marital assets in court

24 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

 

Exactly.

Move here for lower cost of living and end up spending more. 

 

Not everybody. It takes a lot of self-discipline though.

Living in Thailand is easy, however what I did with my house was to go to the local Land Registry, have them come out and survey, pl;ace the boundary markers issue to confirmed Title Deed and suddenly any boundary properties disappear. 

Thais know this why it was not done no idea, but a simple exercise,,costs some money .

Sorry no sympathies offered by me, fo0r stupidity 

On 8/25/2025 at 11:25 AM, webfact said:

British expat Martin Savage (centre) and his wife Sudarat (right) had hoped for a dream retirement in Thailand — but it soon became a nightmare.

 

PATTAYA - In a tale of shattered dreams and alleged corruption, British couple Martin Savage, 65, and his wife Sudarat, 66, found their idyllic Thai retirement ripped apart by a legal quagmire. What was meant to be a serene end to their working lives devolved into chaos, costing nearly everything they owned, including homes worth £1.5 million (approximately 67.5 million Thai baht).

 

The couple’s ordeal began with what seemed to be a minor dispute over a boundary line with a neighbour, but it spiralled into expensive legal battles. Sudarat, holding sole ownership of their properties due to Thai laws against foreigners owning land, inadvertently violated property laws when she used these assets to fund their legal fight, leading to both being imprisoned.

 

Martin, a retired engineer whose distinguished career included work on the Channel Tunnel, saw his retirement income collapse from £38,000 (around 1.7 million Thai baht) annually to barely £100 (approximately 4,500 Thai baht) monthly from his remaining pension. Their secure lives, bolstered by rental income from a hotel block in Pattaya, turned precarious when a neighbour’s deceit led to the illegal sale of their assets.

 

They also bought a 40-room apartment block in Pattaya—now valued at around £1.2 million—which they hoped would provide a steady lifetime income.

 

In 2010, Sudarat borrowed £34,000 from a moneylender to support her court battle. They quickly learnt that an associate of the lender had purchased their hotel block, valued at £1.2 million today, for just £45,000. “She borrowed that money without my knowledge,” Martin lamented, adding that the lender exploited Sudarat’s trust, reported the Daily Mail.

 

Martin argued that the transfer was illegal under Thai marital asset laws, but he admitted that corrupt practices expedited the transaction. They lost their properties without realising it, funnelling their dwindling resources into an ongoing land dispute.

 

Their legal nightmares compounded in 2017 when they were arrested for breaching contract terms related to their property ownership. Allegations of forged documents and forced signatures marred their detainment. Martin described harrowing conditions in prison, where his asthma and subsequent bronchitis worsened due to overcrowded cells.

 

Following the intervention by the prison governor, the inmates' release after eight days was bittersweet. They returned to find their possessions scattered and homes lost. Their despair intensified when they discovered the shocking sale of their family home and three adjacent plots, valued at £270,000. Sale documents revealed fraudulent power of attorney claims, yet the judicial system ruled against them, upholding the sale due to the presumed innocence of the new owner.

 

Now destitute, the Savages reside in a humble rental costing £250 (approximately 11,250 Thai baht) a month. Martin relies on his minor pension, while Sudarat works full-time as a property broker. Despite their plight, returning to the UK merely to live on benefits isn’t an option for the resilient couple.

 

Desperate for justice, Martin and Sudarat sought intervention from the British Embassy, but they were met with disappointment. Correspondence from local MPs to the Embassy regarding the imprisonment of those individuals yielded little. Officials dismissed their pleas, citing the situation as a local property dispute without British national interest.

 

A spokesperson from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office stated that the office offered support during Martin’s detention and maintained contact with local authorities. Yet, for Martin and Sudarat, the response underscores the vulnerability of expats in complex legal and bureaucratic systems abroad.

 

Martin’s warning is stark: the paradise they envisioned through decades of hard work can easily unravel amidst foreign legal entanglements. Their experience serves as a cautionary tale for those considering retirement abroad, highlighting the importance of understanding local laws and potential risks.

 

As the Savages navigate their current situation, their story remains a chilling reminder of how quickly fortunes can change, urging others to tread carefully when venturing into international retirement dreams.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from Daily Mail UK 2025-08-25

 

the lesson is don't get so heavily involved in investments. low profile. rent. move. take it easy.  I know there will be those who disagree. Respect. 

On 8/25/2025 at 10:45 AM, Mark1969 said:

He probably had nobody to talk to about it either. No friends, or at least any that wanted to hear about relationship and money problems in pattaya.

 

One of the safety nets of home country living is there are usually good long time friends around that you can problem solve this type of stuff with. Here he was probably getting drunk doing barstool banter, or talking to somchai in broken english about nuanced relationship and property problems with a completely different worldview.

The internet has a lot of easily accessible information about the horror stories of those who came before him.  There are well known books on the subject.  

 

There are none so deaf and blind than those who refuse to hear and see.  Once someone has in their mind "my girl is different" then they will have to accept the consequences. 

On 8/25/2025 at 11:40 AM, lordgrinz said:

My wife and I keep our finances completely separate, almost all of mine are back in the USA, and only accessible by me. But what kind pension is "£100" monthly? Yikes!

He’s probably taken a lump sum from his pension fund, just leaving the minimum in. 
might have used the capital to buy the property, giving a better return than the pension……

whatever your thoughts on the guy, it’s a sh1tshow of massive proportions, and enough to make you want to enrol in the Pattaya Flying Club

10 minutes ago, Free the 115 said:

He’s probably taken a lump sum from his pension fund, just leaving the minimum in. 
might have used the capital to buy the property, giving a better return than the pension……

whatever your thoughts on the guy, it’s a sh1tshow of massive proportions, and enough to make you want to enrol in the Pattaya Flying Club

 

Not enough information in the article, though it does say he's 65 which would put him less than a year away from state pension. If he's fully funded it he'd then be in line for an additional 43-45k thb a month (albeit frozen) from his next birthday. 

On 8/25/2025 at 11:40 AM, lordgrinz said:

My wife and I keep our finances completely separate, almost all of mine are back in the USA, and only accessible by me. But what kind pension is "£100" monthly? Yikes!

He must have been locked in, if you live in Thailand they lock your pension in to when you left, the current UK pension is about 12,000+ pounds a year.

11 minutes ago, brian69 said:

He must have been locked in, if you live in Thailand they lock your pension in to when you left, the current UK pension is about 12,000+ pounds a year.

 

As per the post directly above yours, he's not old enough to get the UK state pension so won't be locked in to anything (yet).

On 8/25/2025 at 11:35 AM, BritManToo said:

Best not to invest more than you can afford to lose.

Putting all your money in someone else's name is probably a bad idea.

 

Property ownership obsession.

it often gets  them into minefield here.

What makes them so eager to buy a house while it is always so easy to rent in this kingdom?

 

 

On 8/25/2025 at 9:47 PM, NemoH said:

He gave her too much freedom with his money... sad.. the wife must be from a nefarious and dubious background - who seem to have access to 'black money' - and loan sharks + scammers and low life seedy lawyers - all a very very bad combination for him,.... 

 

Keep safe everyone... cut off any seedy woman or girlfriend you have....or you will lose your pants, fortune - or even your life... He is lucky to have kept his life - no use killing him since his wealth is gone and he is already 65... LOL

 

Well, nefarious seem to be a common synonym  used to describe Thai women. Usually when the family, specially the brothers and sisters find out that their little sister is dating a foreigner, they will start to visit their little sister more often. Then the brother is sick and unemployed,  and need help with his medical bills. The sister need some money to catch the bus back home. There is a funeral and she needs to make a donation. The "ex-husband" or boyfriend rediscovered his love for his "ex wife", and obviously he will be disguised as her brother. Very soon you will have a full house of people that you have no idea who they are.  And good luck with your privacy. And God forgive if she has kids from another marriage. 

1 hour ago, black tabby12345 said:

Property ownership obsession.

it often gets  them into minefield here.

What makes them so eager to buy a house while it is always so easy to rent in this kingdom?

Most people buy just because it feels better then renting. It feels like you have no payments if you purchase outright and don't have to ever worry about moving. It's more comfortable.

 

My neighbor bought his condo across the hall from me. Older single guy same age as me. He likes Pattaya and figured that would not ever change, so why not buy if you have the money. He does not believe there is something better then the here and now and any dissatisfaction is coming from within and would not be solved by a move.

 

I'm different. I know I get bored with locations and would want to move after a year or so, thus buying does not make sense for me. Not necessarily because I'm dissatisfied, but because I find it exciting to live in different locations.

13 minutes ago, Mark1969 said:

Most people buy just because it feels better then renting. It feels like you have no payments if you purchase outright and don't have to ever worry about moving. It's more comfortable.

 

I still rent, even though I have almost no intention to move from my current location where I have lived for nearly 2 decades since my settlement in this kingdom.

 

Back in the November, 05, the very first month my residency here, 

I, myself thought about buying an apartment room(price of such a room was a lot lower than today).

 

But someone(English stock trader) advised me not to do it; saying why buy while I can easily rent. Buying a condo room would immobilize me. Makes it difficult when I felt like moving to somewhere. As well as financial headaches(associated costs).

 

20 years on, I still appreciate his words I got back then;

It kept me from taking  needless risks...