Scam Warning!

[baanthale]

Here it goes,

My wife and I are up to sell our land and houses, we have a sell sign outside our place. Some days ago a well dressed Thai guy came in to enquier price and having a look. He said his boss is looking for a place like ours, and he is going to bring her to us tomorrow for a look. Early morning day after the guy shows up together with a hi-so looking lady, she walked around, asked the right questions and it all felt good. She said she wanted my wife to go with them around the nearest area to get a picture of our part of Samui. As it sounded alright my wife went with them

They drove around for a while and the guy got a phone call, he said it was the real boss, and he wanted my wife to come and see him at his place. My wife started to feel unsure at that moment, but also knows that some rich people like to let you crawl for them , so she accepted They went to a resort somewere near the ferry port. They wanted here to follow them up to the boss hotel room, and she said that they should tell him to come down to the resorts restaurant instead. After som convincing, she agreed to follow them to the room

In the room the hi so lady and the "boss", starts to argue, she says he should by the place for him self, and he says he will by it for his wife. He also says they have to wait for his wife to make a decition, she is right outside and will be back soon.

A moment later the hi-so lady and the "boss" starts a new argument about his big game losses the night before (2000,000 THB), she tells him, he got cheated last night, and even if he played with my wife he would loose The guy hands over 20,000THB to my wife and asks her to play with him She understands now were this is going and say she wants to leave the place The guy then goes to get a bag full of money,(wife says millions of millions of bath), asks her to take 200,000 to play with and not think to much about it Now she just walks out, says she have a headake and that I am waiting for her, and she have to go back home. The driver guy says he will drive her back, but she just runs out, and gets a motorbike taxi to go back home. She came back really shakend up

Be aware, there are all kinds out there!

[BL4u]

What about these ones;

Couple selling their property. Well dressed business man from Bangkok turns up. Says he wants to buy the property. Transfer fees for the seller. Money, arrangements, contracts, etc, seems ok.

They buyer as a well known business man with contacts at the land office made a deal with the land office to reduce the transfer fees.

Money must be paid under the table to have the transfer registered for a lower amount than agreed (which would benefit the seller), however of course this must be paid up front.

Handed over the money in good faith. The buyer with the money never seen of again.

Or

Coupe sees a nice piece of land (Nor Sor Sam). Seller typical elderly Thai does not like contracts much as 'Thais like to do business in good faith and with handshakes….'.

They pay 20% (1 million +) deposit. Nor Sor Sam must be published before any transfer can be registered. In this period someone comes up and says the owner is not the owner and he is the owner. Sale and purchase is void.....

No transfer and the money gone.

Welcome to Samui

[sbk]

Welcome to Thailand... Welcome to the world.

Scams and scam artists like this exist everywhere, not just Samui. Perhaps Samui just seems to attract a larger number of gullible victims

[mssabai]

What about these ones;

Couple selling their property. Well dressed business man from Bangkok turns up. Says he wants to buy the property. Transfer fees for the seller. Money, arrangements, contracts, etc, seems ok.

They buyer as a well known business man with contacts at the land office made a deal with the land office to reduce the transfer fees.

Money must be paid under the table to have the transfer registered for a lower amount than agreed (which would benefit the seller), however of course this must be paid up front.

Handed over the money in good faith. The buyer with the money never seen of again.

Or

Coupe sees a nice piece of land (Nor Sor Sam). Seller typical elderly Thai does not like contracts much as 'Thais like to do business in good faith and with handshakes….'.

They pay 20% (1 million +) deposit. Nor Sor Sam must be published before any transfer can be registered. In this period someone comes up and says the owner is not the owner and he is the owner. Sale and purchase is void.....

No transfer and the money gone.

Welcome to Samui

I am not being funny but how stupid/greedy are some people??? Scam artists only exist because there are people stupid enough to hand over money without any legal documentation. The OP's story was a strange one and not so obviously a scam, but these last two are just plain ridiculous! It amazes me that people will do things in Thailand - like hand over large amounts of cash with no contract - that they would never do in their own country and then they try to say that Thailand is full of scam artists!

[Mark Wolfe]

They went to a resort somewhere near the ferry port. They wanted here to follow them up to the boss hotel room....

Did it not occur to you to report this to the police immediately? There must be some sort of record of who was in the room. Or, if no crime was committed, then it was all a lark and grist for the mill.

If the money was real, you should have gone back in the dead of night and broken in and robbed them (Kidding, of COURSE! )

[maccaroni man]

What about these ones;

Couple selling their property. Well dressed business man from Bangkok turns up. Says he wants to buy the property. Transfer fees for the seller. Money, arrangements, contracts, etc, seems ok.

They buyer as a well known business man with contacts at the land office made a deal with the land office to reduce the transfer fees.

Money must be paid under the table to have the transfer registered for a lower amount than agreed (which would benefit the seller), however of course this must be paid up front.

Handed over the money in good faith. The buyer with the money never seen of again.

Or

Coupe sees a nice piece of land (Nor Sor Sam). Seller typical elderly Thai does not like contracts much as 'Thais like to do business in good faith and with handshakes….'.They pay 20% (1 million +) deposit. Nor Sor Sam must be published before any transfer can be registered. In this period someone comes up and says the owner is not the owner and he is the owner. Sale and purchase is void.....

No transfer and the money gone.

Welcome to Samui

I am not being funny but how stupid/greedy are some people??? Scam artists only exist because there are people stupid enough to hand over money without any legal documentation. The OP's story was a strange one and not so obviously a scam, but these last two are just plain ridiculous! It amazes me that people will do things in Thailand - like hand over large amounts of cash with no contract - that they would never do in their own country and then they try to say that Thailand is full of scam artists!

I passed on many land deals that required this these types of blind faith moves however i know some developers that are very wealthy today because they could afford to take the chance of never seeing their money again IMHO contracts dont mean anyting in deals like this it is what can you afford lose. Remember this is not our country and chances are business is not done they way it is in our home countries.