Britains Stranded In Thailand

[Thongkorn]

My wife and I are Holidaying in Thailand to see her parents and friends, she said that she wanted to go to the local temple to se the monks which i have been many times before. I had adisturbing expieriance when a man who i now know to be called Matt, he is from Tottenham London. born 11-12-71. He told me of his plite, the usual thing goes to Thailand for the first time Meets a girl. and stays with her for a while then she robbs him of every thing, money, credit card and Passport .He went to the British embasy to report the loss of his passport and his predicament. they told him they could not help him and just left him to his own devices. he had to beg for food and water on the streets of Bangkok. He was lucky a monk took pitty on him and took him to his temple. Samut Sakon.thats where i meet him, he has been there for six months now , He has been to the British Embasy In Bangkok with the head monk who speaks a little English to verifiy Matts story is true. The Monk has been to the local police to try to get them to go to the girls home and recover the passport if possible . but they want 3000baht before any thing will be done. the girl has now disapeared as to be expected because she now knows that the police may be involved. the problem is that the british Embasy has just abandoned a British subject in need of assistance. And the disterbing thing is that Matt has told me there are dozens of British people living rough and begging on the streets of Bangkok. this opens up many doors for them to be arrested for no visas ext ext. Does any bodu know how these people can be helped. And before anybody says ,serves them right , they are not all bad and stupid . maybe green but not bad. i have taken his details and intend to write to an Address in London he has given to me.He has tried to send many letters from Thailand to the Uk which none seem to have got through.Does anybody know of any Govenment department who deals with cases like these people . I would be grateful of any assistance thanks in advance.

[Boater]

Be VERY VERY carful, there alot of British Scammers in Bangkok all using the above SAME story to make money, i saw ' Mat ' plating his cames on Soi 3 / 4 , same story, asking for 1,000 THB to help for food, bus, transport back to the embassey for help, you would be surprised how many people fall for the story and offer to help them......

[smokie36]

He has no family or friends in the UK who would stump up for a one way ticket?

A little odd in the first instance and no back up plan if things go awry. Ouch.

Well best of luck to the poor bloke but he seems to have brought much of it upon himself.

[smokie36]

Be VERY VERY carful, there alot of British Scammers in Bangkok all using the above SAME story to make money, i saw ' Mat ' plating his cames on Soi 3 / 4 , same story, asking for 1,000 THB to help for food, bus, transport back to the embassey for help, you would be surprised how many people fall for the story and offer to help them......

I saw a guy sitting at Nana BTS a few years ago with a board begging for 15000 Baht for his ticket out.

Those were the boom times though I guess!

[smokie36]

"He has tried to send many letter from Thailand to the UK but they never seem to get through."

Tell him to try the internet. I find it nearly 100% effective.

[Boater]

"He has tried to send many letter from Thailand to the UK but they never seem to get through."

Tell him to try the internet. I find it nearly 100% effective.

plus letter to the uk cost around 100 THB Plus, although you can find an internet cafe for 10 THB...... as oer last post... SCAM

So did you give him the 3,000 THB to get his new passport????

[dumball]

I took an English man to the British Embassy in Cambodia because his disability money had been suspended , long story , they offered him a one way 1st class ticket home provided he handed in his passport and signed an agreement to pay the money back .What is wrong with the Embassy in Thailand ? That is if he ever applied for help .

[Boater]

I took an English man to the British Embassy in Cambodia because his disability money had been suspended , long story , they offered him a one way 1st class ticket home provided he handed in his passport and signed an agreement to pay the money back .What is wrong with the Embassy in Thailand ? That is if he ever applied for help .

The British Embassey ALSO does this ! , hence why the original OP was being scammed by this guy

[Beetlejuice]

Does anybody care?

Answer; NO.

Not sure if these guys are kind or not, but I`m 100% certain they are stupid.

For example, if I travel abroad with no money, no insurance and no backup, do I deserve to be helped when the crap hits the fan? Would anyone here on Thai visa be prepared to bail me out of trouble? Why should the home country tax payers bear the expense via the embassy?

No wonder the girlfriend hopped it, guy`s a total loser. Perhaps she took his passport because he owed her money?

There are 6 billion people in this world that I would give priority for my help, before I would give assistance to this guy.

[WarpSpeed]

Well my experience with something very similar though an elderly Aussie I new for some years who was being basically held hostage and starved to death (again long story) was that the Aussie embassy had no desire to help him out at all. I know this because I took him there and the consular at the time was a real scum bag I'll never forget his name (Hampton silver spoon) as he wouldn't let me sit in on the interview and I knew this old man was not going to be able to tell them the complete story which also included his poor health, sadly he was also a WWII vet and his benefits had been suspended too since he was unable to return to keep them current as per regulation..

We took out the last bit of savings we had in order to pay his maximum over-stay fine and buy him a ticket back to Aus where he has been staying with a long time friend of his now.

Just so you know his wasn't a romance gone wrong but a business scam on the part of his Thai partner who had bilked him out of his life savings and beyond..

Now we've exchanged places with him but it's all good as we're younger with more prospects but it's not been easy for our family with a lot of sacrifices.. Bottom line is we weren't scammed and did this of our own good will and are better people for it..

There area a lot of nice naive people in the world that doesn't make them scammers or losers just people trying to make a life for themselves and stumbling in the process.. A loser is not one who tries and fails but one who fails to try..

Edited April 9, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[carmine]

If these people are in such a state, begging for food and money, if they really are genuine, why don't they walk through the front gates of their embassy and ask for repatriation?

[WarpSpeed]

Does anybody care?

Answer; NO.

Not sure if these guys are kind or not, but I`m 100% certain they are stupid.

For example, if I travel abroad with no money, no insurance and no backup, do I deserve to be helped when the crap hits the fan? Would anyone here on Thai visa be prepared to bail me out of trouble? Why should the home country tax payers bear the expense via the embassy?

No wonder the girlfriend hopped it, guy`s a total loser. Perhaps she took his passport because he owed her money?

There are 6 billion people in this world that I would give priority for my help, before I would give assistance to this guy.

People like you need a good dose of reality, apparently you've had it too good in your life time..S^&* just happens some times, it's that unpredictable. My BIL is like you and has never had it tough whatsoever in his life, no traumas no serious bumps and an only, spoiled child and HE blindly thinks like a lottery winner that he's somehow earned the success that's been gifted him...

Hmm, had to edit a nasty word I thought the filter would catch it..

Edited April 9, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[smokie36]

If these people are in such a state, begging for food and money, if they really are genuine, why don't they walk through the front gates of their embassy and ask for repatriation?

Easier to beg...nice warm weather....no need to sign on once a fortnight.

"Look I'm poor! I'm hungry! I've been scammed!"

Little bit of foresight needed when travelling abroad.

Give these people a one way ticket home and have their passports revoked. Permanently.

[rak sa_ngop]

"He has tried to send many letter from Thailand to the UK but they never seem to get through."

Tell him to try the internet. I find it nearly 100% effective.

plus letter to the uk cost around 100 THB Plus, although you can find an internet cafe for 10 THB...... as oer last post... SCAM

So did you give him the 3,000 THB to get his new passport????

Actually a 10 gram airmail to the UK costs 17 baht airmail or 12 baht surface.

50 grams works out at 45 and 30 baht.

Of course if you need to buy a pen, paper, envelope etc. better give him 100 baht!

[Beetlejuice]

Does anybody care?

Answer; NO.

Not sure if these guys are kind or not, but I`m 100% certain they are stupid.

For example, if I travel abroad with no money, no insurance and no backup, do I deserve to be helped when the crap hits the fan? Would anyone here on Thai visa be prepared to bail me out of trouble? Why should the home country tax payers bear the expense via the embassy?

No wonder the girlfriend hopped it, guy`s a total loser. Perhaps she took his passport because he owed her money?

There are 6 billion people in this world that I would give priority for my help, before I would give assistance to this guy.

People like you need a good dose of reality, apparently you've had it too good in your life time..S^&* just happens some times, it's that unpredictable. My BIL is like you and has never had it tough whatsoever in his life, no traumas no serious bumps and an only, spoiled child and HE blindly thinks like a lottery winner that he's somehow earned the success that's been gifted him...

Hmm, had to edit a nasty word I thought the filter would catch it..

So I take it you know all about me?

I have been down on my luck for sure, many, many times. More times than I really what to think about. Brought up in an Orphanage and always taken care of myself. Had to be streetwise in order to survive. No tears please, it`s early yet.

But I have never left myself up the creek without a paddle. There is a huge difference between being down on your luck and bringing on your downfall by shear stupidity.

Sorry, that is my opinion, but at least I am being honest with no BS.

[smokie36]

I agree Beetlejuice. I've tried to help people here before and found there is no will to help themselves.

These people should go to their embassy and request repatriation...end of story.

No way would I lend or give money to anyone for any more than a bottle of water or a plate of rice.

[Moonrakers]

If somebody needs help, they allow the person to stay at the embassy until they can contact somebody to send them the money for a ticket etc. Also, an emergency passport can be issued for the trip.

If they have absolutely no money and no way to get money, the embassy will arrange for them to be sent back to the UK. The person will have to return all costs to the embassy.

Why send a letter? Doesn't make sense?

He's scamming you!

[Jingthing]

There are mentally ill marginal/homeless people in the west and some of them end up here. Not saying this guy fits that but I do think embassies should send totally desperate people home if the people actually want that.

Edited April 9, 2011 by Jingthing

[Moonrakers]

Oh

And a credit card? The guy has a credit card?

Contact the CC company, get the old one cancelled and a new one issued. So simple that I have nothing else left to say about it

He's scamming you

[Jingthing]

Not always that simple. Lots of cc companies won't send cards to Thailand.

[Moonrakers]

They'd send it to the embassy JT. It really is that simple!

[Velocette]

Well my experience with something very similar though an elderly Aussie I new for some years who was being basically held hostage and starved to death (again long story) was that the Aussie embassy had no desire to help him out at all. I know this because I took him there and the consular at the time was a real scum bag I'll never forget his name (Hampton silver spoon) as he wouldn't let me sit in on the interview and I knew this old man was not going to be able to tell them the complete story which also included his poor health, sadly he was also a WWII vet and his benefits had been suspended too since he was unable to return to keep them current as per regulation..

We took out the last bit of savings we had in order to pay his maximum over-stay fine and buy him a ticket back to Aus where he has been staying with a long time friend of his now.

Just so you know his wasn't a romance gone wrong but a business scam on the part of his Thai partner who had bilked him out of his life savings and beyond..

Now we've exchanged places with him but it's all good as we're younger with more prospects but it's not been easy for our family with a lot of sacrifices.. Bottom line is we weren't scammed and did this of our own good will and are better people for it..

There area a lot of nice naive people in the world that doesn't make them scammers or losers just people trying to make a life for themselves and stumbling in the process.. A loser is not one who tries and fails but one who fails to try..

Well fair play to you Warpspeed, good man yourself. I'm shocked the Aussie's wouldn't help one of their own, I always presumed there was a legal obligation on all embassies to repatriate, apart from the moral obligation. Also a WW2 vet, and the government f***ks about with their payments, it's insult upon injury, it doesn't get any worse.

He should be able to take his embassy to court, for failure to repatriate and assist passage home, guess only an Aussie lawyer could answer that question, ditto all those other embassies who refuse help.

Personally I have a feeling it's often down to the discretion of the individual consular, as in your friends case, a pox on him the heartless c***. It would be so satisfying if he had to answer to a tribunal back in Oz for dereliction of duty.

You really are the good Samaritans, both you and your wife.

[needforspeed]

Does anybody care?

Answer; NO.

Not sure if these guys are kind or not, but I`m 100% certain they are stupid.

For example, if I travel abroad with no money, no insurance and no backup, do I deserve to be helped when the crap hits the fan? Would anyone here on Thai visa be prepared to bail me out of trouble? Why should the home country tax payers bear the expense via the embassy?

No wonder the girlfriend hopped it, guy`s a total loser. Perhaps she took his passport because he owed her money?

There are 6 billion people in this world that I would give priority for my help, before I would give assistance to this guy.

I felt for it a few times.

Sad stories, never working, always lying, and a hard job keeping all the people they borrow money from separate so they don’t know each other.

And as long people don’t take any action they get away with it, and continue to borrow money from other people.

I know a few of them and most not even have visa, but still be able to drink alcohol every day.

Don’t want to say stupid because know a guy did not work for 6 years and lived on other people’s money I rather use the word idiot.

[p_brownstone]

It's human nature to feel sorry for those who apear less fortunate than oneself however I would say thay 95 out of 100 hard luck stories one hears from Farang here are scams pure and simple.

And it's not only other Farang who fall for them.

In November last year my long term (Thai) girlfriend bumped into an American man we had met together about 2 years ago here in Bangkok. He's 56 years old, a "Project Manager" who has not worked for many months. She's a kind hearted, incredibly hard working girl earning Baht 25,000.- a month in a responsible Office job and is usually very careful with money - saving a lot of her monthly Salary. She fell for this ba£tards story and over the last 4 months has "lent" him money while he "waits for Certificates of Deposit to mature" - one was supposed to be cashable in March and she expected to be repaid then - but he claimed there was a problem and the Bank gave him no money. She then "lent" him more money so he could survive until June when, he says, the next CD is due to mature.

The total she has lent him now stands at Baht 100,000.- ! 4 months of her Salary,!!

I have just found out about this because she is now short of money herself, and very stressed about the situation, but she still hopes that the guy is genuine and is expecting to be repaid in June.

I am extremely angry at this lowlife for "borrowing" money from someone who has so little money herself - and was so gullible - and have my own plans to deal with the situation if payment is not made. It may not result in repayment but it will make me feel a lot better - and make the bu99er think twice before conning his next victim!

Patrick

Edited April 9, 2011 by p_brownstone

[WarpSpeed]

Does anybody care?

Answer; NO.

Not sure if these guys are kind or not, but I`m 100% certain they are stupid.

For example, if I travel abroad with no money, no insurance and no backup, do I deserve to be helped when the crap hits the fan? Would anyone here on Thai visa be prepared to bail me out of trouble? Why should the home country tax payers bear the expense via the embassy?

No wonder the girlfriend hopped it, guy`s a total loser. Perhaps she took his passport because he owed her money?

There are 6 billion people in this world that I would give priority for my help, before I would give assistance to this guy.

People like you need a good dose of reality, apparently you've had it too good in your life time..S^&* just happens some times, it's that unpredictable. My BIL is like you and has never had it tough whatsoever in his life, no traumas no serious bumps and an only, spoiled child and HE blindly thinks like a lottery winner that he's somehow earned the success that's been gifted him...

Hmm, had to edit a nasty word I thought the filter would catch it..

So I take it you know all about me?

I have been down on my luck for sure, many, many times. More times than I really what to think about. Brought up in an Orphanage and always taken care of myself. Had to be streetwise in order to survive. No tears please, it`s early yet.

But I have never left myself up the creek without a paddle. There is a huge difference between being down on your luck and bringing on your downfall by shear stupidity.

Sorry, that is my opinion, but at least I am being honest with no BS.

Ok then so you're just cynical and jaded, even worse as you should know better having been there.. No BS there for sure, none in my posts either..

[WarpSpeed]

Well my experience with something very similar though an elderly Aussie I new for some years who was being basically held hostage and starved to death (again long story) was that the Aussie embassy had no desire to help him out at all. I know this because I took him there and the consular at the time was a real scum bag I'll never forget his name (Hampton silver spoon) as he wouldn't let me sit in on the interview and I knew this old man was not going to be able to tell them the complete story which also included his poor health, sadly he was also a WWII vet and his benefits had been suspended too since he was unable to return to keep them current as per regulation..

We took out the last bit of savings we had in order to pay his maximum over-stay fine and buy him a ticket back to Aus where he has been staying with a long time friend of his now.

Just so you know his wasn't a romance gone wrong but a business scam on the part of his Thai partner who had bilked him out of his life savings and beyond..

Now we've exchanged places with him but it's all good as we're younger with more prospects but it's not been easy for our family with a lot of sacrifices.. Bottom line is we weren't scammed and did this of our own good will and are better people for it..

There area a lot of nice naive people in the world that doesn't make them scammers or losers just people trying to make a life for themselves and stumbling in the process.. A loser is not one who tries and fails but one who fails to try..

Well fair play to you Warpspeed, good man yourself. I'm shocked the Aussie's wouldn't help one of their own, I always presumed there was a legal obligation on all embassies to repatriate, apart from the moral obligation. Also a WW2 vet, and the government f***ks about with their payments, it's insult upon injury, it doesn't get any worse.

He should be able to take his embassy to court, for failure to repatriate and assist passage home, guess only an Aussie lawyer could answer that question, ditto all those other embassies who refuse help.

Personally I have a feeling it's often down to the discretion of the individual consular, as in your friends case, a pox on him the heartless c***. It would be so satisfying if he had to answer to a tribunal back in Oz for dereliction of duty.

You really are the good Samaritans, both you and your wife.

Thank you my kids too, though I wasn't looking for recognition I just wanted to make the point that not all of them are scammers and because you may get scammed once or twice for a few lousy baht doesn't mean the next time you should turn your head as that may be the time it counts the most it's certain to me that most here (meaning Thailand) could afford to help much more then we could.. It's not a shameful thing to get scammed out of compassion but it is shameful to loose your compassion and let it prevent you from trying again if you're confronted with the need again.

My kids have known him though they were/are young and liked him and they've sacrificed for his return home but in the end I think it's a valuable lesson for them to have learned and they'll remember it their whole lives and will eventually make up for the time it has set them back a bit..

I hail from a location where there are many unfortunate scamming victims mostly elderly who have been fully self sufficient for their entire lives and have asked nothing of anyone before. If someone like that gets scammed like in this case it is very difficult for them to stand up and ask for help due to both embarrassment of having been scammed and worse letting it get to such a point so they just keep it to themselves which is why the scams can continue unimpeded..

This was a good part of this case too, we met him in TESCO and at the time I think he was scavenging for food (samples and such)but only after thinking back in retrospect as he never once asked for anything of us, merely conversation. Over time we got to talking more and spending some time together so he could get out of his captivity for a while and I got more of a gist of his circumstances. To the boys he was like the grandfather they don't have..

A little bit later I had to relocate to Phuket for a job offer though my wife stayed here for her job but we kept in close touch with him and things were going down hill quickly as they had moved him to an out of the way place he could no longer get out easily to meet people to socialize with (no doubt so he could wither away in silence).. We set up a phone account for him with discount plan and a monthly limit so he could call us when he needed to which he never even used to it's full monthly credit and opened a bank account that we gave him the ATM card for for us to expedite a few baht to him every month to get some food and keep himself going but it finally hit the fan when my wife visited him and they were not helping him at all as they were supposed to do and he was visibly thinner and looking unhealthy.

Turns out he had deadly high blood pressure he was not taking meds for as no money, he never mentioned it to us previously so we never intervened, he also had a painful hernia as I had suspected based on some complaints he had made about regional pain in his groin and a lump there. The high blood pressure put him right in the hospital when returned to Aus so there's no doubt our compassion gave him a few more decent years of life.

He was not a drinker nor sexpat just a nice, old, lonely guy trying to live out his retirement and enjoy himself and bring in some money while doing so, sound familiar? They had conned him by bringing him into their family and befriending him and calling him daddy and such and since he had no family of his own he was desperate for that feeling of family and affection in his old age..Not surprising really is it? Not ignorant nor criminal either to my understanding..

The really amazing thing was the brazenness with which they kept him captive and starving, not a single bit of fear, concern or remorse while they lived very well off his money (house remodeling, BMW's, 2 houses mind you, one here and one up north, etc.) and built up the business he had funded and they pocketed every baht that came in.. I'm not going to go into the complexities of why they had no concern or fear about being caught but suffice it to say it's because of a certain influence in a position of power which was his original impetus to trust them in the first place that they betrayed..

Bottom line, he was a VICTIM like any other victim of crime it was a slow motion mugging, but a mugging none the less..Personally though it's been tough since doing so, I'll never regret doing it, I sleep well most nights..Except when my wife elbows me that is....

Edited April 9, 2011 by WarpSpeed

[WarpSpeed]

I agree Beetlejuice. I've tried to help people here before and found there is no will to help themselves.

These people should go to their embassy and request repatriation...end of story.

No way would I lend or give money to anyone for any more than a bottle of water or a plate of rice.

That's more sad, then any of these people...

[Mobi]

As many posters have already stated, there is something dishonest with this person. You only have to look at the British embassy website to know that they will indeed repatriate UK nationals who find themselves in a desperate situation. They will ask for the phone numbers etc of any relatives or friends who may be able to help and will try to contact them. If this fails they will supply a one way ticket home and they will restrict the passport until the cost of the ticket is refunded.

Most, if not all embassies have very similar arrangements and all this BS about embassies not willing to help, or deserting their nationals is just that - BS. The people who claim this are either lying or are mentally sick or both; many are just looking for mugs to scam.

There was a Canadian on this forum a few months back who claimed he was very sick and broke and he made similar claims about his embassy not being willing to repatriate him. I checked the Canadian embassy website and found that they do have similar arrangements to those described above. When I referred him to his website, he then changed his story and admitted that they had indeed arranged to repatriate him but when they bought the ticket, he changed his mind and decided to stay. He then said that having messed them around once, they would not help him again. It subsequently transpired that the guy was not broke, was an inveterate liar and had obtained much money from sympathetic farangs by using such hard luck stories.

Be warned....

[WarpSpeed]

Most, if not all embassies have very similar arrangements and all this BS about embassies not willing to help, or deserting their nationals is just that - BS. The people who claim this are either lying or are mentally sick or both; many are just looking for mugs to scam.

I don't take kindly to being called a liar, prat ...

[Moonrakers]

Most, if not all embassies have very similar arrangements and all this BS about embassies not willing to help, or deserting their nationals is just that - BS. The people who claim this are either lying or are mentally sick or both; many are just looking for mugs to scam.

I don't take kindly to being called a liar, prat ...

He wasn't calling you a liar, he was calling the guy you helped a liar.

You said yourself that you were not allowed into the meeting, methinks you were not told the real reason he wasn't helped out of the country.