I'm considering renting a small shop house in Bangkok, and after taking a first look at the rather decrepid condition, the owner assured me she would be having major renovation work done the following week. Whereas a friend who had taken a brief look a few days ago assured me work was actively being done, I learn a week later the contractor had only spent the first couple of days doing cosmetic or busy work and then demanded full payment of 15,000 baht before completion. Needless to say, as soon as he got his hands on the money, he disappeared and has been unreachable on his cell phone since. Fortunately, it wasn't my money but the landlady's. Still, I'd like to try to do something about this and am wondering whether it's worth the effort and expense to employ a detective to track the guy down and maybe get some or all the money back. If it is, can anyone recommend a good, honest, reasonably priced detective.?

Edited March 11, 200620 yr by Michael W

I'm considering renting a small shop house in Bangkok, and after taking a first look at the rather decrepid condition, the owner assured me she would be having major renovation work done the following week. Whereas a friend who had taken a brief look a few days ago assured me work was actively being done, I learn a week later the contractor had only spent the first couple of days doing cosmetic or busy work and then demanded full payment of 15,000 baht before completion. Needless to say, as soon as he got his hands on the money, he disappeared and has been unreachable on his cell phone since. Fortunately, it wasn't my money but the landlady's. Still, I'd like to try to do something about this and am wondering whether it's worth the effort and expense to employ a detective to track the guy down and maybe get some or all the money back. If it is, can anyone recommend a good, honest, reasonably priced detective.?

Hi

I think it would be a waste of more Money to hire a Detective.

File this what happened under "experience".

sorry,

rcm

Edited March 11, 200620 yr by rcm

The landlady is Thai? And she paid an unknown contractor full contract price upfront?

I just do not believe it.

But 15k is not going to buy much in the way of major renovations in any case.

lol.... consider it a donation to those in need. Contractors are a very un-reliable bunch, and the only way you will control them is dangling the carrot ( cash ). An serious upfront payments can cause such events.

When I was doing my apartment, I always kept the contractor 100k out of his own pocket , and where possible , bought all the materials my self ( except for the basics i.e. concrete / water pipes ).

I had a performance pay scheme ( would give him 10% more than her wanted providing he finished before a certain date ( which he sugessted on day one )). Wont surprise you he did not get the bonus, but boy did he try.

But 15k is not going to buy much in the way of major renovations in any case.

Probably wouldn't buy much in the way of detectives either. It would probably cost you more than the lost amount to hire a good one. A detective that would work for this amount is probably a scammer also.

But 15k is not going to buy much in the way of major renovations in any case.

Probably wouldn't buy much in the way of detectives either. It would probably cost you more than the lost amount to hire a good one. A detective that would work for this amount is probably a scammer also.

I agree, no need for a detective, waste of dosh! Lesson learned - don't pay up front.

The landlady is Thai? And she paid an unknown contractor full contract price upfront?

I just do not believe it.

But 15k is not going to buy much in the way of major renovations in any case.

Actually, this is being passed on to me third hand, so the 15k may have been only a partial payment.

I can understand how you feel. If it was the Thai ladies money then let her deal with the problem. If you start hiring detective's and he then finds out you were involved, who knows what he will do.

Not worth the hassel mate.

Suppose the detective did find the guy. Suppose the guy doesn't just pay up - then what? Beat him up? Take him to court?

Bht15K is not worthe the kind of hassle you could get your self into by trying to get the money back.

As other's have said, chalk it up as experience and NEVER pay in advance.

Michael,

Yes pal, hire a detective - to investigate the landlady! ("Oh so sorry Khun Michael..he no finish the work..cannot give you money back")

Welome to Thailand mate. Does she have a reallllllllly lonnnnng last name? (no offence..could be a farang, indian, thai land lady too..right?? Well right?). To be fair, YOU should have made sure the renovations were done before you handed over the cash. It's standard procedure here. You should alos know that any changes you make to the place (e.g improvements..like an extra hot water heater here or there) could be grabbed by the landlady on your way out.. be warned.

Sorry..I just realised you didn't say you had paid a deposit..hope not ..right? Cause it's a well worn trick here, I'm afraid..

As the OP appears not to have signed a lease and has not suffered any financial loss, what business is it of his?

Above question very good from Noel. I agree and want to know. In any case, hiring a detective sounds pretty ludicrous

As the OP appears not to have signed a lease and has not suffered any financial loss, what business is it of his?

You're correct, it isn't my business, in any literal sense, at this time. However, were I to go ahead with the rental of the place -- I'm heading over today for another look and to discuss the situation -- some amount of renovation work will still have to be done. If there's a way to minimize (or avoid altogether) having the cost of that come directly out of my pocket, I'd like to consider it. It may turn out to be a non issue and the landlady will still take care of it herself. Since the consensus is 15k isn't worth getting a detective to chase after, it looks like I'll drop that idea. And if the landlady says something like I tried, I can only offer it as is now, then I will insist on a lower rent to at least partially cover whatever work I'll have to pay for myself.

As another has suggested, all this could simply be a setup to scam me (this possibility is always in the back of my mind in nearly all my dealings with Thais), so I'll also be on the lookout for that.

Not your money = Not your problem

Michael,

Yes pal, hire a detective - to investigate the landlady! ("Oh so sorry Khun Michael..he no finish the work..cannot give you money back")

Welome to Thailand mate. Does she have a reallllllllly lonnnnng last name?

Yes racism is very much alive on this forum, implying that the land lady is ethnic Thai Chinese.

May seem a small thing but it is racism non the less.

might be racism, but might be true as well.

my wife is half chinese and doing a lot with small/medium chinese shops and the cheating is terrible, every stang, changing the stories.......

but they always pay (what makes the big difference to the ethnic thai Thais).

Michael,

Yes pal, hire a detective - to investigate the landlady! ("Oh so sorry Khun Michael..he no finish the work..cannot give you money back")

Welome to Thailand mate. Does she have a reallllllllly lonnnnng last name?

Yes racism is very much alive on this forum, implying that the land lady is ethnic Thai Chinese.

May seem a small thing but it is racism non the less.

or just overt racism for that matter.

Racism is a natural human condition. Will never be eradicated, much like prostitution, till we've all interbred so much we're all the same.

I'd surely put my money on the landlady trying to save money. Doubt that shes been scammed

the OP wants a private dick

that says it all

Racism is a natural human condition. Will never be eradicated, much like prostitution, till we've all interbred so much we're all the same.

How would prostitution be eradicated by interbreeding?

where the racism truly seems to exist is that many farangs tend to want to believe it is just us farangs the Thais target and rip off. Some of you blokes need to get out more, the Thais rip each other off more than they do us. I could give you a couple of classic examples from just here in my small slice of heaven. Some serious amounts of money too.

Simple fact is, not all Thais are brain surgeons, they get taken down too. Not everything has to be some elaborate, grandiose, master criminal plot in order to 'get the farang' - most decent thieves and conmen will steal from anyone.

Anyway for 15 Grand it was only ever going to get tarted up

this topic is 3 years old.

For those that may not have noticed this is a 3 year old thread revived by a spammer to advertise (post removed).

this topic is 3 years old.

Hahaha, well times are slow, if you are not into the swine flu hype what better to do than dig up old misery...