Getting our deposit back.

[Sebastianred]

I came over here to Bangkok, Thailand to work at a job that required our expertise. We were with that company for the contract period. We rented condo and paid the deposit fee of 30,000THB and we explained to the sale manager that was will only need the room for about 3 – 4 mouths depending on our contact.

Now we have informed the manager that we will be leaving Thailand and would like to checkout. We asked about the deposit and I guess the woman who owns the room doesn’t have the money to give back to us. I explained to the Sales manager, that it would be good faith for her business to give us our deposit. Then restated the agreement we settled on before a 3 – 4 month stay. She refused.

She said, we had to stay for one year in order to get our deposit back and I informed her, no we won’t and don’t have any intentions on being forced to stay here against our will.

I’ve contacted the U.S. Embassy and they said they don’t deal with property issues here.

I told the woman, we can always allow the police to come here and help settle this dispute before it gets out of hand.

What options are there able to me?

Edited August 10, 2013 by Sebastianred

[smutcakes]

What does your rental contract say? If you dont have any documents it sounds like it is your word against their's. Do you have a receipt for the deposit?

[davejones]

Just like the previous poster said, what does it say in your rental agreement. What relationship does the sales manager have with the owner? Who did you sign an agreement with. If you're not careful, the owner could sue you, in which case you wouldn't be allowed to leave Thailand for years, as happened to someone recently who was sue by their ex-landlord. If your agreement says you should stay 12 months, then it's you that owes more money.

[Skytrain2hell]

Sounds like you didn't have a real contract and you're screwed. Sorry to be blunt.

Best case scenario is to be serious about it, stress them out a bit without getting angry, and negotiate to get 10k back....15 tops.

Good luck.

[worgeordie]

If you signed a 12 months contract and are wanting to leave after

only 3/4 months,there is no way you are going to get your deposit

returned, simply you, did not stick to the contract.

You would also be on here complaining if the landlord wanted you

to leave 4 months into a 12 month contract,if you wanted to stay.

The landlord most likely paid 1 months rent to letting agent as

commission,so she has to suffer that loss.

Even if you had of stayed the full 12 months, you would have been

very lucky to get the deposit back,they dont like repaying deposits

regards Worgeordie

[davejones]

Even if you had of stayed the full 12 months, you would have been

very lucky to get the deposit back,they dont like repaying deposits

regards Worgeordie

Complete bullsh**. All my landlords have paid back the deposits in full. Everyone else I know has also had their deposits back in full. There was a survey about getting deposits back on ThaiVisa a while ago, and I think about 95% got it back in full and the rest with minor deductions that were fair.

You have no idea what you're talking about and should quit your racist remarks.

[tolsti]

Even if you had of stayed the full 12 months, you would have been

very lucky to get the deposit back,they dont like repaying deposits

regards Worgeordie

Complete bullsh**. All my landlords have paid back the deposits in full. Everyone else I know has also had their deposits back in full. There was a survey about getting deposits back on ThaiVisa a while ago, and I think about 95% got it back in full and the rest with minor deductions that were fair.

You have no idea what you're talking about and should quit your racist remarks.

I fail to see any race mentioned ? Whats racist about what he posted. ....... bit touchy this morning? Hangover?

[zeichen]

OP, the police will do nothing at is an pointless threat. If you are not careful in what you say the Landlord could also sue you for defamation of character if you say the wrong thing in the wrong place.

I would be surprised that any nice housing where the deposit was 30k would ever agree to a short term housing contract. I would also be quite shocked if you didn't sign a lease or rental agreement. I have always had to even for 5k baht a month closets that I rented.

You really have 2 options

1. find another person to take over renting your apartment for the rest of the year, that might loosen her zeal and get some of your deposit back.

2. go home and forget it.

"Complete bullsh**. All my landlords have paid back the deposits in full. Everyone else I know has also had their deposits back in full. There was a survey about getting deposits back on ThaiVisa a while ago, and I think about 95% got it back in full and the rest with minor deductions that were fair."

LINK PLEASE

Thai Visa is not even close to representative of the expat community so I would take any poll lightly and not as fact.

I have lived here for a while and have met many people who complained of not getting their deposit back (especially Thai people) It is not uncommon for landlords to create charges or find ways to keep the money. There are honest ones and those that aren't short sighted but many people in this world take advantage of others if they can.

No one said that it is done by all or that everyone will get cheated or that it is only Thais screwing foreigners, so your last statement of racism is pretty ungrounded.

OP good luck. I really doubt that you will have a happy ending over this. Or perhaps you should go and do just that before your flight back home and remember the things that you enjoyed so you don't end up bitter and resentful.

[davejones]

Even if you had of stayed the full 12 months, you would have been

very lucky to get the deposit back,they dont like repaying deposits

regards Worgeordie

Complete bullsh**. All my landlords have paid back the deposits in full. Everyone else I know has also had their deposits back in full. There was a survey about getting deposits back on ThaiVisa a while ago, and I think about 95% got it back in full and the rest with minor deductions that were fair.

You have no idea what you're talking about and should quit your racist remarks.

I fail to see any race mentioned ? Whats racist about what he posted. ....... bit touchy this morning? Hangover?

He's implying that Thais don't pay back deposits.This remark is clearly racist. Not touchy. No hangover. Just correcting the garbage that's often written here. Probably by people that have never been to Thailand and/or have no experience of the things they write about. If this guy thinks Thai landlords usually don't pay back deposits, then he should show the evidence he has. He's just a troll.

[davejones]

zeichen -if the poll is meaningless, then there's no point me giving you a link because you'll say it's unrepresentative. What what I found interesting about it was that people on here are always claiming that Thai landlords don't give deposits back, but in the poll, no-one actually had it happen to them. It's just idle gossip that people keep repeating.The read it, believe it, and so repeat it with any checking of the facts.

[WhizBang]

zeichen -if the poll is meaningless, then there's no point me giving you a link because you'll say it's unrepresentative. What what I found interesting about it was that people on here are always claiming that Thai landlords don't give deposits back, but in the poll, no-one actually had it happen to them. It's just idle gossip that people keep repeating.The read it, believe it, and so repeat it with any checking of the facts.

Well your poll contradicts my personal experience. And not me personally, either.

No Thai that I know expects to recieve any deposit back when they move out. They expect to lose it. In fact, they are quite surprised if they get anything back, and none has ever gotten back the full deposit. And that is Thais dealing with Thais, no farang involved.

Like others here, I have heard (not personally experienced) the horror stories of deposit ripoffs. Some, however, are definately self inflicted wounds.

Just saying.

[robblok]

zeichen -if the poll is meaningless, then there's no point me giving you a link because you'll say it's unrepresentative. What what I found interesting about it was that people on here are always claiming that Thai landlords don't give deposits back, but in the poll, no-one actually had it happen to them. It's just idle gossip that people keep repeating.The read it, believe it, and so repeat it with any checking of the facts.

Well your poll contradicts my personal experience. And not me personally, either.

No Thai that I know expects to recieve any deposit back when they move out. They expect to lose it. In fact, they are quite surprised if they get anything back, and none has ever gotten back the full deposit. And that is Thais dealing with Thais, no farang involved.

Like others here, I have heard (not personally experienced) the horror stories of deposit ripoffs. Some, however, are definately self inflicted wounds.

Just saying.

I heard all the horror stories but I got my deposit back. You too, seems getting it back is not that uncommon if you keep your part of the deal.

[davejones]

I prefer to go on personal experience rather than "I heard" gossip. All I know is that I had 3 deposits back in full. The last time I had left the country, but the landlord still paid the money into my bank account. My gf is Thai, and she rents out a couple of houses. She always pays back the deposit, whether tenant is Thai or not. I asked her about this,and she says all Thais she knows give back deposits and renters expect that. Sounds like we probably hang out in different circles.

[tolsti]

Even if you had of stayed the full 12 months, you would have been

very lucky to get the deposit back,they dont like repaying deposits

regards Worgeordie

Complete bullsh**. All my landlords have paid back the deposits in full. Everyone else I know has also had their deposits back in full. There was a survey about getting deposits back on ThaiVisa a while ago, and I think about 95% got it back in full and the rest with minor deductions that were fair.

You have no idea what you're talking about and should quit your racist remarks.

I fail to see any race mentioned ? Whats racist about what he posted. ....... bit touchy this morning? Hangover?

He's implying that Thais don't pay back deposits.This remark is clearly racist. Not touchy. No hangover. Just correcting the garbage that's often written here. Probably by people that have never been to Thailand and/or have no experience of the things they write about. If this guy thinks Thai landlords usually don't pay back deposits, then he should show the evidence he has. He's just a troll.

Implying eh? and that's good enough in a court of law to be defined as racism?....Load of <deleted>.

He may be implying that ''Landlords'' don't like paying back deposits but to pull the race card is not fair.

[PattayaPhom]

Read your contact if you have one, although going it alone usually sees the deposit dissappear.

[worgeordie]

Even if you had of stayed the full 12 months, you would have been

very lucky to get the deposit back,they dont like repaying deposits

regards Worgeordie

Complete bullsh**. All my landlords have paid back the deposits in full. Everyone else I know has also had their deposits back in full. There was a survey about getting deposits back on ThaiVisa a while ago, and I think about 95% got it back in full and the rest with minor deductions that were fair.

You have no idea what you're talking about and should quit your racist remarks.

So pointing out what I believe to be true, from what I know about tenants getting their deposits returned,I have been married

to a Thai lady for 26 years,have lots of Thai friends, and don't have a racist bone in my body,and also been in the Property

business,Development,Renting,and selling, I think I know what I am talking about,and I never said all Thai landlords do not

repay the deposits,what I said, if you could take your head out of your arse ,and read it ,was they DON'T LIKE repaying.not

that they don t,

Have a nice day, regards Worgeordie

[britgent]

First two places I got my deposit back no problem.

Third place by Lanna Muay Thai clearly wanted to keep the 15,000 baht deposit.

A week before moving out I asked to have the deposit ready for my last day and after inspection. OK they said but on last day said, oh no wait 14 days please. They thought I was leaving the country so I asked can you pay it into my bank account or to my friend. "Sorry can't do". Upon telling them lucky I was in country for two more weeks they looked decidedly sullen.

The 14 day point arrived and no one answered the phones on the previously ordained deposit pick up day. I arrive to a closed reception. Next day I call and they say oh we think you go home, we have to go bank to get money.

Very begrudgingly they handed the deposit over, minus the cost of a leaking tap which I had pointed out on moving in and requested to be fixed three times but nothing was ever done.

My close Thai friend was with me and knew the story and was more infuriated than I was.

Oh and they do bank transfers they just wanted to keep the deposit.

They asked me to sign some papers and return the contract at the end after the deposit was returned...I just politely walked away from a complete joke of a place to live.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

[poanoi]

I normally dont get screwed, but the last 2 times i got screwed.

First when i sent my gf to get the deposit, and 2nd time when they insisted to send to my bank account,

rather than give me face to face.

Moral ? intimidation is a good way to keep people honest

Edited August 12, 2013 by poanoi

[LuckyLew]

If you have no lease you are out of luck

If you have a month to month lease, she should refund the deposit

If you signed a one year lease you are out of luck

If you get no money back, take the TV with you

[vtjforyou]

Embassy ? Funny and ridiculous at the same time !

[isawasnake]

First two places I got my deposit back no problem.

Third place by Lanna Muay Thai clearly wanted to keep the 15,000 baht deposit.

A week before moving out I asked to have the deposit ready for my last day and after inspection. OK they said but on last day said, oh no wait 14 days please. They thought I was leaving the country so I asked can you pay it into my bank account or to my friend. "Sorry can't do". Upon telling them lucky I was in country for two more weeks they looked decidedly sullen.

The 14 day point arrived and no one answered the phones on the previously ordained deposit pick up day. I arrive to a closed reception. Next day I call and they say oh we think you go home, we have to go bank to get money.

Very begrudgingly they handed the deposit over, minus the cost of a leaking tap which I had pointed out on moving in and requested to be fixed three times but nothing was ever done.

My close Thai friend was with me and knew the story and was more infuriated than I was.

Oh and they do bank transfers they just wanted to keep the deposit.

They asked me to sign some papers and return the contract at the end after the deposit was returned...I just politely walked away from a complete joke of a place to live.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yep. I wonder how much the average place makes by keeping hush hush the fact you will get your deposit back weeks after move out, and only into a Thai bank account. It is obviously yet another move they pull to get their hands on some free money. They love free money here, anything from buying a big mac to renting a place, it is all about giving some unworthy f--- who has no real vision or ingenuity free money. That is the business model here: extract free money whenever possible.

[britgent]

If it was just me I'd have possibly put it down to linguistic issues but with the thai missus there she put it succinctly "they're trying to screw you".

They were just playing a waiting game trying to put obstacles in my way so I flew home before the deposit issue was resolved. Very dishonest but not rare here for deposits not to get returned.

Sent from my i-mobile IQ 6A using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app