Irish man claims his house, land worth Bt65 million defrauded

[NamKangMan]

65 million is how many days in super deluxe 5 star hotel?

Yet another bright spark with nothing useful to say.

I was on my tablet, too lazy to type more, sorry.

What I mean is you can rent a fantastic place in Phuket for anywhere from 70,000 to 200,000 or even more. I saw some really over the top villas for around 170,000 THB a month. You live there 10 years, it will "only" cost you 20 million... And when you get bored you can move in a second...

But this guy really got robbed, I hope he gets some justice, but I am not holding my breath as they say.

From www.xe.com

65,000,000 Thai Baht is $1,930,686USD

$1,930,686USD in a term deposit, paying around 3% interest per annum, in a foreign bank, is $57,920USD in interest a year. Many of these investments can pay interest monthly, into another account, to be used by the owner.

$57,920USD is $4,826USD per month in interest income.

$4,826USD is 162,417 Thai Baht.

This guy could have rented a very nice property for 160,000 Thai Baht per month, and still kept his 65,000,000 Thai Baht in a safe foreign bank.

If he rented a nice property for 100,000 Thai baht a month, he's got 60,000 Thai Baht left over for drinking money.

These figures are with a low growth and low risk model.

If he went for a balance managed portfolio, looking for higher growth, with a little more risk, he would have easily earnt more then 3%.

Instead, this guy buys property in Thailand, which he can not own, and has lost the lot.

The way he has lost is of little consquence. He exposed himself to loss in Thailand, and he lost.

Why would anyone buy property in Thailand, let alone Phuket, when the income from your capital investment easily pays the rent on a property, and you expose your capital to little, or no risk at all????

Thailand is a corrupt 3rd World Country. "Invest" - and I use that word very loosely, at your own peril here, especially when it comes to property.

Edited June 3, 2015 by NamKangMan

[JohnnyJazz]

I have little sympathy for the greedy.

I don't think the greedy care much about your sympathy. Your money is good enough for them.

[nontabury]

"His" house and land plots. How's that again?

2 million US dollars? No Thai could cheat him out of that.

Oh, for [deleted]'s sake, quit it with the "No Thai ..." bullshit. It was old a year ago. The problem is a guy who makes that much money at whatever it was he did back in the Ould Sod doesn't believe there are smarter people than him out there, just because they're Thai. There was a Brit name of Rudyard Kipling who tried to warn his countrymen. This is just another con man who thought he could cheat the East and got taken. What's his wife doing in debt to a loan shark gang for ฿ู600,000? Why couldn't she tell him about it and why didn't he pay it off? Moreover, he's obviously not learned his lesson, thinking he's so special he can only make his complaint to the Chief of the Royal Thai Police. He still has money? That won't last long.

You state that he is another con man,"why" do you say that, if you know please tell us, if not I think an apology is in order.

I think his wife had a gambling problem and unfortunately did not inform her husband about the debts she incurred, she then was pressurised into helping the rest of the fraudsters, including the forging of the Irishman's signature.

[Scouse123]

Anyway,

As some of you have pointed out, he won't be the first or the last. He just seems to be at the wrong age to go out and earn this kind of money or even half of it again.

I just get wound up seeing these kind of injustices and scams against people. I know it's not only Thailand but it does seem to be a favourite pastime in the LOS.

I wish him well and hope he and the kids get some kind of justice and future.

[falangjim]

Sadly, I don't think he will ever see any of the money again, too long past, too many hands

in the pot, he's a foreigner not allowed to own land, so it seems that everything is stacked

against him here... he should be carful that now, he might be a target for the crocks to try

to silence him....

If you watch the videos he's posted through his kids, you'd know that his life and his children's lives have been threatened several times. These are the same kids who when they were younger were tossed and locked in a well for days while their crazy bitch mother and loan sharks falsified documents.

[NamKangMan]

Anyway,

As some of you have pointed out, he won't be the first or the last. He just seems to be at the wrong age to go out and earn this kind of money or even half of it again.

I just get wound up seeing these kind of injustices and scams against people. I know it's not only Thailand but it does seem to be a favourite pastime in the LOS.

I wish him well and hope he and the kids get some kind of justice and future.

"He just seems to be at the wrong age to go out and earn this kind of money or even half of it again." - perhaps the IRA will be none too happy with the way he attempted to launder thier money.

He may very well be protesting for his life.

[micmichd]

Tell me is there any shortage of trolls on here, a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them, they are fellow expats and from what i read, just drivel comes out of some people statements, quick and short troll comments, have you guys no intelligence or emphaty, what if it happened to you or your best mate or your family??

2 children locked in a water well and only for a neighbour found them they could have died!

Properties stolen with the full knowledge fo the family lawyer.

Trolls should be banned and their IP blocked in such circumstances. The whole meaning of an expat community is the word Community, a place of support and protection

Just because someone has an opinion that you do not agree with does not make the comment a troll posting.

This man comes to Thailand, starts spending huge amounts of money without any understanding of what he is getting into an still believed he owned something.

He was destined to become a victim the moment he stepped off the plane, and there will be many more behind him.

Yes I feel sorry for him, but before splashing out huge sums of money in a foreign land he needs to read up and understand what due diligence is all about.

I agree with you Pikeybkk, but there are more applicable words than troll, they just arent allowed on this site. I personally feel for all those that are fleeced of their life savings ot what ever, be it through stupidity or bad luck. All those who mouth off about how stupid or foolish people are have no empathy and probably lead really boring lives.

He gambled, and he lost. So did his wife.

Sorry for the children that have the burden.

[NamKangMan]

Tell me is there any shortage of trolls on here, a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them, they are fellow expats and from what i read, just drivel comes out of some people statements, quick and short troll comments, have you guys no intelligence or emphaty, what if it happened to you or your best mate or your family??

2 children locked in a water well and only for a neighbour found them they could have died!

Properties stolen with the full knowledge fo the family lawyer.

Trolls should be banned and their IP blocked in such circumstances. The whole meaning of an expat community is the word Community, a place of support and protection

"a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them" - the idea is to have NOTHING in Thailand for them to steal, and this is not a troll post. I am serious.

[timewilltell]

Foolish man... he clearly does not understand Thailand.

Or he doesn't understand the laws of karma - I wonder i he ever cheated anyone when owning the Phuket Property Development

Pathetic using his children to fight his battles.

Why would you think he cheated anyone through his business. I think you know absolutely nothing about the man or his circumstances. No reason not to use your children to help so far as I am concerned any more than children who Act or model or do you think that is disgraceful as well? I think they are proud and happy to help and the family the stronger for it. That is a lesson worth learning.

[timewilltell]

Tell me is there any shortage of trolls on here, a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them, they are fellow expats and from what i read, just drivel comes out of some people statements, quick and short troll comments, have you guys no intelligence or emphaty, what if it happened to you or your best mate or your family??

2 children locked in a water well and only for a neighbour found them they could have died!

Properties stolen with the full knowledge fo the family lawyer.

Trolls should be banned and their IP blocked in such circumstances. The whole meaning of an expat community is the word Community, a place of support and protection

"a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them" - the idea is to have NOTHING in Thailand for them to steal, and this is not a troll post. I am serious.

Well not everyne has the same ideas Though I agree you can't lose what's not here. Maybe become a bum and then never need to worry about anything anywhere.

[redandyellow]

Tell me is there any shortage of trolls on here, a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them, they are fellow expats and from what i read, just drivel comes out of some people statements, quick and short troll comments, have you guys no intelligence or emphaty, what if it happened to you or your best mate or your family??

2 children locked in a water well and only for a neighbour found them they could have died!

Properties stolen with the full knowledge fo the family lawyer.

Trolls should be banned and their IP blocked in such circumstances. The whole meaning of an expat community is the word Community, a place of support and protection

You're coming to the wrong place if you're looking for empathy. The is the angry jaded farang portal of Thailand. Always has been. Always will be. Accept it.

If there's no empathy, how about compassion and sympathy then?

When expats get bitter, it's like a fatal disease, there's no turning back - so avoid the expat disease like the plague

[pistachios]

The whole story is tragic but I feel he should have cut his losses a long time ago, got the hell out of Thailand and started afresh in a new and more welcoming country. This battle is unwinnable and he will probably lose his health and sanity trying desperately to get some kind of justice.

[gk10002000]

If this is true he should go to the military not the police as they has declared a war on corruption and cases like this should be a crownjewel for them to prove it. And cases like this are sadly more common than they should be.

Given that there is no constitution at the moment, and the military is in charge, I think your idea is a sound one. He might even catch a break. The military might want to show an example of how they are rooting out corruption, helping to improve Thailand's image etc. Sometimes a good "campaign" can yield better results. Of course if the bad people involved, assuming there are bad people involved, are very influential, he might not get anywhere, but that is a separate issue

[Beng]

This is why you only invest what you can afford to lose they are a very crooked lot in phuket.

Not only in Phuket.

[lostmebike]

Why invest so much of your money into such a dodgy country?

I live here and have invested too but nowhere the amount he did. I haven`t got it anyway, lol.

If documents have been forged though, one can understand the family`s anger and frustration.

65 million Baht

[Guest]

As soon as you understand that a Foreigner can not own seven plots of land ... the sooner you will understand this story.

There is no need to falsify a document to transfer ownership away from him.

It is impossible that he ever "owned" it. The "owner" could transfer it at any time, legally, and there is nothing he can do about that.

It is a story as old as "Larry, meet Lek"

In many ways, this story is (sadly) "Same S+++. different day"

Just by a factor of 7.

If you follow his reasoning, there are hundreds, and possibly thousands of Foreigners who can tell the same story.

What concerns me here are several contradictions in his story ... but I do beleive he made the clasic rookie mistake and bought land and property under a second party name.

That is Stupid to the Seventh Power.

[jpinx]

Incredible that he persisted in such a stupid idea. His estimate of a value of 65bn is probably a gross stretch of his imagination. The only chance he has now is to find the "american connection" and call in the FBI It worked for the UFUN investigators

[Yme]

This isn't about one house. The guy had seven houses. A perfecr example of someone coming to Thailand and trying to circumvent the law by using a nominee and leases.

The story has been pumped and primed by a former UK journalist who is no longer in Thailand for the purpose of increasing readership and generate donations for his blog.

Unless covered by the Amnity treaty it's common knowledge that foreigners cannot own landed property in Thailand. This guy tried to be clever and got busted.

Several cases have already gone before the courts and the judgments have gone against him. From the moment the money went on the table everything else is fruit of the poison tree and I suspect the courts have taken this view.

The situation is similar to that which saw waves of fear sweep through the business community last year when it was announced that the government was planning to review the use of nominees to circumvent the Foreign Business Act.

There's been similar warnings in the past about investigations into where the money has come from for Thai wives who buy farming land and whether these funds that magically appear in their bank accounts mean they are merely nominees for foreign owners.

Nothing to do with being jealous, bitter or trolling. This guy gambled and lost.

He can protest as much as he wants, run as many Facebook pages as he cares to, but at the end of the day he began a "business" speculating in property using unlawful methods and lost.

If you build you business on a foundation of sand expect to see it collapse like a house of cards one day.

I went through a similar thing in another SEA country that doesn't allow foreigners to 100% own their businesses or land and while my losses were nowhere near as high as this, there was likewise nothing I could do about it when it went pear shape due to a cheating and greedy local business "partner".

[Guest]

This isn't about one house. The guy had seven houses. A perfecr example of someone coming to Thailand and trying to circumvent the law by using a nominee and leases.

The story has been pumped and primed by a former UK journalist who is no longer in Thailand for the purpose of increasing readership and generate donations for his blog.

Unless covered by the Amnity treaty it's common knowledge that foreigners cannot own landed property in Thailand. This guy tried to be clever and got busted.

Several cases have already gone before the courts and the judgments have gone against him. From the moment the money went on the table everything else is fruit of the poison tree and I suspect the courts have taken this view.

The situation is similar to that which saw waves of fear sweep through the business community last year when it was announced that the government was planning to review the use of nominees to circumvent the Foreign Business Act.

There's been similar warnings in the past about investigations into where the money has come from for Thai wives who buy farming land and whether these funds that magically appear in their bank accounts mean they are merely nominees for foreign owners.

Nothing to do with being jealous, bitter or trolling. This guy gambled and lost.

He can protest as much as he wants, run as many Facebook pages as he cares to, but at the end of the day he began a "business" speculating in property using unlawful methods and lost.

If you build you business on a foundation of sand expect to see it collapse like a house of cards one day.

I went through a similar thing in another SEA country that doesn't allow foreigners to 100% own their businesses or land and while my losses were nowhere near as high as this, there was likewise nothing I could do about it when it went pear shape due to a cheating and greedy local business "partner".

By far, the best posting regarding this topic. Thank you.

[bamukloy]

So much mean spirited posting on here. All of you can hope you dont fall on some misfortune and as comfort have eveyone say som num na and stupid farang.

The guy has built a life here and has 2 kids who ARE Thai citizens. I surmise he is doing this for them , and their future. He is raising them, unlike the one who sold him out, who is probably gallavanting around looking for the next victim.

To me, the saddest thing here: .how Thais will back up Thais, 100%, even when they are in the wrong..

But foreigner looking out for foreigner..haha no way buddy som num na you stupid prat.

disgusting deplorable

[anto]

I bet his name is Ward (common name in Ireland) not vard.(never heard of it ) .The rest of the story i just read here,and dont know enough about to comment.

[Guest]

So much mean spirited posting on here. All of you can hope you dont fall on some misfortune and as comfort have eveyone say som num na and stupid farang.

The guy has built a life here and has 2 kids who ARE Thai citizens. I surmise he is doing this for them , and their future. He is raising them, unlike the one who sold him out, who is probably gallavanting around looking for the next victim.

To me, the saddest thing here: .how Thais will back up Thais, 100%, even when they are in the wrong..

But foreigner looking out for foreigner..haha no way buddy som num na you stupid prat.

disgusting deplorable

Many are saying that a person can not simultaneously skirt the law, use a proxy to "own" land for them, and then ... when they get cheated by their partner in crime .. weep alligator tears and expect us to go out on the street and lock arms.

He gambled, he lost ... sorry .. game over. Just because he rinsed and repeated this mistake 8 times, does not solicit more sympathy than some poor bloke who just lost his upcountry farm.

It is rich and ironic that Thai Visa is dedicated to being high and mighty, and using the exact letter of the law to consistently Bash Thais .. but when the letter of the law costs a Foreigner money .. well ... turns out to be a one way street. I am not rooting for this woman in any way .. but remember, we are only hearing his side of the story. Would love to hear hers.

Like it or not, the person whose name is on the ownership line ... is the OWNER.

Getting screwed by your business partner, having a wife clean out a husband is not new, and it is not a Thai Thing. It is a LIFE thing, get over yourselves and buy some long pants.

This BS happens everywhere in this world, everyday.

Does not mean I like it, but a crooked deal is a crooked deal, involving crooked people .. do not stand slack jawed in a amazement this deal went sour.

[micmichd]

Some of the money (or land) should be seized and reserved for the children. They are the real victims.

Edited June 4, 2015 by micmichd

[F4UCorsair]

Did I read that the court has already handed down a judgement? Not Iin his favor? If so, petitioning the police chief wouldn't go far.

[NamKangMan]

Tell me is there any shortage of trolls on here, a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them, they are fellow expats and from what i read, just drivel comes out of some people statements, quick and short troll comments, have you guys no intelligence or emphaty, what if it happened to you or your best mate or your family??

2 children locked in a water well and only for a neighbour found them they could have died!

Properties stolen with the full knowledge fo the family lawyer.

Trolls should be banned and their IP blocked in such circumstances. The whole meaning of an expat community is the word Community, a place of support and protection

"a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them" - the idea is to have NOTHING in Thailand for them to steal, and this is not a troll post. I am serious.

Well not everyne has the same ideas Though I agree you can't lose what's not here. Maybe become a bum and then never need to worry about anything anywhere.

"Maybe become a bum and then never need to worry about anything anywhere." - no need to become "a bum."

Just leave your income generating assets in a developed nation, and enjoy spending the proceeds living in Thailand.

Sure, don't put those assets in a place like Greece at the moment, for example, but there are many safe havens around the world for cash, property and shares, that will produce an income that would provide a comfortable lifestyle in Thailand.

No risk from military coups, financial collapse of Thai banks, property ownership, devaluation of the Thai baht, a certain Thai VIP passing away, the next election, tourism industry downturn etc etc etc etc.

There's no need to try to make money in Thailand. Make your money offshore and just spend it here. That way, you hold all the cards.

Living a risk and stress free lifestyle in Thailand is not being "a bum."

Edited June 4, 2015 by NamKangMan

[NamKangMan]

If this is true he should go to the military not the police as they has declared a war on corruption and cases like this should be a crownjewel for them to prove it. And cases like this are sadly more common than they should be.

Even if some people go to gaol, how does this get 1 baht of his money back?

[NamKangMan]

So much mean spirited posting on here. All of you can hope you dont fall on some misfortune and as comfort have eveyone say som num na and stupid farang.

The guy has built a life here and has 2 kids who ARE Thai citizens. I surmise he is doing this for them , and their future. He is raising them, unlike the one who sold him out, who is probably gallavanting around looking for the next victim.

To me, the saddest thing here: .how Thais will back up Thais, 100%, even when they are in the wrong..

But foreigner looking out for foreigner..haha no way buddy som num na you stupid prat.

disgusting deplorable

"All of you can hope you dont fall on some misfortune" - many do not need "hope" as they do not put a "fortune" into Thailand to "miss."

[micmichd]

Tell me is there any shortage of trolls on here, a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them, they are fellow expats and from what i read, just drivel comes out of some people statements, quick and short troll comments, have you guys no intelligence or emphaty, what if it happened to you or your best mate or your family??

2 children locked in a water well and only for a neighbour found them they could have died!

Properties stolen with the full knowledge fo the family lawyer.

Trolls should be banned and their IP blocked in such circumstances. The whole meaning of an expat community is the word Community, a place of support and protection

"a guy and his family have had everything stolen on them" - the idea is to have NOTHING in Thailand for them to steal, and this is not a troll post. I am serious.

Well not everyne has the same ideas Though I agree you can't lose what's not here. Maybe become a bum and then never need to worry about anything anywhere.

"Maybe become a bum and then never need to worry about anything anywhere." - no need to become "a bum."

Just leave your income generating assets in a developed nation, and enjoy spending the proceeds living in Thailand.

Sure, don't put those assets in a place like Greece at the moment, for example, but there are many safe havens around the world for cash, property and shares, that will produce an income that would provide a comforable lifestyle in Thailand.

No risk from military coups, financial collapse of Thai banks, property ownership, devaluation of the Thai baht, a certain Thai VIP passing away, the next election, tourism industry downturn etc etc etc etc.

There's no need to try to make money in Thailand. Make your money offshore and just spend it here. That way, you hold all the cards.

Living a risk and stress free lifestyle in Thailand is not being "a bum."

They expropriate you everywhere, there is no such thing as a "stress free lifestyle". Offshore accounts might be made illegal soon, many in fact already are. So, you might as well bring your assets to Thailand. Just don't think it's the easy way to make even more money here. Go back to your Farang country if you think you don't have enough.

[NamKangMan]

@ micmichd

I don't think you understand what I am saying. You have TOTALLY misunderstood my post.

Assuming you are from a developed nation:

Do you have a bank account in your home country, earning interest?

Do you have property in your home country, that is rented out?

Do you have shares in your home country, earning dividends?

The property can be held in your own name, in your home country, but it can not be, in Thailand.

All of these produce an income, in your home country, which you can spend in Thailand.

No tax avoidance. It's all declared.

There is nothing illegal.

Even if "offshore accounts" were made illegal tomorrow, and that is near impossible, I close my Thai bank account, which only has a small amount of money in it each month to cover living expenses, and live off an ATM card from my home country.

When I say "stress free lifestyle in Thailand" - I mean, hypothetically, Thailand could collapse into civil war tomorrow, and the biggest asset I lose is a motor scooter.

I sleep well at night knowing I am not exposed at all, to ANY and ALL - Thainess.

[Guest]

@ micmichd

I don't think you understand what I am saying. You have TOTALLY misunderstood my post.

Assuming you are from a developed nation:

Do you have a bank account in your home country, earning interest?

Do you have property in your home country, that is rented out?

Do you have shares in your home country, earning dividends?

The property can be held in your own name, in your home country, but it can not be, in Thailand.

All of these produce an income, in your home country, which you can spend in Thailand.

No tax avoidance. It's all declared.

There is nothing illegal.

Even if "offshore accounts" were made illegal tomorrow, and that is near impossible, I close my Thai bank account, which only has a small amount of money in it each month to cover living expenses, and live off an ATM card from my home country.

When I say "stress free lifestyle in Thailand" - I mean, hypothetically, Thailand could collapse into civil war tomorrow, and the biggest asset I lose is a motor scooter.

I sleep well at night knowing I am not exposed at all, to ANY and ALL - Thainess.

Well said .. you had me up to the last sentence.

Why spoil a perfectly logical and sound thought with that silly "Thainess" thing ?? Up till then, I thought you got it.

Generate and safeguard revenue in your home port .. enjoy the smiles it buys here, and don't make drama where there is no need for it.

Have a swim in the pool, a nice cold one .. followed by a nice hot one. No worries. :-)

Edited June 4, 2015 by Guest