'Defrauded by my wife and criminals in Thailand' - BBC special report

[Jonathan Fairfield]

Briton Ian Rance believed he had found the prefect place to spend his retirement when he moved to Thailand.

But his life was turned upside down when he discovered his wife of nine years, with whom he had three children, had helped to defraud him of his properties.

Mr Rance told the BBC's Jonathan Head about his fight for justice in a country where he believes the authorities are easily corrupted.

Release date: 18 September 2015

[shirtless]

Would you trust Thailand and its people with your retirement savings i sure wouldnt.

Edited September 19, 2015 by shirtless

[CiaranO]

Good piece by the BBC in covering this kind of corruption in Thailand.

It is very clear there is no law in this country.

Our dear PM should watch this - he might finally take some action on all this corruption he promise dot get rid off.

[oxo1947]

Its amazing just how balanced (unbitter) he is about the whole thing -- you get used to reading people ranting on here about the loss of half of a 2nd hand car when their marriage & relationship with their children is falling apart.

I do hope that shinning the spotlight on it once again (his case has been aired here before ---links to YouTube etc) gives him some help.

I have mentioned it before---its not fool proof but where are your (ownership papers) Chanuk--- its a lot more difficult to be cheated if they are in a safe deposit box, (or even with a friend)

It means new papers have to be applied for at land office----the loss has to be reported to the police--affidavit signed at land office .....etc ...etc.

[amerasianex]

Had the same thing happen to me. Two children.married 15 years. Trumped up some charges. Got me arrested and put in prison for nothing. Couldn't bail out because lawyers kept stealing the bail money. While she and her family stole and sold everything I owned. That's highly illegal in any country. But no arrests yet....

[JoePai]

Nothing we do not already know about the authorities - only hope this video does viral for the world to see

[MaeJoMTB]

Look at him, look at her.

Everyone can see what's gonna happen ........ except him.

Question from interviewer, "What would you say to people that want to come here?"

Answer from me, "Don't marry a woman 1/3 your weight and 1/2 your age and expect her to love you or be trustworthy"

This isn't rocket science.

Edited September 19, 2015 by MaeJoMTB

[thai006]

found girl same age as you guys and not from pattaya or bar !!!!!!

[steve654]

Its amazing just how balanced (unbitter) he is about the whole thing -- you get used to reading people ranting on here about the loss of half of a 2nd hand car when their marriage & relationship with their children is falling apart.

I do hope that shinning the spotlight on it once again (his case has been aired here before ---links to YouTube etc) gives him some help.

I have mentioned it before---its not fool proof but where are your (ownership papers) Chanuk--- its a lot more difficult to be cheated if they are in a safe deposit box, (or even with a friend)

It means new papers have to be applied for at land office----the loss has to be reported to the police--affidavit signed at land office .....etc ...etc.

Was thinking the same thing. He sure knows how to take life's injustices in a good way.

[henrymeier99]

criminal energy is not only in Thailand, happened around the world

[evadgib]

Meanwhile on the opposite (Gulf) coast a court has discontinued proceedings in a case where a lawyer plundered the account of a deceased foreigner in league with a local slapper who also managed to hijack his funeral. Dave Allen or the Pythons could not have made this up!

Edited September 19, 2015 by evadgib

[Pinot]

Reason #842 never to buy property in Thailand.

[NCC1701A]

husband: "honey, what as that just now on the BBC? I thought I saw Thailand."

wife:'"oh nothing, darling, I was just looking different channels. Here is today's F1 race."

husband" "love you,"

wife. "love you. i go visit "bother" now. see you later."

Edited September 19, 2015 by NCC1701A

[Sam Jones]

Just another example of never buying property in Thailand and never Invest any Money in anything here ...

[Sam Jones]

criminal energy is not only in Thailand, happened around the World

Oh God, one of those ...

You have one guess why this is called thaivisa and not worldvisa and oh, yes it happen everywhere just not at this frequency ...

[trainman34014]

In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through.

Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level.

[slipperylobster]

I guess I should not say..."I told you so.." Had all the same problems in the Philippines. (not much difference in corruption and property laws).

There are some of us who have done well, but we did our homework and did not buy into a bad deal.....which many do much too quickly.

[z42]

The real losers in this appear to be the kids. Their mum is in jail, their dad is effectively homeless and penniless.

The wife it appears from the video is doing time, is in debt to faceless criminal gangs, and the family was chased from Phuket with threats of violence.

Best advice I ever heard re Thailand was not to invest more than you're willing to lose here (monetarily speaking) because there is practically no effective means to get that cash back quickly and in full if the proverbial $h1t hits the fan.

Investing 1 million pounds in Thailand is lunacy, but he is taking it like a champ (at least on the face of things anyways).

[kingalfred]

Any links to whole story?

[NCC1701A]

so super over weight Ian could not see this coming?

sorry to say, just look at the body language and expression on this wife's face in all the photos.

in the first 30 seconds you hear him say "... I was looking for a place with rule of law..."

are you completely clueless? everything in this video is what I found on google seven years ago on the first day researching Thailand. He must have never done a moments research.

I am sure Ian has a big heart, loved his wife and is a good and trusting person.

But you must have a healthy dose of paranoia to survive in Thailand.

Don't get married! Don't "buy" land. Assume nothing.

Edited September 19, 2015 by NCC1701A

[ezzra]

In Thailand, you fall in love, marry and have a family at your own perils, I mean this should be a no brainer right?

but no, in places like Thailand and similar other counties around one never know when it will all come crushing

down on him only for the situation to chow and spit him out a emotionally broken and financially ruined,

I with the TAT will have a special department to advise would be husbands, spouses and boy friend who

plan to enter into a serious relationship and that department will clue him in on all the good things and the bad

bad things that can happened to him marrying a local lady just like they do a normal tourist,

[MaeJoMTB]

In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through.

Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level.

Most of the marriages in the west are like with like.

Most of the foreigner marriages here are old, fat and bald (ing) with young and slim.

So I'm thinking almost all the old/young marriages are going to fail, unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.

[Wifflewaffle]

So his wife is in prison and got 4 years, but then he goes on to say he doesn't think she made much money selling everything off ! then he wonders how he got in this mess, the average thai bird from a bar isn't going to have the knowledge to pull of a scam like this,

I don't think these people who helped her just one day knocked on her door and said do you want to sell all your assets to us for next to nothing, she had to be up to no good maybe a Thai b/f or gambling debts.

Then after all this losing his life savings he gets another Thai girl and knocks out another kid !

[pinkpanther99]

All these comments about "Ian should have seen this coming" are unfair in my opinion.

The moral of the story here is never invest anything in Thailand that you aren't prepared to lose.

Because if the worst does happen and you find your self in the same situation as this Ian guy and Colin Vard then you ain't got a hope in hell of ever getting anything back.

Police aren't going to help you. Lawyers aren't going to help you. Courts aren't going to help you.

A long time expat I know, once told me that investing in Thailand is like putting money into a black hole. At the time I laughed at him for being so negative but the longer I stay here, the more I think that never have truer words been spoken.

Edited September 19, 2015 by pinkpanther99

[JoopJoop]

In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through.

Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level.

Most of the marriages in the west are like with like.

Most of the foreigner marriages here are old, fat and bald (ing) with young and slim.

So I'm thinking almost all the old/young marriages are going to fail, unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.

...and not a thing in common between the two.

[robblok]

In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through.

Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level.

Most of the marriages in the west are like with like.

Most of the foreigner marriages here are old, fat and bald (ing) with young and slim.

So I'm thinking almost all the old/young marriages are going to fail, unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.

quite a good observation. I am now in the middle of a divorce with a similar aged girl and no drama no unfair stealing actions of property. Just a fair clean breakup (one that i rather had avoided but she wants kids and I don't) too bad for 10 years. But no drama or stealing the property or anything like that.

[pinkpanther99]

In Thailand, you fall in love, marry and have a family at your own perils, I mean this should be a no brainer right?

but no, in places like Thailand and similar other counties around one never know when it will all come crushing

down on him only for the situation to chow and spit him out a emotionally broken and financially ruined,

I with the TAT will have a special department to advise would be husbands, spouses and boy friend who

plan to enter into a serious relationship and that department will clue him in on all the good things and the bad

bad things that can happened to him marrying a local lady just like they do a normal tourist,

There is a special department to advise would be husbands....

...It is called Thai Visa.com!!

[slipperylobster]

Yeah..

And here is a big "boo" to all those tv members who insist that thai law will divide property fairly, when things go astray. Your moeny is gone to debts to money lenders without your knowledge. Even this guy thought he was safe, but his wife simply forged his name and he was taken off as a "director/share holder"...etc.

If you have a wife like this, she has moneylenders that will sap off the equity. If you have legal "rights", good luck in the long, tedious process of court hearings/adjournments and translators. A bad wife with debts to money lenders will allow them to suck you dry..without you knowing anything...until it is too late.

rent...for goodness sakes, and avoid this altogether. If you die, leave the money you save by not purchasing property to your family...they can buy a home on their own.

People pushing property here on TV are part of the problem. Legal recourse........lol (no such animal)

[fritzzz25]

so super over weight Ian could not see this coming?

sorry to say, just look at the body language and expression on this wife's face in all the photos.

in the first 30 seconds you hear him say "... I was looking for a place with rule of law..."

are you completely clueless? everything in this video is what I found on google seven years ago on the first day researching Thailand. He must have never done a moments research.

I am sure Ian has a big heart, loved his wife and is a good and trusting person.

But you must have a healthy dose of paranoia to survive in Thailand.

Don't get married! Don't "buy" land. Assume nothing.

"so super over weight Ian could not see this coming?" - guessing you look like the Greek god Adonis? "People who live in glass houses......."

[Whyamiandwhatamidoinghere]

Good piece by the BBC in covering this kind of corruption in Thailand.

It is very clear there is no law in this country.

Our dear PM should watch this - he might finally take some action on all this corruption he promise dot get rid off.

A promise is a lie in Thailand....