'Simply impossible': Husband of Harvard debt-skipping dentist rejects repayment deadline

[Mister Fixit]

>>Her nickname is "Porsche"? Looks more like a Corolla.<<....Fiat Lada ,an old one more like.

In all honesty, I hope it's a misprint by the publication and her real nickname is Portia, but knowing Thais, I suspect Porsche is correct.

It will be correct. I've had a couple of students called Porsche, many called Benz and also BM (most often) or BMW. They are so suspicious that they think if they have a nickname like that, they'll get a fancy car of the same name, or so I was told by a few students.

I even know a Thai chap whose nickname is 'Nissan' - I don't think his parents had high hopes for him ...

The other thing I dislike intensely is how they always pronounce it 'Porshay'. It isn't. The Germans correctly pronounce it 'Porschuh' with the 'uh' lightly inflected. We ignorant Brits just say 'Porsh' ...

Edited February 19, 2016 by Mister Fixit

[CaptHaddock]

>>Her nickname is "Porsche"? Looks more like a Corolla.<<....Fiat Lada ,an old one more like.

In all honesty, I hope it's a misprint by the publication and her real nickname is Portia, but knowing Thais, I suspect Porsche is correct.

It will be correct. I've had a couple of students called Porsche, many called Benz and also BM (most often) or BMW. They are so suspicious that they think if they have a nickname like that, they'll get a fancy car of the same name, or so I was told by a few students. .

The other thing I dislike intensely is how they always pronounce it 'Porshay'. It isn't. The Germans correctly pronounce it 'Porschuh' with the 'uh' lightly inflected. We Brits just say 'Porsh' ...

When you refer to the capital of France, do you say "Paree?" I didn't think so, because you're speaking English, not French? Well, the Thais are speaking Thai, oddly enough.

[Redline]

Not newsworthy. Once, I was going the sue Harvard Dental School for messing up my teeth, and my Jewish dentist said "pick your battles wisely". I would give the same advise in this case. Where will they get the cash for a prolonged legal battle in the US?

Maybe they will as Thai people for money to take them to court, instead of using the money to pay off the debt?

I have Harvard friends that are lawyers. I'm sure they do too.

More than 160,000 cases of student loan defaults are currently going through Thai courts. Borrowers must pay back their loan within two years of graduation or face court proceedings. Another 500,000 borrowers cannot be contacted, adding to the overall default of up to Baht7 billion (US$226 million).

You don't say!!

[Redline]

when this topic first hit the headlines, it came out that there are 60,000, who have not repaid loans,so how about putting some heat on the other,59,999, and some of them in high places.

More than 160,000 cases of loan default are currently going through Thai courts. Borrowers must pay back their loan within two years of graduation or face court proceedings. Another 500,000 borrowers cannot be contacted, adding to the overall default of up to Baht7 billion (US$226 million).

[loong]

So the husband's net salary falls $1,100 short of the mortgage repayments. How on earth did he manage to get a mortgage?

Her salary is used totally for their son's daycare. A dentist in USA only earning enough to cover one child's daycare cost?

Their combined salaries do not cover the mortgage+ daycare??

How do they eat, pay utility bills or any other expenses?

I just don't believe it.

I "think" what hubby is saying is that, where he to cover the 30mm baht over the time period suggested, he would be $1100 short of the mortgage repayments.

And the Thai wife is an "Instructor" at Harvard Dental School, not a Professor, or an Assistant Professor. And who knows if her small (1-4 person) dental practice makes any money at all? I can envision a scenario where she really makes next to nothing at the moment.

I'm not trying to defend her, but the University is being foolish not to negotiate with the couple. Despite the speculation on this forum, we have no idea what the couple can and cannot afford. And there is little legally that a Thai can do to enforce this debt agreement in a US court of law. Especially if the husband is the primary wage earner, there is even less leverage. And no, the US will not deport her. Don't be silly.

As to those that co-signed the loan ... I have no sympathy. The whole point of having a co-signer is to guarantee a loan if it goes south. Don't sign if you are not willing to pay.

No, from the article

"The funds I receive from my salary after taxes and healthcare insurance... result in me receiving US$1,100 less than is required to pay the mortgage on our house — the house I purchased with no monetary contribution from Porsche [Dr Dolrudee].”

Nothing about what he would have left if making repayments on the loan

[Mister Fixit]

When you refer to the capital of France, do you say "Paree?" I didn't think so, because you're speaking English, not French? Well, the Thais are speaking Thai, oddly enough.

There's no acute accent over the 'e' in Porsche (as there isn't such a mark in German) so it is incorrect pronunciation nevertheless, as it is in English. Someone has just decided to pronounce it that way, and the sheep follow.

[CaptHaddock]

If I remember correctly the loan co-signers are themselves dentists on the faculty of Mahidol University, at least some of them. They very likely have good English-language skills in addition to their professional qualifications. What they should do now is quietly sell off or transfer their property in Thailand and then emigrate abroad and default. Many of the rich, English-speaking countries would accept immigrants with such high-level qualifications.

Then they should turn around and express their willingness to return to Thailand if their debts are forgiven including restitution of payments already made. Then Mahidol U. would have to decide whether it's worth it to lose valuable faculty members to bad debts. Everything is cost/benefit analysis.

In the Thai standard debts of up to 33 million baht at 8% interest are life-crushingly enormous and will likely disable the finances of those families permanently.

That's what I would do, with regret, but in a heartbeat.

[chinostar]

She should have thought of saving while studying. This is so typically Thai to not pay back debts.

[Prbkk]

It's the interest that's done her in. If she'd at least tried to make regular payments...over 20 years....she , and her guarantors. Would not be in this jam . But she must have thought it would never catch up with her.

[CaptHaddock]

It's the interest that's done her in. If she'd at least tried to make regular payments...over 20 years....she , and her guarantors. Would not be in this jam . But she must have thought it would never catch up with her.

The day she missed her deadline for returning to teach after graduation her debt leapt from 10 miilion baht to 30 million baht. That wasn't interest.

[bangrak]

How can anyone get a scholarship worth 30,000,000 baht?? Doesn't sound right to me, maybe there is more to this.

Get some information about this case first please, like why and how the initial 10 became 30million... Thank you

[pipeflaw]

Read between the lines - the couple broke up and it sounds like the husband is left with the kids and the debts. Where's momma?

[chrisandsu]

How can anyone get a scholarship worth 30,000,000 baht?? Doesn't sound right to me, maybe there is more to this.

Get some information about this case first please, like why and how the initial 10 became 30million... Thank you[/quote

]$300 k to go to dental school ? Did she keep failing the courses and prolonged her stay ? that's one hell

Of a student loan

[Jonmarleesco]

'"The funds I receive from my salary ... US$1,100 less than is required to pay the mortgage on our house — the house I purchased with no monetary contribution from Porsche [Dr Dolrudee].”' A prime example of a sub-prime mortgagee, at least according to his calculations.

[Jonmarleesco]

>>Her nickname is "Porsche"? Looks more like a Corolla.<<....Fiat Lada ,an old one more like.

In all honesty, I hope it's a misprint by the publication and her real nickname is Portia, but knowing Thais, I suspect Porsche is correct.

It will be correct. I've had a couple of students called Porsche, many called Benz and also BM (most often) or BMW. They are so suspicious that they think if they have a nickname like that, they'll get a fancy car of the same name, or so I was told by a few students.

I even know a Thai chap whose nickname is 'Nissan' - I don't think his parents had high hopes for him ...

The other thing I dislike intensely is how they always pronounce it 'Porshay'. It isn't. The Germans correctly pronounce it 'Porschuh' with the 'uh' lightly inflected. We ignorant Brits just say 'Porsh' ...

Suspicious? Superstitious, presumably?

[louse1953]

More than $A1 million to become a dentist,bugger me dead.How much more can you learn at Harvard about being a dentist than a normal dental school.What a rip.

[louse1953]

Her nickname is "Porsche"? Looks more like a Corolla.

She beat the system and people are just pissed she left some stupid Thai's to fund her scholarship behind her.

The only effect this might have is on future scholarships and potential guarantors.

...otherwise its just an exercise in futility.

Her husbands comments clearly indicate that they have little intention to pay.

Her grill is big enough for a Mack truck.

[louse1953]

Can Thailand request that she be extradited back to Thailand? Would the USA ever agree to that, especially since I understand she is now a US citizen? Filing charges would get her detained if she ever went near Thailand or maybe traveled through some other foreign country that had an interest in pleasing Thailand

No. Extradition is for criminal cases, not civil lawsuits. I doubt she can be sued in a civil action in the US for defaulting on her loan in Thailand. Probably the loan agreements she signed specified the jurisdiction for legal disputes and that wouldn't be the US.

Isn't "fraud" a criminal case?

She didn't commit fraud. She defaulted on payments on her debt. You would have to demonstrate that she knowingly misrepresented herself on the loan application, which is probably not the case.

I would say she had no intention on paying before she even asked for the loan,but hard to prove.These type of people wouldn't even pay if they had the money,selfish bastards.

[JosephDoakes]

It's very easy for this to be 30M THB. She likely went to 1 year of high school, followed by 4 years of college and 4 years of dental school. Each year she was there she got tuition, health care and a stipend. It's very easy that this would total 300-400,000USD. The terms of repayment are that there is NO interest and no payments due until she graduates. If she goes back to Thailand, there is no payment that needs to be made. She gets all of the education for free. The only stipulation is that she has to stay in Thailand 2 years for every year she spent in the USA. If she stays in the USA, she has to pay back the amount of money that has been paid on her behalf times 3. So, 300-400K becomes over 1M easily and the exchange rate puts that around 30M THB.

[JosephDoakes]

I would be that she did intend on paying it back. Actually, just returning to Thailand would pay it back. But she likely found a reason (significant other) to stay in the US and he couldn't or wouldn't relocate.

[JosephDoakes]

The bad thing about the scholarship programs is that they force 15 year olds to make a lifetime decision. That's usually about the age that the decisions are made about this. Maybe later, you are still making a lifetime decision while in High School.

[Artisi]

Firstly, how the <deleted> does it cost 30m THB ($800,000) to train to be a dentist..??

Secondly, the word 'scholarship' surely means that it doesn't have to be paid back..??

I would suggest you read the original posting on this subject and all will be explained clearly as to why etc.

Edited February 19, 2016 by Artisi

[Artisi]

More than $A1 million to become a dentist,bugger me dead.How much more can you learn at Harvard about being a dentist than a normal dental school.What a rip.

Like a few others you need to do some research on this particular case before commenting on something you know bugger all about.

[Artisi]

So the husband's net salary falls $1,100 short of the mortgage repayments. How on earth did he manage to get a mortgage?

Her salary is used totally for their son's daycare. A dentist in USA only earning enough to cover one child's daycare cost?

Their combined salaries do not cover the mortgage+ daycare??

How do they eat, pay utility bills or any other expenses?

I just don't believe it.

I "think" what hubby is saying is that, where he to cover the 30mm baht over the time period suggested, he would be $1100 short of the mortgage repayments.

And the Thai wife is an "Instructor" at Harvard Dental School, not a Professor, or an Assistant Professor. And who knows if her small (1-4 person) dental practice makes any money at all? I can envision a scenario where she really makes next to nothing at the moment.

I'm not trying to defend her, but the University is being foolish not to negotiate with the couple. Despite the speculation on this forum, we have no idea what the couple can and cannot afford. And there is little legally that a Thai can do to enforce this debt agreement in a US court of law. Especially if the husband is the primary wage earner, there is even less leverage. And no, the US will not deport her. Don't be silly.

As to those that co-signed the loan ... I have no sympathy. The whole point of having a co-signer is to guarantee a loan if it goes south. Don't sign if you are not willing to pay.

I have a lot of sympathy for the innocent victims in this case as I do for anyone so cruelly exploited. The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape. That's certainly what any prudent lender would do if making such a loan. Mahidol has no incentive now to chase a wild goose looking for repayment from her when they will be made whole by the co-signors.

"The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape"

Your comment is so wrong it borders on stupidity as they didn't have to understand anything - they simply applied standard procedure , all loans must be guaranteed before they are issued.

Yeah they understood the risk and applied standard procedure they had developed to mitigate such risks as...the debtor absconding. All loans must be guaranteed before they are issued? Not in every jurisdiction and not in Thailand.

Sorry you are so wrong, and you don't know what you are talking about.

[Artisi]

It's very easy for this to be 30M THB. She likely went to 1 year of high school, followed by 4 years of college and 4 years of dental school. Each year she was there she got tuition, health care and a stipend. It's very easy that this would total 300-400,000USD. The terms of repayment are that there is NO interest and no payments due until she graduates. If she goes back to Thailand, there is no payment that needs to be made. She gets all of the education for free. The only stipulation is that she has to stay in Thailand 2 years for every year she spent in the USA. If she stays in the USA, she has to pay back the amount of money that has been paid on her behalf times 3. So, 300-400K becomes over 1M easily and the exchange rate puts that around 30M THB.

Spot-on, let's hope all the other know-it-all's read your post carefully and are able to comprehend what is really a very matter.

[Bench499d]

When you refer to the capital of France, do you say "Paree?" I didn't think so, because you're speaking English, not French? Well, the Thais are speaking Thai, oddly enough.

There's no acute accent over the 'e' in Porsche (as there isn't such a mark in German) so it is incorrect pronunciation nevertheless, as it is in English. Someone has just decided to pronounce it that way, and the sheep follow.

How do you think the pronunciation of any word comes into being? Someone decided and everyone followed!

[Bench499d]

So the husband's net salary falls $1,100 short of the mortgage repayments. How on earth did he manage to get a mortgage?

Her salary is used totally for their son's daycare. A dentist in USA only earning enough to cover one child's daycare cost?

Their combined salaries do not cover the mortgage+ daycare??

How do they eat, pay utility bills or any other expenses?

I just don't believe it.

I "think" what hubby is saying is that, where he to cover the 30mm baht over the time period suggested, he would be $1100 short of the mortgage repayments.

And the Thai wife is an "Instructor" at Harvard Dental School, not a Professor, or an Assistant Professor. And who knows if her small (1-4 person) dental practice makes any money at all? I can envision a scenario where she really makes next to nothing at the moment.

I'm not trying to defend her, but the University is being foolish not to negotiate with the couple. Despite the speculation on this forum, we have no idea what the couple can and cannot afford. And there is little legally that a Thai can do to enforce this debt agreement in a US court of law. Especially if the husband is the primary wage earner, there is even less leverage. And no, the US will not deport her. Don't be silly.

As to those that co-signed the loan ... I have no sympathy. The whole point of having a co-signer is to guarantee a loan if it goes south. Don't sign if you are not willing to pay.

I have a lot of sympathy for the innocent victims in this case as I do for anyone so cruelly exploited. The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape. That's certainly what any prudent lender would do if making such a loan. Mahidol has no incentive now to chase a wild goose looking for repayment from her when they will be made whole by the co-signors.

"The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape"

Your comment is so wrong it borders on stupidity as they didn't have to understand anything - they simply applied standard procedure , all loans must be guaranteed before they are issued.

Yeah they understood the risk and applied standard procedure they had developed to mitigate such risks as...the debtor absconding. All loans must be guaranteed before they are issued? Not in every jurisdiction and not in Thailand.

Sorry you are so wrong, and you don't know what you are talking about.

Let me know what I am wrong about I am curious.

[Artisi]

So the husband's net salary falls $1,100 short of the mortgage repayments. How on earth did he manage to get a mortgage?

Her salary is used totally for their son's daycare. A dentist in USA only earning enough to cover one child's daycare cost?

Their combined salaries do not cover the mortgage+ daycare??

How do they eat, pay utility bills or any other expenses?

I just don't believe it.

I "think" what hubby is saying is that, where he to cover the 30mm baht over the time period suggested, he would be $1100 short of the mortgage repayments.

And the Thai wife is an "Instructor" at Harvard Dental School, not a Professor, or an Assistant Professor. And who knows if her small (1-4 person) dental practice makes any money at all? I can envision a scenario where she really makes next to nothing at the moment.

I'm not trying to defend her, but the University is being foolish not to negotiate with the couple. Despite the speculation on this forum, we have no idea what the couple can and cannot afford. And there is little legally that a Thai can do to enforce this debt agreement in a US court of law. Especially if the husband is the primary wage earner, there is even less leverage. And no, the US will not deport her. Don't be silly.

As to those that co-signed the loan ... I have no sympathy. The whole point of having a co-signer is to guarantee a loan if it goes south. Don't sign if you are not willing to pay.

I have a lot of sympathy for the innocent victims in this case as I do for anyone so cruelly exploited. The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape. That's certainly what any prudent lender would do if making such a loan. Mahidol has no incentive now to chase a wild goose looking for repayment from her when they will be made whole by the co-signors.

"The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape"

Your comment is so wrong it borders on stupidity as they didn't have to understand anything - they simply applied standard procedure , all loans must be guaranteed before they are issued.

Yeah they understood the risk and applied standard procedure they had developed to mitigate such risks as...the debtor absconding. All loans must be guaranteed before they are issued? Not in every jurisdiction and not in Thailand.

Sorry you are so wrong, and you don't know what you are talking about.

Let me know what I am wrong about I am curious.

Not in Thailand.

[Bench499d]

So the husband's net salary falls $1,100 short of the mortgage repayments. How on earth did he manage to get a mortgage?

Her salary is used totally for their son's daycare. A dentist in USA only earning enough to cover one child's daycare cost?

Their combined salaries do not cover the mortgage+ daycare??

How do they eat, pay utility bills or any other expenses?

I just don't believe it.

I "think" what hubby is saying is that, where he to cover the 30mm baht over the time period suggested, he would be $1100 short of the mortgage repayments.

And the Thai wife is an "Instructor" at Harvard Dental School, not a Professor, or an Assistant Professor. And who knows if her small (1-4 person) dental practice makes any money at all? I can envision a scenario where she really makes next to nothing at the moment.

I'm not trying to defend her, but the University is being foolish not to negotiate with the couple. Despite the speculation on this forum, we have no idea what the couple can and cannot afford. And there is little legally that a Thai can do to enforce this debt agreement in a US court of law. Especially if the husband is the primary wage earner, there is even less leverage. And no, the US will not deport her. Don't be silly.

As to those that co-signed the loan ... I have no sympathy. The whole point of having a co-signer is to guarantee a loan if it goes south. Don't sign if you are not willing to pay.

I have a lot of sympathy for the innocent victims in this case as I do for anyone so cruelly exploited. The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape. That's certainly what any prudent lender would do if making such a loan. Mahidol has no incentive now to chase a wild goose looking for repayment from her when they will be made whole by the co-signors.

"The university understood the risk that she would abscond beyond their legal reach. So, they insisted on guarantors who could not escape"

Your comment is so wrong it borders on stupidity as they didn't have to understand anything - they simply applied standard procedure , all loans must be guaranteed before they are issued.

Yeah they understood the risk and applied standard procedure they had developed to mitigate such risks as...the debtor absconding. All loans must be guaranteed before they are issued? Not in every jurisdiction and not in Thailand.

Sorry you are so wrong, and you don't know what you are talking about.

Let me know what I am wrong about I am curious.

Not in Thailand.

Here's one site which compares loans in Thailand with no guarantor required.

http://www.moneyguru.co.th/en/personal-loan

[Basil B]

Can Thailand request that she be extradited back to Thailand? Would the USA ever agree to that, especially since I understand she is now a US citizen? Filing charges would get her detained if she ever went near Thailand or maybe traveled through some other foreign country that had an interest in pleasing Thailand

It is a civil matter, but seems to me the way her husband is speaking, quote " — the house I purchased with no monetary contribution from Porsche [Dr Dolrudee].” It is my house not ours, seems to me he is worried that a claim maybe paused in the US.