Expensive weekend :(

[UKJASE]

I need some advice please guys, as i am in a bit of trouble with the BiB. On saturday night, next door were having a house warming party. We live on patch of land round a lake, and the other 3 houses also face onto the lake. The music was booming from this party. I went out at 11pm to feed the dog, but he didnt come when i called him. He often hangs out at this other house (he used to hang with the builders, during development). I thought he may be over there, so i grabbed another bottle of beer, and walked the 50 metres across the empty plot in between. The girls there were all in bikinis around the pool, and saw me stood to the side, and the hostess invited me to sit, and gave me some wine. She then proceeded to bring her mates over one by one, to sit and say hello. They were all about 30 i would say, and all wearing bikinis. The only guy there was an italian guy, DJing. The hostess' farang husband was still away on business, and this was a girlie party, i guess. I started drinking, they gave me some wine, some champagne, some beer etc, and i got merrily drunk.

My wife had gone out, as the music was too loud, and she wanted to see her mate. She popped over about 1am, and by now i was pissed, and the girls said they had to stop the music. They went into the house, and i was ordered home by the mrs.

I went home, and sat up drinking alone. I saw the lights were on in the house still, so i went back over. I tried the door (which i had been using earlier, when i needed to use the toilet), but it was locked. I knocked but no one came. Now this is a big house, 300m2 plus, so i thought i would go round and rap on the window. By now my mrs had heard me go out, and had followed me over. I ignored her calls to go back, and i banged the window some more. It was then that it started to go wrong, and the window smashed. Now i am sure i didnt hit it very hard, and my wife later agreed, but it had a big hole in it, and the girls inside had come into that room, and were shouting. My wife was shouting, and i was saying I am sorry etc. I then tried to demonstrate on the window pane below with my foot that i hardly hit it, and that window pane smashed too. I just hung my head in shame.

I have only met the hostess a few times, and she was obviously not impressed with the damage i had caused. She called the cops and they came. It is now a bit of a blur, but i woke up in my own bed, the next morning.

My wife sent me some photos she had taken of my stupidity, as she had to go into Bangkok for the night with the daughter. I went to the neighbours house about lunch time, and rang the bell. A young cousin answered and said the owner lady was out. I said "tell her i am big sorry, and will pay for the window". I later saw the company come and board up the windows, but i kept out the way.

On monday i went to the house again at 1030 am. I rang the intercom, and the cleaner lady answered, but said owner did not want to talk with me.

My wife had told me i had to go to report to the police, at 12pm, so i headed down to the police station. The owner was there, plus one of her friends, and they were sat with one of the head police guys. My thai is no good, and the translator lady told me that the owner was wanting 150,000 baht. The charges were criminal damage and trespass, and the lady said i had spoilt her party (even though it was gone 2am when the incident occurred).

My legs buckled a bit. I went downstairs to talk, as the offices upstairs were cramped, and the atmosphere with the two women was harsh. The translator lady and i agreed that 30,000 was more fair. She went back and said the lady wanted 100,000. I was told that they had video from the inside of me breaking the glass (which i later saw), and that i was seen to lean in through the window, as if i was attempting entry. The cop said that if i went to court i would be 90% found guilty, and that i would likely be jailed / deported. The interpreter was telling me that as it was a trespassing at night charge, it was a very serious charge.

I was on my own, as my wife was in bangkok, and in the end i buckled, after about 90 minutes of back and forth, with me agreeing to pay 90,000. I had to pay 30,000 on the day, then 20k in a month and so on. Once the 90 k is paid, they will drop the charges. Then of course, the cops wanted their 15,000 too.

I left quite weary, and upset, and skint.

The wife returned home last night and knocked the remaining life out of me. But happily she said "we are not paying her 90,000 baht". So back to the cops today. We have paid their 15k in full, plus 30k to the lady so far. The wife spoke sweet to the police, and showed them pictures of the bikini party, and the girls and i posing happily earlier. The cops agreed the request by her (and her lawyer) was high, but that the charge was serious. They say they will try to get the demands dropped when the lady chills out, but i am not so sure she will, and i imagine she is very money oriented.

My wife also ran into the Pu Yai Bann today, and he was asking what all the loud music was until 1am etc, and why hadn't they asked for permission (we live out in the sticks).

Now i dont know what to do, as i owe a further 60k. I will appeal to her hubby's good side when he returns, and hope the police can work some magic, but all in all it has been a very expensive weekend!!

Any advice / thoughts? (i am ok for slagging off at the minute thanks, as i have been through the mincer - but believe me when i say damaging peoples' property is not something i do regularly).

Am i going to have to pay over 100k for smashing two windows at a party?! Surely this is excessive?

PS my wife retained a small piece of the glass, and it looked about 2mm thick (although it was only 1 cm long or so, and so maybe not the best sample we could have), but it did look incredibly thin.

[GuestHouse]

Ker-Ching!

Pay-up before it takes a turn for the even worse.

[HooHaa]

A quality piece of story telling.

That's really all I can think to say.

[Chapelroad]

I like a drink, but the words 'grow up' might be some good advice.

[Happy Grumpy]

The mistake was not to 'counter-sue' for triple what they were demanding.

[scoutman360]

Home field advantage. You lose. Pay up. I know it hurts, but you decided to go pounding on windows in your drunken state. You are married. Remember? God bless your wife for helping you. Lesson learned.

[JHolmesJr]

"I went home, and sat up drinking alone. I saw the lights were on in the house still, so i went back over."

Why did you go back over when, as you say, the party was over and you had already left the neighbour's house?

[KhaoNiaw]

Just pay ... I think the story's worth it.

[puukao]

You go over, get drunk with many bikini girls (which is good), go home (I don't think they offered you to come to their house), and then the other brain starts thinking? Oh wait, they are still awake!!! Maybe they want to see me again!! I want to see them again!!! I must go back over!!! LOL.... and then you break a window looking out for their "safety" perhaps?

after your divorce and you head back home without a house.......can i get the address so i can stay over?

LOL

I'm drinking with bikini girls right now, give me a break!!!

[anotheruser]

Don't pay it no matter what is said. You were only doing what comes naturally when a man is drunk in horny. Stand up for your principles even if it means jail time and deportation. At least you will know you fought the good fight.

[wprime]

Apologise profusely and try to get her to accept the 30,000. Beg if you have to.

If she has a choice between getting 30,000 or having you deported, the first choice is better for her but she won't accept it unless she feels like she won, hence the need to beg/apologise.

[Hedghog]

Did the dog get its dinner?

[Thian]

Claim it on your insurance if you have one.

[bubba1]

Lol. Good one. Just pay up

[blackcab]

To be fair you can't complain that your neighbour is all bad. She invited you into a private party and she treated you well.

It doesn't matter how thick or thin the glass is. Stop trying to blame the victim.

Is 90k too much? That doesn't really matter now because you have agreed the deal. I would suggest you pay, because going to Court for what looks like attempted burglary, at night, when you knew the owner's husband was not there is not going to end well.

It really isn't. Especially with an angry woman who you made a deal with and then reneged on your promise.

As for her husband, the chances are he is going to be furious with you. Why would you try to break into his home, at night, after seeing his wife in a bikini and knowing he is not there? His wife is also probably telling him she feels unsafe in their house now...

90k is about the cost of getting the windows repaired and for her to buy a licensed firearm for personal protection.

[JHolmesJr]

150k.....thats 150 LTs....a sobering thought.

[Naam]

a truly mind boggling story!

[DuiDui48]

Alkohol..just totally skrewup your judgement..so payup and S T O P drinking..cause you can't handel your drinking.

[GuestHouse]

The image painted of the OP sliding off back to the party he'd just left with a bottle of beer in one hand (heaven knows what in the other) and being followed by his wife is one that deserves a place in a Thai soap opera.

He obviously had access to beer, so perhaps it was the pull of bikini clad lasses that had him staggering towards his costly disaster.

There's a reason they call it 'c...'

[Naam]

the pull of bikini clad lasses

some folks have all the luck

[williamgeorgeallen]

well we have all had a few boozy nights that have gone a bit wrong and anyone here who hasnt has probably had a pretty boring life. now the best and probably cheapest way out of this is to go back with half the remaining money in your hand (30 000thb if my maths are correct) say that is what you can afford and you are willing to pay it all in one go or spend it on a lawyer. sounds like the greedy lady will take the cash settlement. of course you need it in writing that everything is settled. thousands of dollars for 2 smashed windows is a crazy amount of money but as a foreigner sometimes you just have to suck it and accept that is the way it goes.

[ThailandLOS]

30k would be enough to cover a display window in a store. Just saying.

[KNJ]

Well you had a smashing time.....

I guess the glass was not half full.....

Pay up in full, send the missus to deliver it, and they can then prevent loss of face, describe your actions being down to you being a falang, who drinks excessively, thinks he is gods gift to all women, does not understand that a locked door, even if the lights are on, mean they want to talk to you, probably scared the host senseless, allows his dog to trespass...............

[thai3]

Thai girls in bikinis out in the sticks? I'd have to see the photo's to believe that

[anthony0339]

Lawyer up. The cops hate lawyers. Why should you not have representation, they do.

[JD77]

This is the best story that I've read in months.

What was , in your drunken stupor, the reason you went back to the house??

.WTH were you thinking ??

90,000.....about 2,650USD...for a broken window..!.Good Lord

Advice mate-

1. you agreed to the price,, pay it

2. stop drinking,,because you obviously can't handle it

3. go to AA

4. move. Because this is going to be a grudge for a long time regardless of how much you pay and how many ''sorrys'' you offer.

[chicowoodduck]

Drunk and went back over uninvited...two wrongs will never make a right.....sorry, you loose and BIG time...???????????

[blackcab]

It is a mistake to say 90k is to repair the window. That is not what this is about.

90k is to prevent this going to Court, with who knows what sentence at the end of the day (or maybe no sentence at all).

If the OP fancies his chances, he should refuse to pay the agreed price and see what happens.

Edited July 27, 2016 by blackcab

[flynn]

90000,,,that's a right pane

[12DrinkMore]

Extraordinary stupidity requires an extraordinary penalty.

I suggest you get a box of Chang or two and drown your sorrows.