I've been conned by a Westerner.. need advice please

[Neeeko]

I put in some money into a scuba diving company about 4 - 5 years ago here in Thailand and I got my name on the company papers as a part-owner. A couple of years later the owner stopped contacting me, when I tried to get my money back he kept on making the same excuse 'we don't have anything to give you at the moment'. I checked with a lawyer and found the company I have my name on closed down (they owner never told me this) but he then started up a company with nearly exactly the same name and doing exactly the same trade, just this time without my name on the papers. He now never speaks to me, I contact his wife asking can he call me and she makes pathetic excuses. 

 

Recently I saw they posted on their Facebook advertising a job offering 30,000 THB and month and they have a speed boat.... which really made my blood boil. I put in over 200,000 THB to the company and would be happy to get even 50,000 back. I reality I don't see a easy way to get my money back with a lawyer but I still contact them asking for them personally to give me something back. I really know that they have no intention to give me anything so want to know other options I could do....

 

I'm sure they have probably something dodgy/illegal going on with their company in terms of staff, work permits, visas or something things like that... so am thinking of asking them once more and telling them that I will be contacting immigration etc. if they ignore me again. Please could I ask for your advice on what things I could do/who I could contact to investigate into this company and things I could do to make trouble for them in case the are doing anything illegal?  In case this helps: the owner is not Thai, he's British and his wife is a Westerner also.

 

I know I was stupid to trust these people and I've learnt my lesson so please don't call me an idiot etc., as I already know I am - I just am looking for some advise. I was only 20 years old when I put this money in to their company, the money was also given to me in a will which makes me feel even worse. 

Edited November 10, 2016 by Neeeko

[meatboy]

let nature take its course,as the saying goes WHERE THERE'S A WAY THERE'S A WILL.

[Kwasaki]

29 minutes ago, Neeeko said:

I really I don't see a easy way to get my money back with a lawyer

 

How can anyone advise on being screwed already a lawyer route first would be the way also a report to the police or try immigration,  failing that l guess there's the mafia.

[KittenKong]

Sadly I suspect that you will never see your money. You can be thankful that it was only 200kB. Others have lost much more.

 

My advice is directed to all other readers: never trust anyone in Thailand and never invest in anything here unless you can easily afford to lose the money.

[sirmud63]

walk away . its only going to be more dead money down the road if you try to pursue it .

[sirmud63]

9 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

Sadly I suspect that you will never see your money. You can be thankful that it was only 200kB. Others have lost much more.

 

My advice is directed to all other readers: never trust anyone in Thailand and never invest in anything here unless you can easily afford to lose the money.

yes , rule number 1 .  never spend anything here that you carnt afford to loose .

[Peterw42]

A lot would depend on the original investment and the paperwork. Were you a director, signatory to accounts etc.

If due diligence back then, then you would have a case today. You mention your name on the company papers, I would image the company could not be shutdown ( capital removed) without your signature etc.

[Neeeko]

On the paper work was only my name, it didn't mention I was direct etc. I think if I made a case of it it would cost more than the money I would get back so not worth it.

 

I just want to know now, if I think they may be doing something illegal with visa, work permit etc. Could I contact immigration and what should I say? I could contact the police also but don't know what they could do...

[meatboy]

6 minutes ago, Neeeko said:

On the paper work was only my name, it didn't mention I was direct etc. I think if I made a case of it it would cost more than the money I would get back so not worth it.

 

I just want to know now, if I think they may be doing something illegal with visa, work permit etc. Could I contact immigration and what should I say? I could contact the police also but don't know what they could do...

to directly involve yourself could be a very foolish thing to do.NOW DO YOU GET IT.

[Peterw42]

There would be a Thai 51% shareholder somewhere.

[stevenl]

15 minutes ago, Peterw42 said:

There would be a Thai 51% shareholder somewhere.

Very likely the DC owner's wife.

[Neeeko]

2 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Very likely the DC owner's wife.

 

He was married with a Thai at the time, now they are not together and he's married a Westerner 

[OMGImInPattaya]

Consider it tuition expense in Thailand 101 and move on wiser if a bit poorer.

[scorecard]

I hope you ultimately get some of your money back.

 

Please be careful of making direct accusations unless you can provide direct irrefutable evidence of wrongdoing .

 

If you go to the police or to Immigration make sure your have the above evidence. Or give the same folks specific points to their follow up with choose your accusatory words carefully: 'I suspect', 'perhaps they don't have correct documents' etc.

 

And be careful you don't open yourself to danger. A healthy long life is more important than 200,000Baht.

 

 

 

Doesn't help but years back I suddenly couldn't find my expensive camera in Bkk, I searched everywhere but couldn't be found.

 

A few weeks later my best buddies girlfriend appeared with the camera. Turns out my buddy gave her the camera with strict instructions to sell it immediately, but she liked it, she kept it, she had no idea hr bf had stolen it.

 

My buddy then confessed he had stolen it from my room, I asked him why, his response 'I was very short of cash and I wanted to make my gf happy'. He refused to take it back from his gf and give it back to me. 

 

No doubt this stuff happens regularly everywhere but it doesn't mean it's OK.

 

End of friendship.

[KittenKong]

38 minutes ago, Neeeko said:

On the paper work was only my name, it didn't mention I was direct etc.

 

It sounds as though that paperwork was not in order, and may have been entirely fake.

[The Dancer]

Give me a name, an address and 100K baht and I will fix this for you.

 

Kidding? Not really. Trying to make a point. Right now, understandably, you're pissed, brooding and obsessed. And, therefore, asking to fall into the arms of a conman who'll take care of business for you.

 

Let go and get on with your life. Lesson learned and in a month this'll be a speck in the rear view miirror.

[jollyhangmon]

^^

True, forget it, not worth the trouble in this case ...

Had a similar problem of getting funked over, only with roughly one zero more, so had to react.

Could 'convince' the a-hole to a swift payback (+ interest) by one late-night visit with a firm promise of more to come ... might not have taken the risk for 200 grand 'only'.

 

Or maybe i would've, for the fun of it plus need for retaliation, especially in 'configurations' like this ... de facto depending on the kind of opponent ... 

 

[ukrules]

Why don't you go and get your boat when he's not around ?

[upside]

Send in Sharky. Job done. 

 

Contact via his Facebook. 

[lemonjelly]

You invested in a company; the company folded.... that's a risk you always take.


Sent from my twisted mind using Thaivisa Connect

[Sheryl]

You can pursue this with a law suit and you may succeed but the question is how much would you have left once the lawyer is paid.  It won't be the full amount you are hoping for, but it will be better than nothing which is what you currently have.

 

Farangs have successfully sued farangs here, it does happen. Most often the courts will require the parties involved to go into arbitration. I have heard favorable things about arbitration  here in terms of fairness and professionalism.

 

I am not clear if criminal charges would be applicable or not, if so then sometimes also filing a criminal case can help in terms of leverage. Obviously you do not want him jailed, you want him to pay you, but criminal charges can  sometimes strengthen your hand.

 

See what a lawyer says, both in terms of your chances/how to go about it and what it would cost in legal fees. Sometimes  lawyers will agree to take a percentage of the money you recover rather than charge a fee regardless - when they do this, the fee is higher but you don't have to pay |(except for initial retainer) unless you win.

 

Legal action is the only way forward - either that or just accept the loss. You have already tried asking, it didn't work before and no reason for it to work in future.

 

[blackcab]

You invested 200k for a part of a business, but you don't seem to have much of an idea what you bought or how you bought it.

 

In addition, it would appear you didn't manage your purchase in any way.

 

This situation has continued for several years, during which time the business you invested in has closed. You now want compensation.

 

Do not expect any. If you mismanage your business affairs in this way, what do you expect to happen?

 

Apart from being foolish with your money, you are foolish with your expectations.

 

Are you really going to complain to everyone about this person's new business in what is a sneaky and underhanded attempt to get revenge?

 

You need to grow up and act like an adult. You are the author of your own misfortune. I think everyone can see that, apart from you.

[jollyhangmon]

2 hours ago, Sheryl said:

You can pursue this with a law suit and you may succeed but the question is how much would you ...

 

 

Sound advice here! ^^

Get clarification about costs and fees as well as chances, then decide.

Lawyers can get pretty expensive, (court)fees not so much with this amount and you'd get back the latter in case of success ...

If that hasn't changed during the last decade costs of your lawyer would be on you in any case - unlike at least in some legal systems in Europe where the inferior party has to sniff them too. 

 

[KittenKong]

43 minutes ago, blackcab said:

Apart from being foolish with your money, you are foolish with your expectations.

 

When I have dealings with people I have expected them to be honest and fair, as I am. Elsewhere in the world I have rarely been disappointed in 40+ years of working life. Here it is a completely different story, but I still dont think my expectations are faulty.

 

Being unable to trust people in a country is an appalling indictment of that country, regardless of where it is.

[blackcab]

29 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

When I have dealings with people I have expected them to be honest and fair, as I am. Elsewhere in the world I have rarely been disappointed in 40+ years of working life. Here it is a completely different story, but I still dont think my expectations are faulty.

 

Being unable to trust people in a country is an appalling indictment of that country, regardless of where it is.

 

Trust doesn't replace due diligence.

 

If it did, I wouldn't have been employed to manage other people's businesses.

[samsensam]

1 hour ago, blackcab said:

You invested 200k for a part of a business, but you don't seem to have much of an idea what you bought or how you bought it.

 

In addition, it would appear you didn't manage your purchase in any way.

 

This situation has continued for several years, during which time the business you invested in has closed. You now want compensation.

 

Do not expect any. If you mismanage your business affairs in this way, what do you expect to happen?

 

Apart from being foolish with your money, you are foolish with your expectations.

 

Are you really going to complain to everyone about this person's new business in what is a sneaky and underhanded attempt to get revenge?

 

You need to grow up and act like an adult. You are the author of your own misfortune. I think everyone can see that, apart from you.

 

agree. you dont know what happened to the original company; maybe it went bankrupt, maybe it was sold, maybe it closed down and assets sold. you took no interest in managing your own affairs. if you feel bad about losing money bequeathed in a will the only person responsible is yourself.

[Berkshire]

51 minutes ago, KittenKong said:

 

When I have dealings with people I have expected them to be honest and fair, as I am. Elsewhere in the world I have rarely been disappointed in 40+ years of working life. Here it is a completely different story, but I still dont think my expectations are faulty.

 

Being unable to trust people in a country is an appalling indictment of that country, regardless of where it is.

 

I've been in Thailand 10+ years and have never been conned the way the OP has.  If you are "unable to trust people in a country," it's more about you.  It has nothing to do with the country. 

[guzzi850m2]

Move on, less than 6000$ not even worth trying getting it back unless you can get a lawyer that as mentioned before will take a % of the recovered money but I doubt they could be bothered for such a small amount.

 

For many of us here, 2 month money worth of living here is what you lost but I am sure some spend much more than that.

 

Yes you been shafted, one lay in the bed as you made it, as the old saying goes.

[elliss]

10 hours ago, sirmud63 said:

walk away . its only going to be more dead money down the road if you try to pursue it .

 

 

 Did someone mention stupid farlangs ?

    I avoid farlangs ,  like the plague . 

      OP   a troll , ??

[Nam Mae Khong]

It's not actually clear what you expected in return for your investment as an executive director,essentially a sleeping partner?Did you want a share of the proceeds once the business was successful and sold or a dividend payment?

It seems that you just sat there and did nothing which was unwise,what return were you promised and was anything written down,probably not I'm assuming?
Really under law you don't really have a leg to stand on but it's never nice to get screwed by someone you once trusted.I would say the revenge road is a bad one to go down in Thailand as it will probably only result in you getting shaken down by the authorities and that will be a professional job,TiT!