And I thought this was going to be different.

[anothermug?]

Well I got advice from a lawyer in Bangkok today, via a mate of mine who works at the embassy, and the view is that there is probably little if anything I can do.

Yes I can go to court, once I have deposited 200,000 Baht into court, and even then there is no guarantee of success. It has been explained that a judgement is only a bit of paper and that if she has disposed of, or hidden everything then I might not get anything back.

As Dawn suggests I will go down the divorce route and then consider my options, which will probably be simply walking away and rebuilding my life, though sadly not in Hua Hin, a town and its people who I have come to love.

I have worked for almost 40 years in a stressful job saving up for my retirement in relative comort only to have my life ruined by a young woman who set out to steal everything I had, because it is easier than working.

Can I name and shame on this board? of course I cannot, the rules do not allow, and rightly so, I could be speading lies and slandering this womans good name.

One suggestion, said in jest and taken the same way, was that I hire a contract killer, temping as it is, nothing can justify the taking of someone elses life. and anyway I visit ex-pats in Bang Kwang and Klongprem prisons and I don't fancy spending the next 99 years there.

So I will probably just cut my losses and move on and start again somewhere else, I love Thailand and its people but it's going to be difficult to trust anyone again. I will follow the earlier advice and not descend into bouts of drinking, that will achieve nothing.

Who do I blame? no one but myself really, I got taken in by a young woman and though I wanted no more than some love and attention which I would have paid back many times over, I ignored all the well meaning advice I was given and am now paying for it.

Thanks everyone for the good wishes and messages of support, but whoever reads please read it again and again. Take no chances and listen and act on all the advice you are given, most Thai woman are genuine and will understand your reasoning.

Happy New Year to you all

[NuggetTNQ]

Dear AM,

Mate firstly Happy New Year but more than likely not for you with your recent going on's. I have been reading your posts with interest. To add to everyone elses posts i'm really sorry you have been through this. You know it's not just in Thailand these things happen. I'm sure many of us have had similar issues and problems. I have been through it myself but in Australia with my now Japanese ex wife. She took me for everything including the house and my 2 year old son. This was after getting her Permanent Residency here in Australia which worked out that was all she was after. This was after alot of time and effort as Australia is very tough granting anyone a visa these days
All i can say mate is keep your chin up and keep moving forward. It will get better. You cant blame yourself. It looks like it was very calculated. All the best for the future
_________________
You know "That Look" women get when they want sex? ..... Me Either" - Steve Martin

[Big Boy]

AM,

You were one of the unlucky ones (I know that I don't have to tell you that). You need to get divorced, and put that bad experience behind you.

Don't let this experience sour your future too much in respect of companionship. I and many others on this forum have been exceptionally lucky with the lady I chose (I often wonder if I chose, or I was chosen) to spend the rest of my life with.

Be very careful in the future, but old age can be very lonely if you stay alone. There are a lot of very nice, genuine ladies out there.

Good luck for the future
_________________
Green Army position 10 2007/08
Who said, "I've dumped PAFC for Eutopia at Liecester?"
Ian Holloway (job seeker extrordanair)

[richard]

i feel especially sorry for you but life goes on

Must be frustrating not being to recoup what you have lost

My initial gut feeling would be to hire a bulldozer and driver and demolish the place. Who's going to rent a pile of rubble???, but that's my Yorkshire hot head approach
_________________
Syd--------Shine on you crazy diamond
Freddie--- Love kills
If you've a problem don't moan. Find a solution!!

Khun Richard of Yorkshire (Halifax) and Hua Hin

[STEVE G]

Richard, you’ve perhaps been up in Issan again; my partner was telling me that at least five falang built houses in our area of Buriram have recently disappeared under the vengeful blades of rented backhoes.

[da]

Sorry to hear this AM. If you do so similar in the future go the ltd co route (favored by me) or one of the other mechanisms (favored by others) and be sure to check around first.

But I guess you know this but even hindsight can be valuable.

The threat of getting scammed by a partner in a foreign land is one of the biggest reasons not do it (foreign direct investment) in the first place.

The BG's communicate with each other to learn the ropes and farangs should afford themselves the same luxury.
_________________
Coming soon to a developing country near you

[Rider]

AM, just caught the tail-end of the thread. Sorry to hear your loss. I think this is the first time I've heard, first-hand of an expat whose been taken to the cleaners. Being ripped off is never easy, especially when it's those close to you and you're at the age where you deserve to live out your time in peace and quiet without nasty stuff like this happening.

Please don't take what I'm about to say personally, god knows you've been through a grinding mill as it is...

I've said it a zillion times but why won't the foreign office in our home nations warn people of this danger!

Buying a house in a womans name is a (financially) dangerous game that I would place alongside russian roullette.

From my forces days whenever we got posted to an area where women were on the look-out for squaddies cash and looked to trick them with the honey-trap we'd be warned to watch out!

My philosophy is to Rent Rent Rent anything with bricks and mortar, unless it's a Condo and you don't mind losing money on the residuals.
Don't buy in a company name either because the red-tape and risk of government checks can land you in hot water (unless you intend on working from the place)
You can own bikes and cars.
Question any woman who is pressuring you into buying a property. Why should you buy a property? Do you need to? Will renting or possibly even leasing not suffice?
AM, Has this black-hearted vixon near/totally finished you financially? If so it might be time to think about retreating back to Blighty to attempt to replenish the funds...
_________________
http://www.divinglore.com

[Governor]

Poor chap is still going through it, prehaps a book in the future.

[anothermug?]

Thanks for the reply Rider.

No she hasn't finished me financially, whilst she has cleaned out my capital I still have a reasonable index linked pension from my former employers, the UK Government. When I reach 65 I will receive my state pension, though this will be frozen.

In hindsight I have been rather silly, but what is done is done, I am probably going to stay in Thailand, where most people are sound, and start again. I have rented a condo in Bangkok and will look for somewhere to rent long term fairly soon, though probably not Hua Hin which is sad because I love the place, she is still is still there living on the money she has made from me, and that would be too much for me especially as I could see the house everytime I sat in the Immigration Office.

I am off to the UK next week for a few days to do some consultancy work and on my return I will decide what to do. My gut feeling is to walk away and put it down to experience, but my heart is saying fight her to try and get something back if only to protect others from her greed.

I will update on this site, so watch this space and thanks again for all the comments.

[anothermug?]

I forgot the mention that the lease on the land went through the day after I moved out, so at least the property market in Hua Hin is improving, or could this have been part of her plan?

[Randy Cornhole]

My advice would be to fight her from a distance. Have a lawyer look into getting some of your money back. May not be possible but worth a try....
_________________
Why drink and drive when you can smoke and fly!
www.thaidave.blogspot.com
www.thaidelights.blogspot.com

[Randy Cornhole]

Its amazing how some people have the ability to sleep at night. They will get their retrebution somewhere along the line. Her karma must be at an all time low. May she rot in hell....
_________________
Why drink and drive when you can smoke and fly!
www.thaidave.blogspot.com
www.thaidelights.blogspot.com

[Wanderlust]

anothermug?,
I know I have said this already but whatever you do please make sure you divorce sooner rather than later, because it is a real headache if she disappears. Also do you know if she ever changed her ID card to her married name? That is also a pain if she hasn't because to divorce in Thailand she would first have to change it to married, then you go to the office to divorce and then she has to change it again. If she is registered somewhere like Surin it is even more of a pain. I would hazard a guess she probably hasn't so she is still single according to Thai records - I know this because it is what happened to me. This may not be relevant if you married in the UK but it is still worth starting again clean, especially if you meet someone else. I know what you have been through and I empathise and sympathise - you're not a mug, believe me. Good luck in the future and please keep us posted.

[Nereus]

[JW]

I am with Richard - knock it down.
Hope your luck changes in the future, keep smiling.