Well following on from where Danger Signs left off, for those that missed them or chose to ignore them we have schemes and scams. The first I am directly involved in, much to my annoyance.
It started last Xmas when two girls brought a couple of guys they had just met, to look at my house. The guys were friends from the same country and one had met his in a Pattaya bar, she had a friend in Udon" not work bar?" we knew she used to, but had time off, having just "dumped" farang husband, minus 2 mill baht, which she had drunk and gambled away. Yes in one year.(Getting the picture yet?)Well the guys liked my bungalow, asked details of costs etc, went away. Fast foward to this Xmas. Same two guys, same two girls, now married, knocking at my door, had heard my wife had some land for sale, wanted to buy one rai each., for which she wanted 500,000baht per rai.The ladies? told my wife to ask 600,000bht, as they wanted 100,000bht.each Now bearing in mind these guys were going to spend another couple of million each next year to build house.I thought this wasn't on and told my wife so. Much to my surprise, she told me to shut up or she would lose the sale.Up to now I had always thought my wife to be as straight as a die., and to think she would, not only condone this scam, but actively partake in it really shook me.The end result, the sales gone through, the guys gone home all smiles to work his b...ls off to get money to spend next Xmas.The girls are partying every night with a group of Thai men.
Is there no one with normal decent morals in this country?

Through my wifes connections in the construction material business i have found that there is not a single such business in Nong Khai that does not offer a commission to the Thai wife/GF scheme.

It's very simple,a farang who is building a home goes to the builders merchant and asks the cost for an item in the construction.He thinks going himself will cut out any dodgy builder,but the price includes a commission for the wife.He pays the bill and is none the wiser,unless the wife is very greedy and the house turns out tiny for the outlay of cash.There are houses here that are large sheds and cost millions of Baht.What woke up a few local farang was when i helped a friend build a house here through a close friend's builders yard and it's twice the size of houses that cost more and his specifications are higher.The worst example was an English guy from near the Cambodian border who came here and said his house had the dimensions of my friends living room.

I would recommend going to somewhere like Global house if possible.Shopping around the smaller merchants may give a false sense of security as they may all offer the commission scheme.

businessman wrote:

I would recommend going to somewhere like Global house if possible.Shopping around the smaller merchants may give a false sense of security as they may all offer the commission scheme.

In the case I quoted this was land only, but I realise it applies to materials as well, but going to the multinationals is no safe guard. we know a young lady that works in one ,that is making more than her official salary every month by , to put it nicely, sub-contracting.
My disgust stems from the fact the wives are the beneficiaries of the land and house and presumably are in a "loving relationship" with the man they are ripping off.TIT

I'm beginning to realise why Thailand is called LOS.

They see us coming, see Baht signs in their eyes and smile.

How come TW or TGF allows this to happen? Surely it is in her own interest to ensure her BF or Husband is not ripped off?

Gary

Well I am interested what others would do. I know what I would do - but will refrain from comment for the moment.
Suffice to say - do unto others before they do unto you !

Galee wrote:I'm beginning to realise why Thailand is called LOS.

They see us coming, see Baht signs in their eyes and smile.

How come TW or TGF allows this to happen? Surely it is in her own interest to ensure her BF or Husband is not ripped off?

Gary

In the case I used, THEY (TWorTGF) were the perpetrators

Val,

That's the sad part about it.

Why rip off your husband?

I'm sure it happens everywhere, but it does seem more prevelent in Thailand.

Perhaps it should be compulsory for Farangs to join a forum like this one to learn about the pitfalls of of Thai life.

Gary

I am afraid the examples you have spoken of, and the general concept, doesn't surprise me. It seems to be almost endemic to the people of this country.

I heard similar things when living in Phuket with a previous, very honest, girlfriend. When I bought some furniture and she travelled back with the delivery lorry, to show them where we lived, the delivery guy actually told her that many girls when buying furniture with their farang BF or husband, would ask the shop to inflate the price of the furniture being purchased and would then split the profit with the sales staff!

I am aware of the "introduction fee" paid to someone who introduces a purchaser of land or a house, but that should normally be paid for by the seller, coming out of the sales proceeds, and not paid for by the purchaser, through having the purchase price inflated!!

After having purchased the land and houses for their wives, I just wonder if these guys will ever get as far as actually living with their wives, or if they will just return to their home countries to continue to work, simply to support their wives in the extravagant life styles which they have created for themselves, (or that they have allowed them to create), whilst their wives continue to live their own lives, - probably with other BF's, - over here.

Excuse me for being cynical, but I have seen and heard of too much of it.

arjay wrote:I am afraid the examples you have spoken of, and the general concept, doesn't surprise me. It seems to be almost endemic to the people of this country.





Excuse me for being cynical, but I have seen and heard of too much of it.

Welcome to the club Arjay. The sequel is even more amazing. Husbands gone home, today the wives, can't think of anything else publishable to call them, came to see my wife, asked how much she want if they don't take the land. They want to buy bar in Phuket. They have land paper, we have the money, but it hasn't been legally transferred yet. They offered 50,000bht. When my wife enquired about the farangs coming back next Xmas, what happens? given a Lovely Thai smile and told, they won't find us in Phuket. TIT

That's positively wicked, isn't it. I was just quickly thinking if there is any way you could scupper them. I suppose if the sale didn't go through, you could be saving their "husbands" from even further losses in financing the building of the houses. Though by next year the women will have blown the money and probably be back looking for further funds to "build houses", even though they may not then have any land!!!

I don't suppose either of these guys were sensible enough to use a lawyer and create a 30 lease with supporting contract, effectively leasing the land to themselves. Though I guess even if they did, it wouldn't yet be in effect until the sale had actually gone through and been registered.

It makes you wish you had contact details for the guys involved so you could tip them off, or taken photos of the "wives" and put them on the web, or supplied them to the police!

Have you thought about the fact that if these guys come back next year, and can't find the women concerned, that they do know where you live, and may come asking your wife about their whereabouts and the land purchase transaction?

arjay wrote:That's positively wicked, isn't it.!

Have you thought about the fact that if these guys come back next year, and can't find the women concerned, that they do know where you live, and may come asking your wife about their whereabouts and the land purchase transaction?

Certainly have, but as the contract to purchase was between my wife and the girls, nothing involving the farangs, and the girls are in effect defaulting on the contract, my wife has agreed to keep 200,000 bht, lost deposit on aborted sale."" Sorry guys, expensive lesson, next time , do as you would at home, get a lawyer." Not up to me to nurse fully grown men. Hard, maybe, but I had to pay for my lessons. At least they can read the forum for free.

Bar in Pucket, those guys are going to show up at the only place they know how to find your house , not a good deal for you

Hope things all work out ok for you Val, it truley amazes me at the lengths some thai's will go to to gain a few notes....

valentine wrote:

arjay wrote:That's positively wicked, isn't it.!

Have you thought about the fact that if these guys come back next year, and can't find the women concerned, that they do know where you live, and may come asking your wife about their whereabouts and the land purchase transaction?

Certainly have, but as the contract to purchase was between my wife and the girls, nothing involving the farangs, and the girls are in effect defaulting on the contract, my wife has agreed to keep 200,000 bht, lost deposit on aborted sale."" Sorry guys, expensive lesson, next time , do as you would at home, get a lawyer." Not up to me to nurse fully grown men. Hard, maybe, but I had to pay for my lessons. At least they can read the forum for free.

Well I paid my tuition in Water Buffalo University, must be thier turn.

It seems to be endemic; it just always surprises me that it is rarely seen as "wrong"

Early this year we went to a lawyer in Udon to sort out about some land, and he immediately offered my wife some other land belonging to a "friend", 10% cut to her if we bought it.

Fortunately she made excuses to leave and then outside the office told me what had happened.

On the other side though Val, put yourself in these guys shoes; they are inevitably going to have a suspicion you were involved in this somehow, even by default by not mentioning this to them. Hohum

Lets hope that if they think they are buying/building in Udon they have enough sense to research this and check and read this on here

John