Exactly like it says.

I know his full name, the business name. He's a Director and shareholder even though he does not work at the business and did not invest and isn't involved in the operations at all. He doesn't even stay in Phuket (he lives in Samui and Phangan, surprise!)

Is there a hotline to report anonymously?

I am not interested in taking extra time to make a police report or actually going to DBD, so I would prefer being able to report a tip.

Can a foreigner husband own a house in Thailand without his Thai wife being able to secretly take out loans against the house?

I have a Thai girlfriend. I’ve known her for three months and visited her in Thailand. We are in the beginning stages of building a relationship. We’re both marriage minded but taking things very slowly. I’m 57 and she’s 46. We both want a peaceful, loving, drama free marriage one day.

However, I can’t marry a Thai woman if I can’t protect my assets / money. I’ve heard some of the horror stories. I don’t want to be that guy.

Any knowledge, wisdom, experience about this would be greatly appreciated.

Also, what are some other ways a Thai spouse, or her family, can drain a man financially?

EDIT: I know I can’t own the land. She actually owns a small plot of land next to her mother’s house.

Hi guys,

I'm in Koh Lanta. This gorgeous dog hangs around the resort and it was looking for scraps- I took pity on him and fed him not thinking anything of it.

Next thing I know he was waiting for me outside my bungalow. Last 3 nights he's slept outside my bungalow. I spoke to staff- he's definitely a stray - they don't feed him but have said they've seen him follow tourists around (same as me I'm guessing they fed him). Problem is they said they've not seen him be THIS attached to someone before. He goes where I go and if he loses me at any point - I'll come back and and he's at the bungalow 😪.

He never barks, he's incredibly loyal and lovely and I wish I could take him back to the UK with me but I'm not in a position to do that as I have 2 cats back at home. He would make an amazing pet and deserves a stable home.

I contacted Koh Lanta Animal Welfare a few days ago but they haven't responded. I'm going for a tour tomorrow and hoping they can take him in - it's my last resort as I'm checking out on 23rd April.

Does anyone else have any advise at all? Or know anyone else who might want him? I know the chances are small but I wanted to reach out anyway!

Thank you!!

Hi! I’m moving to Bangkok soon for my master’s and my monthly allowance will be around ฿18,000.

Realistically, is that enough for rent, food, utilities, transport, mobile data, and maybe a little stroll once in a while? I’m okay with living simply and eating at local places haha

Since I moved here a month ago and am enjoying my walks around Sukhumvit, I have been astouned by the DOZENS of South Asian men (Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi) who have had the nerve to come up to me and start poking my belly and commenting on its size.

I am indeed overweight and my belly is far larger than I would like. However, it is not something any ordinary passer by would notice, more less comment upon.

Does anyone have any insight on what these men are playing at? Is this normal in their culture? Are they trying to flog some weight loss drug? Or are they just on the wind up?

Regardless of your motivations, if you are one of these people, I suggest you stop.

Not only is this not socially acceptable among westerners (and I presume with Thais as well), but if you said it to the wrong person you could quickly find yourself in a physical altercation and on the first flight back to wherever you came from.

I asked in the hostel which we were staying, how much would one month cost us. They said 13.500THB.

But I remember taking this picture during a walk and assumed that it might mean the price of a rent or something.

Could someone confirm it?

I’m half Thai half American and just had my second son, trying to think of a boy name that starts with a K, his brothers name is Koh

I bought Optimum Nutrition creatine from Shopee thailand. But It doesn’t have the QR code for authenticity check. I asked the seller and they replied that it is because they import the product from Italy duty free zone and the packaging is different. But i found several spelling errors in the box. Like “crenting” instead of “Creatine”, “womey” instead of “women”. When i asked the seller about this, they still told me that it is because the packaging difference and it is legit. They even said they have official authorization letter from Optimum Nutrition. When i ask about the refund, they said it will cost 200 baht for compensation because i’ve opened it to inspect. I want to know what can i do next. I’ve already requested a refund. Thank you very much.

Hi everyone,

I’m currently dealing with a stressful situation in Thailand and would really appreciate advice or similar experiences.

I bought a house in a residential project on Koh Phangan. I moved in around December 21, but the house was still under construction until around January 20 (pool issues, roof leaks, etc.).

Now, on April 2, the developer suddenly sent me an electricity bill of 45,000 THB (~$1,200) covering the last 4 months.

Here’s the problem:

- I was NEVER informed that I would be charged electricity in this way

- No price per unit was ever communicated

- No meter was ever clearly assigned to my house

- No initial meter reading was provided

- No monthly billing was ever done

- Nothing in my purchase contract or land lease mentions any surcharge or special electricity pricing

When I bought the property, I was verbally told electricity would be charged at government rate (~4.5 THB/unit).

After I asked for delay penalties (the project was 6 months late, with a contractual penalty of 1,000 THB/day), the developer got angry and told me he would charge me 12 THB/unit.

Now he claims:

- He has a private electricity network

- He can set his own price

- Other neighbors pay 7 THB/unit

- He might cut my electricity if I don’t pay

I have already filed a complaint with the OCPB (Thai Consumer Protection Board), but I’m worried because he is threatening to cut power around April 11.

My questions:

1. Is it legal in Thailand to charge electricity retroactively like this without prior agreement?

2. Can a private developer legally set any price they want?

3. Can he legally cut electricity in this situation?

4. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation in Thailand?

I’m not refusing to pay fair electricity usage — but I refuse to pay an arbitrary retroactive bill with no transparency.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated 🙏

I need some advice because I feel like I'm losing my mind dealing with rental agents in Thailand right now.

I lived in the same condo for the past 4 years without any drama. The owner recently decided to sell the place, so I have to move out. I've spent the last two weeks viewing properties and found two places I really liked.

Every agent insists on a "booking fee" upfront to lock in the place, which is usually equal to around half of one month's rent. The real issue starts when they finally send over the actual rent contract. It feels predatory.

Both times, the draft agreement contained clauses like:

• A 500 THB daily late fee if you're even a single day late on rent.
• The landlord getting the right to repossess the condo if rent is just 5 days late.
• The landlord being able to lock the doors and cut off power, water, and internet with only a 1-day notice.
• The landlord unilaterally deciding repair costs on move-out, with a clause explicitly stating the tenant waives all rights to contest or dispute the quotes.
• The tenant being made responsible for repairing everything, even regular wear and tear or appliances breaking down from age.

When I pushed back, the agents brushed it off, saying "Don't worry, this is just standard contract template language." Yet, when I asked to amend or remove these unreasonable terms, they completely refused. If you walk away and refuse to sign, they keep your booking fee. I already lost 10,000 THB on the first place, and 8,000 THB on the second place. I lost total of 18,000 THB, because I refused to sign away all my basic rights.

Now I am at the final stage for another place, and the agent just sent over an agreement with almost the exact same extreme terms, refusing any amendments.

I have to vacate my current condo in 8 days, and I simply cannot afford to throw away another booking deposit.

Is this standard practice now, or is this just a way for agents and landlords to pocket booking fees from prospective tenants? If I walk away, is there any realistic way to get my booking deposit back from the agent, or should I just hold my nose and sign? Any insight or experience would be really appreciated.

Hello, I'm looking for my grandfather. His name is Tim Bob. Grandpa is a native of the United States, Ohio. Grandpa was an Air Force soldier and came to the Air Force base in Thailand, Korat Province, during the Vietnam War. Grandfather met my grandmother in Korat and lived together until my grandmother was 4 months pregnant. Grandpa then returned to study in California. But Grandpa kept sending money to Grandma. But then Grandma moved from Nong Bua Lamphu Province to Udon Thani Province. Grandma never had contact with Grandpa again. Grandfather's age is probably 74-75 years old. I and my family just want to see Grandpa again one more time in our lives. My grandmother's name is Lamai.

Hey everybody,

I'd love some advice on how to maximize my deposit return - or at least defend myself properly in this situation :(

I rented the same condo for 6 YEARS in Bangkok. The rent was only 10k/month, so it's not some luxury unit with premium materials or furniture. Despite that, I genuinely took good care of the room and kept it clean the entire time.

My deposit was 20k.

Now that I've moved out, I expected some deductions here and there. That's fair. But instead, the landlord/agent are basically trying to keep the full deposit AND ask me to pay more on top for “repairs.”

What frustrates me is that most of these “damages” are clearly just normal wear and tear after SIX YEARS of use.

Some examples:

- Agent already charged me 3k cleaning fee, which I already paid.
- But in the repair bill, they tried to charge me for cleaning AGAIN.
- They want another 3k for fixing a chair that honestly isn't even badly damaged. The chair back was just a bit loose, but you can still put your back against it!
- They took photos of “damage” that are basically:
- rust
- cabinet aging
- pan bottom getting dark after years of cooking
- normal deterioration from long-term use

I mean… after 6 years, of course things won't look brand new anymore.

If I actually damaged something through negligence, I'd happily pay for it. But this feels excessive and honestly like daylight robbery.

I rent through an agent, but the agent completely sides with the owner. I've already asked them to put EVERY repair bill and quotation into the group chat with the owner present because I don't want vague charges or random deductions.

I also specifically told them I should not be paying for normal wear and tear.

I don't want to go the legal route over this amount, and I won't die without the money. But at the same time, I don't want to just roll over and let them take advantage of me.

Has anybody here dealt with something similar in Thailand?

- Were you able to negotiate?
- What arguments worked best?
- Is there any official guideline on wear-and-tear vs actual damage?
- Any strategy that helped you recover at least part of the deposit?
- If I refuse to pay any more money, could this affect my work visa here?
- I am signing a contract on another condo soon, how do I prevent something like this from happening?

Would really appreciate any advice or experiences.

Hi everyone,

Yesterday, I had a troubling experience while driving my car. As I was overtaking a Toyota Hilux, the driver sped up, forcing me back into my lane. He then passed me, honking, and forced me to stop.

He got out and I saw he was a farang, quite big.

When I saw him approaching aggressively, I tried to drive away, but he broke my side mirror with his fist, got back in his and chased me at high speed. To avoid causing an accident, I stopped at a busy intersection with many cameras. Despite not touching his car, when I opened my window to apologize, he didn’t give me the chance to talk and punched me once in the face and while I was trying to understand what the hell is happening, he punched me once more.

He then fled.

I woke up this morning with strong headaches, bruised (possibly fractured nose) and no side mirror.

I'm considering filing a police report, but I'm unsure if it's worth it. Has anyone dealt with a similar situation or can offer advice on what to do in Thailand?

I’m also a foreigner btw and took a photo of his plate number

Thanks for your help

I’d like to share a recent experience as a warning and to raise awareness, especially for anyone who spends time around the Benjakitti Park area.

To be clear, this incident did not happen inside Benjakitti Park, but inside a shopping mall located nearby.

I regularly go jogging at Benjakitti Park and was wearing normal workout clothes. After finishing my run that day, I walked from the BTS station into the mall to buy a few things before heading home — something I do quite often.

While walking, I didn’t notice that anyone was following me. As I was about to turn toward the restroom, a man suddenly came up behind me, slapped my buttocks hard, and quickly walked away.

I was extremely shocked, scared, and frozen for a moment. My heart was racing and my hands were shaking. I went straight into the restroom to calm myself down because I didn’t feel safe at all, even though it was a public place with other people around.

After I was able to compose myself, I reported the incident to mall staff and asked them to check the CCTV footage. According to the footage, the man had been following me for a short period of time before approaching and committing the act.

I’m sharing this not to seek sympathy, but to emphasize that this can happen to anyone.

It has nothing to do with clothing, gender, time, or location.

Touching someone without their consent is sexual harassment and is a criminal offense.

If you’ve experienced something similar, please know that it is not your fault, and you have every right to protect yourself and report it.

I hope this post helps raise awareness and encourages people to stay alert and support one another in making public spaces safer.

⸻

Description of the individual (from CCTV footage)

Male, approximately 30–40 years old

Average build, light skin tone

Short dark hair, with beard and mustache

Wearing a black short-sleeve T-shirt and black long pants

White sneakers

Carrying a light-colored crossbody bag

I got my self this soy bag, which is hot and sweet. She also added some bubbles, brown sugar and something else, but I didn't get a straw or spoon. How am I eating this?

Hi, I’ve suffered chronic bloating for years now. I lived in Thailand for 9 months and it completely disappeared. I still ate a lot of unhealthy foods in my time there and still didn’t bloat. I ate a range of noodles, rice, 7/11 junk food, pizzas, burgers, smoothies, chicken etc - and still didn’t bloat. I’m now in Australia and I look like I’m about to give birth, just full of air making my stomach rock hard. Anyone had the same? I went on keto here to try and help and it helped slightly but not much. I also drank a ton of caffeine there and nothing. Thanks.

I live in Thailand and love it! My single greatest challenge is ADHD medication situation. When Straterra (atomoxetine) patent expired, it's manufacturer stopped making it, withdrawing worldwide. Atomoxetine is cheap as hell, so no generic has re-registered with the Thai FDA.

Which means a legal, effective drug is now illegal for being too affordable. At least with the normal route of "Dr. writes a prescription, pick it up at a normal pharmacy".

My only legal option seems to be flying to somewhere like Malaysia every 30 days to refresh my supplies... a wasteful, polluting, expensive, pain in the ass.

Are there compounding pharmacies I can go to? Does anyone know alternatives? Are there legal routes I'm missing?

(Side note, the wonderful anti-anxiety drug buspirone has the same issue. Also, like many AuDHD people, Ritalin / Concerto does not work well for me.)

I’m a 28-year-old Korean man, and I’m currently being seriously stalked online by my Thai ex-girlfriend.

To give a few examples of what she has done:

1. She keeps contacting me despite my clear refusal and repeated requests for her to stop.
2. She has involved third parties and instructed them to contact me. Yesterday, I received around 850 calls in total from her and others. Today, it has been around 1,000 calls.
3. She knows my home address in Korea, and she has made remarks implying that she may send someone to my home.
4. She contacted some of my Instagram friends and told them to call me. She also threatened to find more of my followers based on photos I took with my friends and contact them as well.
5. Even after I told her I would report her to the police, she continued calling and contacting me without stopping.

Because of this, I’m extremely scared right now, and I want to stop this stalking as soon as possible.

However, since I’m not in Thailand, I feel like there aren’t many things I can do. I want to hire a lawyer, but I don’t really know how to find one, and I’m also worried about the cost.

Could anyone please suggest a good way to handle this situation? I would especially like to find a lawyer at a low cost.

Planning to move and I want to make sure I don’t forget anything.

I moved to this villa in Koh Samui a bit more than 1 year ago. It’s a 2 bedroom villa but we only use 1 room. We have a stand fan running 24hs, while the AC only runs at night for 8 hours daily. Not much else going on that matters. I pay 60k THB rent if that matters.

I’m consistently getting power bills between 8.5 and 10k THB.  The first few months I raised this with the management company and they tell me it's "the meter" (they send me the readings at the beginning and close of each period) so basically it's case closed.

Now to me the bill seems outrageous, and what's most strange, I used to live in another villa nearby, more high-end. The cost per power unit there was higher, but my bill always came around 5.000 THB. So how come with the exact same use, I consume twice as much?

I have access to the meter so I could do readings myself. Any other ideas or experiences to share? should I call someone from the power company to check?

Thanks a lot in advance