Fund set up amid claims 83 year old Brit was held prisoner near Bangkok while Thais siphoned off his pension

[webfact]

Fund set up amid claims 83 year old Brit was held prisoner near Bangkok while Thais siphoned off his pension

 

 

A Facebook poster from Liverpool said that he responded when a concerned British family went online to express worries about an 83 year old relative. 

 

"Declan James Theodore" claimed that he drove to Samut Sakhon near Bangkok where he found the desperate pensioner being held in a grubby room upstairs.

 

"Ron" from Brighton was an ex soldier, it was claimed.

 

Given meager food supplies the poster also alleged that Thais were taking money from his ATM.

 

An appeal fund was set up to raise £2,000 to repatriate the man who had been in Thailand for a long time according to the poster.

 

About £1000 was quickly raised.

 

No mention was made of police involvement. The poster made a video of himself in a car apparently heading to where the man was allegedly being held.

 

The story hit popular site Bangkok Expats.

 

Thaivisa has contacted the poster for verification but received no reply by press time. 

 

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2020-05-19

 

- Whatever you're going through, the Samaritans are here for you

- Follow Thaivisa on LINE for breaking COVID-19 updates

 

 

[Borzandy]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

No mention was made of police involvement.

Surprised?

[car720]

Rule no.1

Never be worth more dead than alive.

They took his money but left his life because more would come.

[generealty]

Amazing Trusted Thailand ! ????????????????????????????????

[AlexRich]

One of the dangers of growing old in Thailand ... make sure your family do not have a history of dementia ... because then your fate is tied to the kindness (or unkindness) of strangers.

[giddyup]

True? Who knows. Maybe he just ran out of money.

[jonclark]

If this is true then I think credit to the gent in the film who has been able to hopefully get Ron to a safer place. I bet the people who have had their meal ticket taken are annoyed at this. Wonder who will pay the car installments now old ron, the walking atm, has disappeared from their life? 

 

Good luck Ron hope you get home safe and can enjoy a pint or two back home with your family. 

[Mr Meeseeks]

6 minutes ago, giddyup said:

True? Who knows. Maybe he just ran out of money.

In the video it is alleged that the Thais have him prisoner and they are using his ATM card to withdraw his pension. 

 

Let's see what transpires.

[Canuck1966]

Thainess

[giddyup]

Just now, Mr Meeseeks said:

In the video it is alleged that the Thais have him prisoner and they are using his ATM card to withdraw his pension. 

 

Let's see what transpires.

The key word is alleged.

[JeffersLos]

11 minutes ago, giddyup said:

True? Who knows. Maybe he just ran out of money.

Maybe he doesn't even exist.

 

Nice easy 1,000 quid made from 10 minutes of creating a Fund Me page? 

[Canuck1966]

Thais know they can do what they want to foreigners without recourse from the police/law

Truly repugnant quagmire of a place

[giddyup]

Just now, Canuck1966 said:

Thainess

 I suppose you'll never see an elderly pensioner being scammed in a western country.

[giddyup]

Just now, Canuck1966 said:

Thais know they can do what they want to foreigners without recourse from the police/law

Truly repugnant quagmire of a place

Ridiculous prejudiced comment.

[sammieuk1]

A disturbing sinister story unfolds with arrests I hope????

[champers]

2 minutes ago, giddyup said:

 I suppose you'll never see an elderly pensioner being scammed in a western country.

... or an expat being scammed by a compatriot running a boiler room operation in Thailand. 

[bander]

I will believe this story when I see some proof from ATM withdrawals and hear what the landlord at the room he was held prisoner have to say.

[Mr Meeseeks]

11 minutes ago, champers said:

... or an expat being scammed by a compatriot running a boiler room operation in Thailand. 

Beat me to it.

 

Most of the scamming of elderly pensioners in Australia and the UK was happening in Thailand in the 90's and early 00's with the boiler room boys, protected by local plod and influential persons.

 

British and Aussie Police tried numerous times to deal with it, but because it was sanctioned here at high levels, and local important persons were benefiting from it immeasurably, and on the take, there were no serious attempts to shut it down.

 

There was next to no reporting on it too, all the journalists that were brave enough to comment were threatened, taken to court and eventually chased out of the country. Some even had their families threatened. 

 

Millions upon millions of Pounds and Dollars were extorted from elderly and naive people, and invested in well known entertainment businesses in Bangkok, Pattaya and elsewhere.

 

When I used to be a bit of a bar-fly in the late 90's and early 00's I used to choose where I frequented very carefully, the ones owned by boiler room scum were pretty well known, especially the infamous Irish bar up from Soi 22 with the faux IRA cowards pretending to be hard and the Antipodean place on Soi 8. Loads more and we could be here all day naming them. 

 

Let's hope this elderly gent is found well and safe and if there's a problem he gets help if he needs it.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Mr Meeseeks

[dabhand]

Maybe connected to this guy? Same name, not that common........

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1694636007490643/permalink/2461145267506376/

[nausea]

Yeah, I need more info. All sounds a bit too contrived to me, but who knows? Maybe he really is a Good Samaritan.

[bander]

8 minutes ago, champers said:

... or an expat being scammed by a compatriot running a boiler room operation in Thailand. 

Boiler room scammer got what he deserved, please find the scumbag who have been scamming this elderly and sick foreigner for months.

[WineOh]

an utter disgrace what has happened to this man.

Thainess well and truly at work...

 

"herro, welcome. open wallet preeze."

Edited May 19, 2020 by Liverpoolfan

[scorecard]

49 minutes ago, car720 said:

Rule no.1

Never be worth more dead than alive.

They took his money but left his life because more would come.

Who is 'they'?

[sahibji]

55 minutes ago, Borzandy said:

Surprised?

hope it is not a scam.

[rasmus5150]

34 minutes ago, JeffersLos said:

Maybe he doesn't even exist.

 

Nice easy 1,000 quid made from 10 minutes of creating a Fund Me page? 

Considering the times we live in, I also expect this to be the most realistic scenario.

[sahibji]

sounds like a jigsaw with some pieces missing. police should investigate before any money transaction takes place.

[Andrew65]

Quite a few times I've seen expats give bar-girls their ATM & PIN to go to the ATM across the road. 

Maybe not this guy, hope he's ok.

Edited May 19, 2020 by Andrew65

[bogozy]

Ín our house park, a german wife widowed. She was adopted by a thai lady, who was a widow of a Swedish. The thai lady take care of her, so poorly, so after six months the german lady was only skin and bones. The monthly allowance was 35.000 THB total. That is an example of mindless greedyness. She could have a net profit per month, about 18.000 THB.  No enough. The care of the german lady was exchanged in the last minute for a german/thai couple. Horribile.

[Tingnongnoi]

53 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Maybe connected to this guy? Same name, not that common........

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1694636007490643/permalink/2461145267506376/

pic looks similar

[Tarteso]

55 minutes ago, dabhand said:

Maybe connected to this guy? Same name, not that common........

 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1694636007490643/permalink/2461145267506376/

Oops!!!