'Defrauded by my wife and criminals in Thailand' - BBC special report

[Jim walker]

Everyone in the world knows except Ian Rance must have been a slow learner you only purchase things in Thailand like property and cars wife and such like things you can just walk away from at the drop of a hat and forget about them because quite a few hats get dropped over here every day and you can go out of flavour of the month very quickly in Thailand if you start to run short of money and don’t have an endless pit of money, and it can very quickly turn to bye bye honey.

[csabo]

Reason #842 never to buy property in Thailand.

And reason #666 never to get married anywhere.

[harada]

Don't be fooled by the smile. eg Suthep.

[Fabricus]

Things like this happen in Europe all the time, it's not Thai-specific.

Er, forged signature, proven as the chick is in prison, and the guy doesn't get justice (his property back). Nah. I don't think that will happen in europe *all the time*...

True.

The whole Thai system is in on these scams. I'm talking about lawyers, the police, law courts and the government.

Ian (the big fat man in the video) needs to accept that pursuing this is futile. His money and assets are gone.

He won't get a single penny back.

[samuibeachcomber]

Look at him, look at her.

Everyone can see what's gonna happen ........ except him.

Question from interviewer, "What would you say to people that want to come here?"

Answer from me, "Don't marry a woman 1/3 your weight and 1/2 your age and expect her to love you or be trustworthy"

This isn't rocket science.

I dont agree.it's a case when enough is never enough.greed perhaps.now she has nothing and doing 4 years.

[huungryshark]

Rule number one:

NEVER marry a thai girl and NEVER buy house in thailand.

NEVER

[jamie2009]

Remarried another child, what happened to once bitten twice shy ? They say love is blind ?

[samuibeachcomber]

Would you trust Thailand and its people with your retirement savings i sure wouldnt.

I am sorry but I don't understand why people think young women marry us old geezzzzers for love.

Are old men so devoid of reality or is it just imagined pride and self esteem which blinds us.

Everywhere in the world it is only about money when we reach a certain age,

the only difference is some women will wait for us to die instead of defrauding us. In Thailand they don't wait because they know the

police will be on their side for some cash which used to be ours.

Hormones and wishful thinking can lead to a bitch.

LOL

they were together nine years with 3 children,he said he had no inkling.

[Tarteso]

In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through.

Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level.

Most of the marriages in the west are like with like.

Most of the foreigner marriages here are old, fat and bald (ing) with young and slim.

So I'm thinking almost all the old/young marriages are going to fail, unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.

.+unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.+...strongs words, but true.

[theonetrueaussie]

Yes Definitely RULE 1: Never marry any Thai woman and never buy anything more than a few thousand $$ in thailand that you can walk away from anytime!!!

[theonetrueaussie]

In the circumstances this Guy has been a real Gentleman and i admire his calm and graceful attitude considering what he's lost and been through.

Whilst such cases almost always hit the headlines at some stage and show all the very deep and disturbing tendencies of Thai society, it would be interesting to know what percentage of Expat's suffer in this way in comparison to those that experience good marriage's until their life expiry date comes around. Overall; i would expect such percentage to be on a par with what happens to many Men in their own country's, where whilst the laws are much stronger and Lawyer's much more honest, Men normally end up a lot worse off than their spouse's when things go wrong in the marriage. The difference is that the Wife has the blessing of the Western Courts when she walks away with the stash and there has been no corruption involved at any level.

Most of the marriages in the west are like with like.

Most of the foreigner marriages here are old, fat and bald (ing) with young and slim.

So I'm thinking almost all the old/young marriages are going to fail, unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.

.+unless she's patient enough to wait for him to die.+...strongs words, but true.

"wait for him to die"...seems like a lot of foreigner men falling from balconies....

[SCARLETIBIS1]

When I first came here ten years ago a buddy of mine told me rule number one is always remember the Thai girls are good for ONE thing only. Don't get involved and don't get married. I was appalled at his negative and disparaging attitude and told him so.

Ten years later I called him and apologized.

I now assume they all good for one thing only and occasionally when I think I have found a nice when I remind myself that I haven't waited long enough to make that determination.

This guy was married for 9 years and he was supposed to see it coming? Really? To think a wife could do this to a guy she had three kids with is remarkable but I've heard it all before.

Trouble for most farangs coming from the West is they are usually old, fat, ugly and haven't been laid in 20 or 30 years and when a good looking walks up to em and lays some BS on em they fold like an accordian.

Doesn't justify the system for sticking it to him though yet this is Thailand. It's nothing but an illusion and always will be.

When the PM stops the cops from putting the arm on people and enforces the road rules, THEN I'll be impressed.

But I ain't holding my breath.

[micmichd]

Come on, BBC, for a report of a Farang "defrauded by criminal authorities in Germany" to the disadvantage of a Thai family.

I survived it, feel free to PM me.

[chicowoodduck]

Reminds me...I just saw a guy who was about 300 pounds with a skinny Thai gal coming out of the movies....he had the she loves me so very much look in his eyes and a very large STUPID tattoo on his forehead.....?

See them all the time here in Pattaya and just get the biggest laugh.....?

What circus do these guys come from.....oh well, back to my coin operated lady and keep on truck'n

[lgking]

I hear your logic...but Thailand defies ALL logic.

New ones are at the airport getting off the plane(s) as we speak.

This report will only dissuade any potential retiree's frrom coming here,with the same genuine ideas of Mr Rance .The amount of income lost to the Thai economy as a result of this report is immeasurable.Why can't the Thai authorities see the wider picture,and the effect this will have on their country?

If only this report had ended with a fair and satisfactory conclusion,it would have boosted confidence worldwide,but alas I feel the poor guy is just banging his head up against a brick wall.

[charliewolf]

I was feeling a bit sorry for the guy till they said at the end he's married another. Doh!

[huungryshark]

They see us as a walking ATM machine and nothing more.

You really think they love us? LOL they even have a special name for us

[MobileContent]

He could have saved all his money by using a lawyer in Bangkok (International Law Firms) which also work closely with embassies and we would have been well protected.

This chap didn't do his homework when he start spending all his money on properties.

[dannyh2000uk]

I think both stories are sad, because they affect the kids, surely the "Thai wives" can fathom this will be the outcome ?
Considering how much Thais value family, are kids not family ?
In response to "old, bald man/ young wife what does he expect ?" this is not Thai specific, check out Bernie ecclestone, bless him.
Old as the world rich/poorer man/women.

Myself after 18 years 4 kids marriage In the UK, I was left with nothing after split, and the wife decided she wanted to be a <deleted> ?
We accept that, because of kids, the man will usually be the one starting again.

I arrived in Thailand pretty skint and broken hearted, and was very clear I was broke.
still met a young pretty girl, then had a stupid RTA she looked after me for 7 months till I could fly home, she even had to go and pick up a mass of cash from W.U sent by my parents ( as I couldn't move), she could have run off and left me stuck in rented room Trat ( she from Khorat)-
she didn't, now I have been back UK 7 years started up again.
we still chat, and I last went out 3 years ago to visit her, still friends.
Listen about new boyfriends, get a little jealous-weirdly, but that is life, and she is entitled to have one

If I was more wealthy I think I too would have married this girl and taken her to the UK, one of the finest people I have met anywhere in the world.

Don't Tar all Thais', sure the system is rubbish, but the main guy in this video seems a sensible sort, it is the system that needs changing.
It is the system that people need to be weary of.

[charliewolf]

Look at him, look at her.

Everyone can see what's gonna happen ........ except him.

Question from interviewer, "What would you say to people that want to come here?"

Answer from me, "Don't marry a woman 1/3 your weight and 1/2 your age and expect her to love you or be trustworthy"

This isn't rocket science.

He's married another with a baby too

it said at the end. No Brains whatsoever!

[micmichd]

The woman that is patient enough to wait until I die will be my legitimate heiress. This will be a Thai woman, and the Germans hate me for that.

[OmarZaidMD]

Look at him, look at her.

Everyone can see what's gonna happen ........ except him.

Question from interviewer, "What would you say to people that want to come here?"

Answer from me, "Don't marry a woman 1/3 your weight and 1/2 your age and expect her to love you or be trustworthy"

This isn't rocket science.

Agreed__ This man defrauded himself. Furthermore, the woman is obviously low function goods.

[charliewolf]

They see us as a walking ATM machine and nothing more.

You really think they love us? LOL they even have a special name for us

Well said, he married another one too lol

[mickyboy]

and he married again as they say no fool like an old fool

[a99az]

I do feel for the man and hope that things turn out for the best. It sound very odd that his wife would sell her house for so little and I wonder what the real motives where. Now she is locked up, lost her children and has lost what looks like a great life with all she could want. Got to add that I would never trust anyone in the land of smiles as it's throughly corrupt and life has no value.

[stoneyboy]

I think both stories are sad, because they affect the kids, surely the "Thai wives" can fathom this will be the outcome ?

Considering how much Thais value family, are kids not family ?

In response to "old, bald man/ young wife what does he expect ?" this is not Thai specific, check out Bernie ecclestone, bless him.

Old as the world rich/poorer man/women.

Myself after 18 years 4 kids marriage In the UK, I was left with nothing after split, and the wife decided she wanted to be a <deleted> ?

We accept that, because of kids, the man will usually be the one starting again.

I arrived in Thailand pretty skint and broken hearted, and was very clear I was broke.

still met a young pretty girl, then had a stupid RTA she looked after me for 7 months till I could fly home, she even had to go and pick up a mass of cash from W.U sent by my parents ( as I couldn't move), she could have run off and left me stuck in rented room Trat ( she from Khorat)-

she didn't, now I have been back UK 7 years started up again.

we still chat, and I last went out 3 years ago to visit her, still friends.

Listen about new boyfriends, get a little jealous-weirdly, but that is life, and she is entitled to have one

If I was more wealthy I think I too would have married this girl and taken her to the UK, one of the finest people I have met anywhere in the world.

Don't Tar all Thais', sure the system is rubbish, but the main guy in this video seems a sensible sort, it is the system that needs changing.

It is the system that people need to be weary of.

The system isn't to blame and doesn't need changing,the system like most issues in Thailand is designed to favour Thais plain and simple.

As soon as you understand that you are a 2nd class citizen in a foreign country the better.

[car720]

so super over weight Ian could not see this coming?

sorry to say, just look at the body language and expression on this wife's face in all the photos.

in the first 30 seconds you hear him say "... I was looking for a place with rule of law..."

are you completely clueless? everything in this video is what I found on google seven years ago on the first day researching Thailand. He must have never done a moments research.

I am sure Ian has a big heart, loved his wife and is a good and trusting person.

But you must have a healthy dose of paranoia to survive in Thailand.

Don't get married! Don't "buy" land. Assume nothing.

This is the land of the Klingons, Spock.

The way that I understand the place is simple enough. I think of countries like Australia or the UK where there is so much dogma and so many dogmatic people. Here there is no dogma, ergo the people float around anything principled like ducks on a pond. Or, more simply put it is dog eat dog. As masochistic as it sounds I feel at home amongst it because I have always been an outlaw though I do try so to maintain a sense of honour and indecency.

[jamie2009]

It does hapen in other countries, Paul MacCartney, look what happened to him. Any country where farangs go and marry girls half their age it's bound to happen.

The biggest scam currently in the UK is where the funds are transferred to a solicitor to buy a house are intercepted by criminals and transferred to another account, it's not the banks fault so people are losing thousands.

[huungryshark]

Yes Definitely RULE 1: Never marry any Thai woman and never buy anything more than a few thousand $$ in thailand that you can walk away from anytime!!!

Even a few thousand is too much.

i only rent apartments and girls

[jamie2009]

It does hapen in other countries, Paul MacCartney, look what happened to him. Any country where farangs go and marry girls half their age it's bound to happen.

The biggest scam currently in the UK is where the funds are transferred to a solicitor to buy a house are intercepted by criminals and transferred to another account, it's not the banks fault so people are losing thousands.