Phuket Marriage Land Scam

The story starts in 1997 when I stopped over in Bangkok. What an assault on the senses that was. I knew basically nothing of Thailand. Thailand back then was very different to it is today not as modern and efficient and definitely more pollution especially in Bangkok. I knew nothing about bars or go go clubs and anyway I was married at the time so I wasn’t particularly interested. I had two full days of eating at local markets visiting temples and eating on food stalls which were quite fun.

I had spent all of the Thai money that I had changed up and only had a credit card and some Australian dollars left. This was quite unfortunate because I didn’t know there was a departure tax that I had to pay. At the hotel they wouldn’t return my passport until I paid up so I had to pay with a credit card which was expensive.

Fast forward to a few years later and I was now divorced. I visited a friend in Bali and spent time in Jakarta which was quite a wild scene back then. In June 2015 I told my good friend that I’m planning another trip to the UK for a week and then I’ll be back in Bali. He said ‘No we should go to Thailand.’ I asked him where we should meet. He said ‘Look book a hotel in Phuket. I will give you the name of the hotel later and we can meet up there.’

In 2015 I was age 50. I was still quite fit I played football went running and went to the gym regularly. My friend Gary was also very fit. We both arrived in Phuket within half an hour of each other. It was about 10 PM at night so we dumped our bags in our hotel room and headed down to the Karon Resort along the Beach Road. We stopped for a few beers at several bars before we discovered Bangla Road. We ended up in Soi Sea Dragon at Susie Wong’s.

The First Trip Meeting Tick

The next day we got up had a late breakfast and hired a couple of scooters. We headed down to the coasts past Karon and back again stopping at a few places to eat have a few beers and speak to some sexy Thai ladies. That night we headed out to Bangla Road again and visited many bars including a bar we were totally naive about we had never heard of ladyboys in Thailand before. We brought two of them some drinks and it wasn’t until a while later when a guy sitting at the next table told us about them. No harm done we had a good laugh about it thanked them for their company and moved on to Susie Wong’s again. Jet lag had kicked in and we were feeling very tired so decided to call it a night and went back to our hotel around midnight.

After a good breakfast we spent the day discovering the island on our scooters and had a great day. We had talked about the previous couple of nights and decided that tonight we would go out and try and find a couple of decent Thai girls to hang out with. So that night we did the usual bar hopping but saw nothing that took our fancy. We were walking past quite a popular restaurant/bar when I spotted a very sexy waitress and Gary also saw another girl that he liked who worked at the same restaurant. Both girls were very pretty and we managed to have a decent conversation with them and buy them some drinks.

The restaurant wasn’t that busy this late in the evening. We asked them what time they finished work as we would like to invite them out for drinks. They told us 2 AM. It was now only 11 PM. I wasn’t much good at chat up lines so I let Gary do most of the talking which he did very well. We actually had to pay a bar fine to take them out at the end of the night which was strange. The bar fine was expensive but this was Phuket it was 2000 Baht each. We didn’t mind we were on holiday and just paid up.

The girl I was with was called Tick. At the end of the night I asked her if she would like to come back to my hotel for more drinks to which she agreed. She asked me if she could take a shower as it had been a very hot and sticky evening. I said yes but after about five minutes I could hear her vomiting violently in the bathroom. She came out after about 30 minutes looking like death warmed up. I asked her if she would like me to call her a taxi. She said no and asked me if I would mind if she slept in my bed as she felt sick. I told her yes that’s fine. Nothing happened we just slept. But in the morning she repaid me with a fantastic aerobic session.

We both went to breakfast together. She had a great personality I really enjoyed speaking with her. Tick’s English was pretty good so I took the plunge and asked her if she would like to spend the next five days with me while on holiday and of course she said yes.

The next five days with Tick were really good fun. We explored the island together and she stayed with me every night. She never asked me for any money or tips but I gave her some anyway. I figured she’s a nice girl I would like to help her a little.

Long Distance Love

Shortly after this I returned home to Sydney. Tick called me on the Line app using video chat. We spent many hours every day chatting to each other. I was really falling head over heels for Tick as I said she was great company. Right there and then I decided I was going back to Phuket in December. It was a long weekend here in Australia so I made up my mind and flew out on the Thursday night and got into Phuket for breakfast. I flew back the following Sunday arriving Monday morning and straight to work. I would repeat this another two times before Christmas.

The second trip was lower key than the previous trip but we still went out to Patong a few times as well as seeing where Tick lived in Phuket. It was a small Thai type house in Chalong the house was basic two rooms a toilet and an outdoor cooking area at the back of the house.

My third trip was at the beginning of November. I stayed in a hotel for two days but the rest of the time at Tick’s place. She had a daughter who was 14 years old at the time living there too. Her sister lived in a house nearby and her older brother lived about one kilometer away. Tick’s parents are divorced and no longer live on Phuket Island.

On my visits to Phuket I would go into the local bars these are mostly frequented by expats so I got to know a few of them as well as the expat bar owners. On the third trip I hired a pickup truck and we drove taking her brother to see her mother and father at different locations. Tick’s mother lived in a rural area with Tick’s grandmother. The house was a decent size although basic. Her father’s house was also very basic cooking over an open fire no toilet so you had to go into the nearby swamp. We slept on the floor in Tick’s aunt’s house who lived in the same area.

I went hunting with Tick’s father at night with a torch. He was hunting for snakes frogs and field rats. I tried eating the frog and a snake but I had to draw the line at eating rat. Strangely enough field rat is more expensive than pork or beef at wet markets.

As I was making so many trips to visit Tick vacation time off from work was becoming a real issue with my boss. I had to be a little bit colorful with the truth and I got a doctor’s certificate saying I needed time off I’ll leave it at that.

Rural Thailand With Tick

When I was in Thailand with Tick we did quite a bit of traveling. It was a real eye opener visiting rural parts of Thailand but also interesting.

Background and the Marriage Proposal

So before I go further with this story I think it’s important to explain a little bit about my background. When I met Tick I was 50 years old divorced had two grown up children and I lived in Sydney. I was a project engineering manager. I had a good salary my health was good and I dressed fairly smartly even when in Thailand. Tick was 32 at the time. She had several small office jobs in Bangkok before getting a job in a pig slaughterhouse where she became a manager. She had an abusive boyfriend who did not have a job and Tick had to constantly give him money he would drink all day and gamble with his friends. Tick took her daughter at the time and fled to Phuket where her sister worked as a hotel receptionist. After a few failed office jobs she got a job in the bar/restaurant where we met.

She had been there for just over a year so her English was okay but still basic but improving each time we spent time together.

On yet another trip to visit Tick we spent our time riding around Phuket Island. We also went to Krabi town and Trang. I can’t remember which one of us said it but the word ‘marriage‘ came up from time to time. I arranged the immigration forms so that Tick could at least visit me for a holiday in Sydney. Three weeks later she got knocked back by the Australian Border Force who didn’t believe that we had been going out together long enough and they said she posed a flight risk if they allowed her into the country.

The Land Scam

One day while speaking with her father through an interpreter he asked me why I didn’t buy 10 hectares of Thai palm oil plantation which was about 1.2 million Baht (or 45000 Australian dollars). When Tick returned I asked her what it was all about and why had her father spoke to me about this. She spoke to her father then repeated what the interpreter had said and added that it would be a good source of income as her father and uncle could be employed there. I was very suspicious at this get rich quick plan. I told them all that I would think about it but when I was alone with Tick I told her ‘No way I’m not interested.’

I went to the local land office anyway with the interpreter and asked about the land. It turns out the reason for the sale was that the plantation was not managed properly and the fertilizer used was wrong so the yield of oil was less than half of what was expected. It was going to cost about 8000 Australian dollars to make it all good again. The land office told me that after paying workers and for fertilizer I could expect to make about 30000 Baht a month or 1200 Australian dollars. I thought to myself that’s not very much for an investment of forty five thousand dollars.

Back in Phuket I got a copy of the title deed to the land and went to see a lawyer. But Tick warned me not to buy the land I cannot own it as a foreigner and more importantly the land they were trying to sell me was Crown Land that cannot be sold. Crown land can only be passed to a direct family member. Tick is not too pleased at this discovery so we go to her sister’s house to explain our discovery. Tick tells her sister the story. This leads to a massive argument. They call Tick’s father on the phone. Tick is crying and is very upset because she has lost face in front of her entire family. After a while she finally calms down and later on we go for something to eat before heading home.

I tried to calm things down and make her feel more at ease so I said ‘Don’t worry we’ll go and see another lawyer to double check this tomorrow.’ This was a huge mistake on my part as Tick immediately gets on the phone to the family and tells them it’s back on. The next day I go and see another lawyer and he tells me exactly the same as the first lawyer it’s Crown Land and can’t be sold. He also tells me to be very wary of this family because people go missing in rural areas of Thailand.

Tick now had to go through the whole process again and explain to the family that this land could not be sold and the deal was once again off. This episode actually brought us closer together.

The Wedding

I had about five days to go before I had to head back to Sydney. One evening we were casually chatting about our future together how we should handle it where we should live and everything else when her sister turned up with food. We all ate together. We were joking about getting married when her sister turned around and said ‘Why not? You should.’ Tick said to me ‘Let’s do it.’ Within minutes Tick’s sister was on the phone calling the family and everybody else she knew and proceeded to tell them the news. I hadn’t even agreed. A little bit later on she called the local Amphur to get a marriage license but this was a Saturday afternoon and we would have to wait until Monday which gave me the weekend to think about things.

Tick announced the marriage plans on Facebook so I ended up buying a ring. We started talking dates. I was looking at the same time next year. Tick said no it would be better if we did it in July or August. Tick then received a phone call and as a result left the house and went to see the village chief who would use his good luck charms to come up with a date for the marriage. Yes I was thinking the same are we living in the Dark Ages?

So I’m now back home in Sydney and I’m informed by text that the marriage date has been fixed for March the 18th 2016 with a guest list of more than 350 people coming from the village and the surrounding areas of southeast Thailand. Even my best friend Gary came out from the UK for the marriage.

There was a lot of paperwork and translating of documents and declarations. I had to attend the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Luckily there were many freelance translators inside. For 2500 Baht they translated all my documents and queued up for me. The next day simple translation of documents in Bangkok cost me 4000 Baht.

On the day of the wedding the preparation started at 6 AM. There were family parades. Tick was to be married in a traditional Thai dress and then get changed into a Western wedding dress later. We didn’t manage to leave until 2 AM the following day. There was a stage put up outside her aunt’s house for performances which took up most of the road. When it was all over it was time for us to head back to Phuket where we had another week together before I had to fly home to Sydney.

The Visa Battle

My next trip was in May when I applied for a spouse visa for Tick to come and live with me in Sydney. The plan was that Tick’s sister would look after her daughter until she was 18 and finished school she would then come to Australia and join us. I won’t go into too much detail here about how much paperwork we had to complete and how much money I had to pay but I will tell you that the spouse visa application cost me seven thousand Australian dollars.

Three weeks after the application was submitted they requested Tick have her fingerprints taken along with an iris image scan that can only be done in Chiang Mai or Bangkok. I flew back to Thailand for just a few days to help her through the process. They also wanted her to have a full medical at a nominated hospital which cost me another 5000 Baht. The whole process would take 12 to 18 months.

I decided to try for another vacation visa to bring Tick to Australia for a few weeks. To my surprise and delight it was actually approved. Her visa came through and I brought her to Sydney in mid July. Daytime temperatures during that period were about 18 to 22 degrees Celsius Tick thought it was freezing. I could only have weekends off so I tried to organize something each night and then touring around Sydney including Thai Town which she loved. There is even a Thai run pub near my house.

I had booked a four week holiday for Tick but after three weeks she started to complain ‘It’s Thailand this Thailand that.’ It was starting to get on my nerves.

Back in Phuket Tick told me that she cannot move to Australia. She does not like it it’s too cold. So the next few days are tense between us. Anyway what can I do? I couldn’t force Tick to live in Australia and I definitely wanted to stay with her.

The Business Gamble

It’s now late August and I decide on a surprise visit to see Tick. I only have five days this time. This is where I made a judgment call. I say to myself ‘What if I can get a job or open a business in Thailand?’ I make a few inquiries engage a lawyer and head back to Sydney. Google is now my best friend researching businesses for sale and business brokers. I also looked at the expat job route but that would prove hopeless.

It’s now mid September and I’m talking to business sites and brokers on the phone and via email but it’s no good I have to be on the ground. Either Tick has to come to Australia or I have to go to Thailand. I do not want a long distance relationship they never work. I’m thinking ‘Do I walk away or do I keep going for the moment and explore my avenues and then make up my mind later?’

I arrange to meet some business brokers in Phuket and so I fly there for four days at the end of September. I decide on three brokers A B and C. C would prove to have the best contacts and advice but I did not find this out until later. I looked at franchise shops businesses inside shopping centers but ended up on the hotel option buying and running a small hotel.

Back in Sydney it was back to Google and a few hotel brokers I had been put in touch with. A good deal came up but the Thai owner did not want to sell to a farang. There were a few other options. I was back in Phuket again for four days in early October. I narrowed it down to three hotels and went back to Sydney. A lot of my time was occupied looking at hotels as the brokers were sending me details of people who wanted to sell up in Thailand.

I went with Broker A agreed on a price and had to secure with a 300000 Baht deposit. I was very hesitant at the enormity of what I was proposing to do. It suddenly hit me. The broker was always trying to get me to commit constant phone calls and emails. He kept telling me there were other buyers interested. Meanwhile I was discussing this with Tick. I told her ‘I’m not sure what to do.’ I had to make a decision. So the next day I bit the bullet. I sent the deposit. I was told that if I pulled out I would lose 100000 Baht but if the seller pulled out I would get all my money back plus 100000 Baht compensation.

I booked a flight to Thailand for four days went to my lawyer’s office with the seller (he was the building owner) signed all the documents paid one month’s rent up front but did not transfer the rest of the money until two days before taking over. I finally got the keys on December the 1st 2016.

Taking Over the Phuket Hotel

The owner arranged to meet me with all the staff as a kind of handover farewell party. We went out that evening and had a lot to eat and drink. Back in Australia I handed in my notice and announced to everyone that I was off to see if the grass is greener on the other side. I told them I’m off to Thailand. You would not believe the amount of people who came up to me and shook my hand and told me they were envious and wished they had the courage to do what I was doing.

I arrived in Phuket on November the 24th. I went to meet the staff again and I wanted to relax for a few days. I transferred the remaining key money on the 30th and I got the deed papers from my lawyers on the 31st. First of December wow. What a busy few weeks leading up to Christmas. Most of the staff were very good and worked hard however I had to fire several of them as I knew they were stealing. Their replacements were all good people and everything smoothed over after this.

A little bit about the hotel it was a three star hotel with 32 rooms over five floors in Patong just off Number 3 Road and not far from OTOP. I had a restaurant in there as well. Up until Christmas we were about 80 to 90 percent full and raking in the cash. I encouraged my staff to ask for cash from customers by telling guests they would be charged three percent on credit card transactions. They were also told that they would get a five percent discount if they paid for their bill with cash. January we were fully booked. Tick stayed with us and we all lived together in a very nice three bedroom house about 10 minutes away from Patong.

The work was hard. I started at 7 AM and I didn’t normally finish until 11 PM or even midnight at weekends. Tick didn’t mind because we were really pulling in good money in high season.

The Downward Spiral

Tick and I got on pretty good the aerobics were sometimes a little lacking to my displeasure. When I moved to Phuket this sort of behavior became the norm. It got to the point that I was thinking I could go short time anytime I felt like it. I know a few of my female staff wanted to but I could not do it too close to home for comfort even though it was very tempting.

So now we are in February and Tick is like ‘Don’t touch me’ when we were in bed together. I thought ‘What the hell am I doing here?’ In the evenings I would sometimes go out early evening to meet friends for a few hours that I had met while playing in a weekly pool competition. It was a good environment. If there was a spare room at the hotel I would just stay there the night rather than go home.

It eventually happened. I met someone else. We got on well together and one thing led to another but in the end I said no and we left. We met up a few days later this time I did not hold back. This happened a few times and one of Tick’s friends saw me with this other well known lady but I did not realize at the time.

A few days later a whole bunch of us were out at a bar and I was with another girl called Lynn. I had been caught red handed. Then all hell broke loose glasses ashtrays and anything else that came to hand was thrown around the room. Somebody (complete strangers) just joined in for some reason. But like most pub fights it was over in about 30 seconds. I stayed at the hotel that night. Going to the house in the morning Tick was not there. I eventually spoke to her and she had traveled to her mum’s house and told me that she did not want to see me.

I met Lynn a few more times always having to pay for short time rooms. Tick came back after a week. She told me that she loved me and missed me. The aerobics were back on and the best we had had for a while. This carried on for a few days. And Lynn wanted to meet up with me so I did. I would juggle both of them. But after a week I thought ‘I need a holiday I’m exhausted.’ What with the hotel and two women to satisfy? I did not have to wait long until Tick discovered what I was up to and checked my phone. Things quietened down for a week or so until we were out and we bumped into Lynn. Lynn kicked off again screaming and shouting. Time went on we can be crazy.

Tick told me that she wanted to go and stay with her mum as she needed to think things over. Obviously this was a good chance for me to spend some time with Lynn. You won’t believe what happened next. The reason Tick really left town was because she organized a hit on Lynn. We found this out from one of Tick’s friends who was worried about us and wandered as unbelievable as this seems this actually happened and apparently it’s quite common in some parts of Thailand. So Lynn and I moved out of town for a few days returning. Tick is livid and has it out with me in the hotel lobby. Luckily no guests were around. She attacks me with a kitchen knife eventually threw it at me like a spear. My staff jump on her to calm her down.

Ending Things With Tick

The next night the same thing happens but this time she has her sister with her. By this time I’ve had enough and I tell her to f*** off. I told her that I don’t want to see her again but secretly inside I still love her. I knew that if I was to have any future with her I had to dump Lynn.

Tick did not return to the hotel for about two weeks and I was living there by myself. She eventually turned up with her brother sister and friends. Her sister’s ex got arrested for drug and gun possession he was in jail for 10 years and I suspect her sister had the gun. They all started to have a go at me. Her sister cleared off on a motorbike for some reason but the rest of them were screaming and shouting. Perhaps her sister went off to retrieve a hidden weapon to use on me but luckily somebody reported the situation to the police and we were eventually all arrested. They eventually let us all go with just a warning.

I did not see Tick again for a few days only Lynn. Tick and I started talking again and we went back to the house again for about a week. It was aerobics with both Tick and Lynn at separate times. Eventually Tick got sick of the situation. I was not a good person at this point. Clearly she loved me.

Fast forward a few months. Lynn and me are no longer together. I contact Tick. She is pleased to hear from me but has a new farang boyfriend a guy who was here for a two week holiday and has now returned to his home country. I am jealous inside and I try to get back with her but she says no.

The Business Fails

Another few months pass and on the hotel front business is not good. My hotel was on Soi 4 there were several hotels now up for sale due to a lack of business. I managed to sell the hotel and I opened a bar/restaurant in the Russian part of Patong. I partnered with a Thai lady who had bars in the past but that ended up as a disaster. I walked away after three months. It was a nice bar we had a blank two unit fronted shop and had them fitted out but we did not make much money. My Thai business partner went bust three months later owing rent and money to many wholesalers.

I decided to take some time out and spent time touring different parts of Thailand. I drove to Khao Lak Krabi and through the Krabi province. I also drove to Trang Trat Bangkok Phi Phi Island Koh Lanta and Ubon Ratchathani. During my time in Thailand I have been to many Thai weddings and many Thai funerals. However it’s the Thai funerals that are the eye openers. The funerals take three days and during this time there is a lot of drinking and eating as well as card gambling. It is amazing to be part of it.

Back to Sydney and the Final Break

So I’m now back in Australia. Tick has a job in a restaurant in central Phuket and we speak on the phone every day and messages too. I go back at Christmas for two weeks but we don’t really do much we tour around the island and eat out. We tend to stay away from the tourist areas. I checked with the Australian Border Force and it turned out that Tick is still eligible to come to Sydney on a partner visa. I explained this to Tick and suggested that maybe it would be a good idea if she gave Sydney another go. She agrees that it’s worth having another go at trying to work things out in Australia at least as I have less opportunity to play around.

Tick arrives in Sydney in June 2019. I organized a bank account a Medicare card and I’m also speaking to a few people about work prospects for her. The first two weeks we take it easy and go into Thai Town a few times to make her feel at home. Good news comes through I got Tick a job in a large butcher shop through a friend of a friend. The butcher who owns the shop has 10 staff and as a bonus he has a Thai wife that Tick can talk to. Things seem to be going well here in Sydney. We are now in our third week together and no arguments. Tick is due to start work the following week but now it seems she’s getting cold feet. She tells me she misses her mum and her daughter.

I said ‘They won’t miss you as long as you send money back every month.’ Her salary at the butchers is 800 Australian dollars a week less taxes of course so take home is about 580. Tick finds this sum of money staggering. Like all Thais she’s always on the phone all the time.

I noticed something was off with her demeanor this past week and I get suspicious. We go to sleep that night and I pick up her phone while she’s in a deep sleep using her fingerprint to bypass security. Luckily she didn’t wake up. I find she has been speaking to other farangs on Line app and Facebook Messenger. It’s not constant but a few messages every few days from two guys. I also found out that she saw some guy who came out to Thailand for a week during the period we broke up and he too was messaging Tick. I took many photos of the messages.

I think it’s fair to say that I was raging and I could not sleep. I decided to send Tick some of the photos I took and she would see them when I was at work. I only spoke to her briefly during the day deciding to confront her in person that night. When I got home I asked her to explain herself. She blew up and said ‘What business is it of yours looking at my phone?’ This is very typical of many Thai women they always try and shift the blame. We had a massive fight. She disappeared into the kitchen and came back with a steak knife. She tried to stab me with the knife but eventually ended up throwing it at me. I dodged it but it caught the side of my face and mouth and gave me some minor cuts.

I held her down physically but I didn’t hit her. Eventually it calmed down. She went back to bed I stayed on the couch.

Sending Tick Back to Thailand

The next day I told her straight. I told her that’s it I’ve had enough. I’m putting you back on the aircraft to Thailand. A week later she was gone. July 2019 was the last time I saw her.

The Aftermath

We would still message each other a few times a week and the odd phone call. She would ring me during staff breaks at the restaurant she worked at and always semi drunk. This contact got less as time passed by. She reached out to me again when COVID came around. I sent her some money just enough for her rent and food not a lot. I think from memory it was about 6000 Baht and I only sent that as a goodwill gesture due to our history together. After that I pulled the plug but she reached out to me again a few months after that so I sent her another 10000 Baht. How could I not? That was around May or June 2021.

The only other time I’ve heard from Tick was by Line messenger asking for a divorce. I didn’t get the chance to go to the police station and fill out all the forms for a divorce it’s pretty simple in Thailand to get a divorce apparently.

The story is not over yet. I have been back twice since COVID restrictions eased December and January and July this year. I plan to go back later this year. I did not return to Phuket.