A BRITISH businessman today (June 1) filed a complaint at the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) after losing over 15 million baht in a condominium scam at Koh Samui, TV Channel 7 said.
Mr. David Edward Chappelle (name translated as written in Thai), 70, was accompanied by Mr. Pattakorn Teepbunrat, a representative of Thailand Consumers Council, and his lawyer, Mr. Tewit Haji, in asking CIB Chief Pol. Lt. Gen. Jiraphop Bhuridej to investigate and take legal action against a well-known property developer on the resort island.
Pattakorn said Chappelle, the victim, had paid over 15 million baht for a luxury condo in 2016 and has been asking for the title deed but this was not handed over.
He later found out that the developer had not obtained a permit to develop the project as well as deceived consumers with suspicious false statements. On top of not transferring title deeds to buyers the developer had either sold or mortgaged the land without buyers’ consent.
More than five buyers have been scammed with the loss amounting to over 100 million baht.
The CIB chief will be forwarding this complaint to his superiors for legal action.
Sources warned that there are real estate companies that defraud foreigners as they are not well-versed on Thai regulations. For example if a foreigner visits the project the sales team will boast that the advantage of buying a unit in their development is that they would not have to pay transfer fee and other taxes when taking transfer at the Land Department. They will often show fake title deeds of the land plot and the structure to win the buyer’s trust.
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The British businessman filing his complaint at the CIB headquarters today, June 1, 2023. Photo: TV Channel 7
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