Builder beware: Scam artist nails deposits, leaves homes hanging

A notorious contractor has been wreaking havoc across Thailand, scamming homeowners by taking deposits and abandoning projects. A homeowner in Chiang Mai has lost hundreds of thousands of baht, ending up with nothing more than house pillars.

A resident from Rong Wua Daeng, San Kamphaeng district, Chiang Mai, yesterday, July 2, reported that a contractor had absconded after receiving three instalments totalling over 300,000 baht. The project left the homeowner with only incomplete house pillars and an unfinished roof. Adding to their woes, the contractor had not paid the roofing material supplier, who had threatened to remove the installed roof.

The affected homeowner explained that she had initially sought a contractor to build her house through a Facebook group, with a budget of 450,000 baht. After more than a year of discussions, she signed a contract with the contractor. She had saved the money over a long period, intending to build a home for her parents. The ordeal left her mother in tears.

Efforts to contact the contractor have been futile. Reports suggest this contractor has abandoned several other projects in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Lamphun, Lampang, and Chiang Rai, employing similar deceitful tactics. It was also discovered that the contractor has an outstanding arrest warrant in the Nong Chok area of Bangkok.

The contractor’s modus operandi involves taking substantial deposits from homeowners and then disappearing without meeting the criteria for the agreed-upon work. Many victims have been left with incomplete structures, facing financial losses and emotional distress.

In another instance, a homeowner in Bangkok shared a similar tale of deception. She had engaged the same contractor to build a house, only to find that after receiving a significant portion of the budget, the contractor vanished, leaving the project incomplete, reported KhaoSod.

Homeowners are heavily urged to thoroughly vet contractors before engaging their services, to not fall victim to a scam. Recommendations include checking the contractor’s background, seeking references from previous clients, and ensuring that all agreements are formally documented.