Fishy business! Sauce boss sues ex over 80-million-baht ‘phony’ loan

The CEO of a fermented fish sauce factory in the Isaan province of Sakon Nakhon is taking legal action against her ex-husband for allegedly forging her signature and document on a loan amounting to 80 million baht.

The CEO of Imsook Foods, 31 year old Cherlin “Ninew” Apinarakasemsit, held a press conference at 11am today, October 25, to disclose details of the alleged fraud and assert her innocence.

Ninew explained that she received a collection letter from the bank, indicating that she was a guarantor for four loans totalling approximately 80 million baht, which her ex-husband obtained in 2023. Her ex-husband failed to repay the loans, resulting in her, as the supposed guarantor, being held responsible for the debt.

Ninew stated that she had never agreed to act as a guarantor for anyone, including her ex-husband. She claimed that she had not visited the bank to sign the loan agreements nor had she authorised anyone to sign on her behalf.

The CEO also asserted that she was elsewhere on the day the contracts were signed and could provide evidence and witnesses to support her claim.

Ninew suspects that her ex-husband submitted counterfeit documents and forged her signature on the loan agreements, causing her to face financial complications and lose business opportunities.

Accordingly, Ninew is pursuing legal action against her ex-husband and five others involved in the loan arrangements, including the bank officials.

Ninew’s lawyer, Teerasak Thongsuang, questioned the bank’s procedures, asking why the officials approved such substantial loans without the guarantor being present on the day of signing.

Teerasak also highlighted that the loan agreements were allegedly signed on the same day that Ninew finalised her divorce from her ex-husband, raising suspicions about whether her signature had been obtained without her knowledge or consent.

Teerasak urged the bank to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and provide justice for Ninew.

In a related report, a Thai woman was left with 10 million baht in debt after being betrayed by a friend. Her friend secretly used her personal information to secure a loan and then disappeared with a large sum of money.