Heartbreak heist: Burmese man loses phones and cash to Thai love scam

A Burmese man fell victim to a Thai woman in a romance scam, losing two phones and 20,000 baht in cash. He found himself waiting at a railway station in the southern province of Yala for three days, hoping for the woman’s return.

The 32 year old victim, identified only as Gar, on December 31 asked Krong Pinang Police Station officers to find the address of his girlfriend, named Saweeya. Gar told the police that Saweeya asked him to wait for an official document to enter an area in the Deep South provinces for three days but she disappeared.

Gar explained that he sold Thai-style roti in the eastern province of Rayong and had been talking with his girlfriend who lived in Yala online for three years. He wanted to start a family with Saweeya and invited her to live with him in Rayong four months ago.

Gar was confident in their relationship and thought both he and Saweeya were ready for sex. However, Saweeya denied him any intimate, physical contact for four months saying he had to marry her first according to her religious tradition. Gar said he waited and was happy just to be with her.

According to Gar, Saweeya asked him to meet her parents in Yala, and they arrived at Yala Railway Station on December 27. Saweeya asked him to wait at the station, saying she needed to get some official document for him because her house was in a risk area.

Saweeya then left the station with his phones and 20,000 baht in cash. Gar said he trusted Saweeya and waited there but she did not return after three days. He decided to ask the police for her address.

Officers informed Gar that there was no such document that Saweeya mentioned and told Gar that he had been scammed.

Gar revealed to police and Matichon that he was disappointed. He loved Saweeya and trusted her. She should not have done this to him. However, he was willing to forgive her if she returned the money to him. It was money he had worked hard to save for their future together.

“You told me we would be together forever. Why did you deceive me like this?”

Police offered Gar the travel expense to return to Rayong and would process a lawsuit against the scammer.