Migrant workers take over house of Thai-Australian couple in Korat

A Thai woman and her Australian husband filed a police complaint after a group of migrant workers took over their house in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat.

The Thai woman, 66 year old Somporn Rolland, told officers at Sikhio Police Station that she returned home from Australia in February to find the group of migrants living in her house and making numerous changes to the property.

Somporn rushed to speak to the intruders but was eventually evicted from her own home. She said she filed a complaint with the police once but the case had not developed. She decided to ask help from a social media influencer, Phanumart Jitwasinkul, to help her follow up on the complaint.

Somporn explained that she lived with her 74 year old Aussie husband once or twice a year. Despite these infrequent visits, Somporn bought a 19,200-square-metre plot of land and hired a construction team to build the house where she planned to spend her retirement.

The light blue two-storey house stands along Friendship Highway in the Sikhio district, amidst several smaller, one-story dwellings nearby. However, Somporn did not confirm if these belonged to her.

Contrary to expectations, Somporn disclosed that her house wasn’t light blue, and all details had been altered from her initial design.

Police officers and immigration authorities yesterday, May 22, conducted a raid at the premises, only to find it deserted. However, numerous electrical appliances were left operational, indicating a recent hasty departure by the occupants.

Further inspection revealed a mushroom farm on the property, which the homeowner vehemently denied ever operating. The police are yet to announce their subsequent course of action in the ongoing investigation.

A similar case was reported in June last year when an Indian national took over a Thai man’s commercial building in Pattaya, operating it as an unlicensed club and rental property. The building’s owner revealed he had abandoned the property for five years before discovering the situation.

Another case of property fraud occurred in Bangkok in September last year, involving a couple who took legal action against their neighbours for illegally taking control of and renovating their home. The intruders opened a fried chicken shop after the homeowner discovered their illegal actions.

Changes in Somporn’s home. | Photo via Facebook/ TERO Digital