Thai couple loses over 11 million baht to trusted employee

Frustrated by the police’s lack of action, a Thai couple in Bangkok sought assistance from an official at the Ministry of Public Health. They shared their ordeal involving an employee of their dowry rental business and gold shop, who had swindled over 11 million baht from them.

The victims, 28 year old Atijittra and 34 year old Piyaphat, yesterday, September 12 sought help from the Advisor to the Public Health Minister, Thanakrit Jit-areerat, after police failed to provide any updates on their case.

The couple explained that they ran a dowry rental business, allowing couples to rent cash and gold accessories to display during their weddings. They also operated an online gold shop, offering gold accessories for customers to purchase in instalments.

According to the couple, the 26 year old suspect, Film, was an employee of theirs and also a younger friend from their university. Film worked full-time in the finance department of a district administrative office in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and worked part-time in the couple’s businesses.

Initially, Film assured the couple that she had numerous contacts and could attract more clients to their gold shop. She requested a commission for each client she secured, and the couple agreed. Subsequently, Film expressed interest in becoming a business partner in the dowry rental business, and the couple consented to share 30% of the income with her.

Within just five months, Film succeeded in bringing in 474 clients. In the dowry rental business, cash and gold accessories worth approximately 6.2 million baht were entrusted to Film to facilitate their rental to customers. Meanwhile, sales at the gold shop increased, but the earnings were held by Film.

Posing as clients

Film’s fraudulent activities were exposed on August 10, when Atijittra asked Film to return 900,000 baht to pay the dividends to another shareholder. Film eventually confessed to stealing all the money and gold, admitting that no one had rented dowries or purchased gold accessories.

Film said she kept the rental dowries for herself and posed as customers contacting the couple online and pretending to rent the dowries. She continued to claim she had more customers to convince the couple to leave their assets with her.

The couple reported the fraud to Lat Phrao Police Station but no progress was made. Their total loss exceeded 11 million baht and their business and family are now bankrupt.

Thanakrit, the Advisor to the Public Health Minister, promised to assist the couple and has coordinated with relevant departments to investigate whether Film acted alone or if others were involved.

Matichon reported that the suspect’s father is a police officer. She and her father are now fighting in the court to make herself clean.