Thai groom-to-be fakes dowry theft after no money for wedding

A Thai groom-to-be reported the theft of his dowry worth nearly 700,000 baht to police in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. He later confessed that he faked the story because he lost his job and had no money for the wedding.

The 29 year old Thai man, Nattapon Tormee, lodged a complaint at Mueang Khon Kaen Police Station at 8am yesterday, December 13, stating that his car window was smashed and the dowry prepared for his upcoming wedding ceremony had been stolen.

Nattapon informed the police that his dowry, consisting of 500,000 baht in cash and gold necklaces valued at approximately 170,000 baht, was missing. He explained that while heading home, he felt hungry and stopped at the market to buy food.

After his meal, upon returning to his car, he discovered a broken window. After inspecting, he found that his cash and gold were gone. The funds were acquired by pawning his car, and these assets were earmarked for his upcoming wedding at the end of December. Unfortunately, he was left with nothing.

Despite reviewing CCTV footage from the market car park, the police found no evidence of suspicious individuals. While the camera captured the car’s presence, there was no sign of anyone breaking the window, as Nattapon had claimed.

Subsequently, officers extensively questioned Nattapon until he admitted to orchestrating the theft. He confessed to using a car key to break the window and fabricating the dowry theft due to significant debt, which hindered his ability to finance the wedding. Nattapon had also concealed his financial difficulties from his girlfriend for an extended period.

Nattapon faces a charge of giving false information or making a false complaint to the police. This carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine of up to 40,000 baht, or both.