Thai-Hong Kong woman loses over 30 million baht to fortune teller and police

A Thai-Hong Kong woman alleged that she lost more than 30 million baht in a Thai fortune teller scam and claims she later paid hundreds of thousands of baht to police while seeking progress in the case.

The 47 year old woman, identified as Phetcharin, sought assistance from consumer advocacy group Saimai Survive after becoming dissatisfied with the handling of her complaint.

According to Phetcharin, she is the daughter of a Hong Kong father and lives and works in Hong Kong. She said problems in her marriage began around four years ago after she discovered her husband had been dishonest.

Seeking help, she contacted a Thai fortune teller she had found on Facebook and asked for assistance in restoring her relationship.

Phetcharin alleged that the fortune teller sent her a love potion from Thailand and instructed her to mix it with water for drinking and bathing.

Thai-Hong Kong woman lost 30 million baht in fortune-telling scam
Photo via Amarin TV

She claimed that after following the instructions, she began believing in the fortune teller’s abilities and continued to seek guidance.

According to the woman, she followed numerous recommendations from the fortune teller over a period of three to four years and transferred money more than 100 times. Phetcharin said the total amount transferred exceeded 30 million baht.

She told reporters that she eventually realised she may have been deceived and travelled to Thailand to file a complaint with police.

The woman further alleged that despite providing financial support requested during the investigation, she received no updates regarding the case.

Speaking at a press conference today, June 17, Saimai Survive founder Ekkaphop Luangprasert said Phetcharin filed her complaint at Prawet Police Station.

Love potion scam causes 30 million baht loss
Love potion delivered from Thailand | Photo via Amarin TV

Ekkaphop alleged that five to six officers attached to the station were suspected of demanding money from the complainant during the investigation process.

He said the case should be relatively straightforward because the woman possesses financial records documenting transfers made to the fortune teller.

Ekkaphop pledged to follow up with the superintendent of Prawet Police Station and seek clarification regarding the investigation. He also said efforts would be made to determine whether any officers had improperly requested money from the complainant.

Police have not yet publicly responded to the allegations, and no further developments in the investigation had been announced.

Thai fortune teller swindles money from Thai-Hong Kong woman
A part of a ritual performed by the Thai fortune teller | Photo via Amarin TV

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Petch Petpailin

Petpailin, or Petch, is a Thai translator and writer for The Thaiger who focuses on translating breakingThai news stories into English. With a background in field journalism, Petch brings several years of experience to the English News desk at The Thaiger. Before joining The Thaiger, Petch worked as a content writer for several known blogging sites in Bangkok, including Happio and The Smart Local. Her articles have been syndicated by many big publishers in Thailand and internationally, including the Daily Mail, The Sun and the Bangkok Post. She is a news writer who stops reading news on the weekends to spend more time cafe hopping and petting dwarf shrimp! But during office hours, you can find Petch on LinkedIn and you can reach her by email at petch@thethaiger.com.