Thai wife and ex-wife fight over ownership of cafe after husband’s death

A family dispute has surfaced over the ownership of a cliff-top cafe and restaurant in the central province of Chantaburi following the death of a man. The contention involves the man’s Thai wife and his ex-wife.

The conflict became public when Phanisa “Mook” Pongsawat, a Thai woman, posted a message on the Facebook page of the cafe, Sky View Cafe AT Chantaburi (Sky View cafe AT จันทบุรี) announcing the closure for maintenance from November 30 due to the passing of her husband, Songkran “Es” Taweeponsawat.

In response to the post, Es’ daughter, Supajitta Dermsomboon, created a new Facebook page for the cafe and insisted that she and her siblings would be the owners of the cafe from December 19, 2022. She added that the cafe would open as normal and urged Mook to stop interfering in her business.

Mook later explained to her customers that she had been in a relationship with Es for 11 years and had adopted a boy named Sky, who is now seven years old. They lived together in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat before moving to Chantaburi province in 2019.

Mook insisted that all the money invested in the cafe was her money, and Es took care of the cafe’s management. They named the cafe Sky View Cafe after their adopted son Sky. Tragedy struck earlier this year when Es succumbed to a stroke, prompting Mook to temporarily close the cafe for her husband’s funeral.

Unexpectedly, Es’s ex-wife and daughter gained access to the cafe and claimed ownership. Mook claimed that she was threatened by the family and decided to return to her home province of Nakhon Si Thammarat.

Rightful ownership

Mook said that the rightful ownership of the cafe was still in the legal process. She tried every way to gain the cafe back but has not returned to the cafe since her husband’s death due to worries about her safety.

Mook had to make a statement about the maintenance because she received a document from the sub-district office on June 12. The sub-district office ordered the cafe to close temporarily because some renovations to the cafe had not been approved by the government.

Mook was concerned that she would be charged with disobeying a government order because Es’ daughter and ex-wife continued to run the cafe under their names.

The ex-wife and daughter refused to give interviews to the media, saying they needed to consult their lawyer before revealing any details.

Well-known lawyer Ronnarong Kaewphet gave his opinion on the matter, saying Es’s daughter and other siblings had a right to ownership of the cafe but only half of it. He suggested that the two parties come to an amicable agreement and avoid demolishing the cafe, which would complicate the issue.

Many netizens pointed out that Mook had not said whether or not she had signed a marriage certificate with Es. If she did, the ownership and benefits of the cafe should go to her, as she was the only one who invested and made all the financial transactions.