Middleman rips off 150 million baht’s worth of land from owner

PHUKET: A ‘disgruntled’ land owner claiming to have been cheated out of 150 million baht in the sale of land at Freedom Beach is now calling on authorities to resolve the matter.

Peetharat Hootchai, 38, with her lawyer Pradit Chuaythani, held a press conference at the Phuket Merlin Hotel yesterday, explaining to the media that she was never paid in the transaction.

“The two plots of land in question measure up to 65 rai. The chanote for the land has already been issued to the buyer without us having received any money for it. In fact, I have been threatened to leave the area. I want to either to have my land back, or to see it become public,” said Ms Peetharat.

Ms Peetharat explained that a middleman had expressed interest in buying the land from her mother several years ago. He had reportedly told her that she could get a better price if she could get a chanote issued in her name.

“The man then offered my mother to get it done and sell it for her. My mother is simple-minded and doesn’t know the laws, so she agreed to give him signed permission to act on her behalf. However, on April 12, 2011, she went to check the progress at the land office and discovered that the chanote had already been issued under the names Ekkachai Saeiew and Wirot Kongkaew,” she added.

Ms Peetharat filed a complaint against the two men, the case of which is now in process.

“We have owned this land since 1942,” Ms Peetharat said with tears in her eyes.

— Kritsada Mueanhawong