Kazakh man reports Phuket investment scam run by Ukrainian and Thai men
A Kazakh businessman filed a complaint with the Phuket Governor after being tricked by Ukrainian and Thai men into investing in a real estate project in the province. However, he has not received any profits from the investment.
The Kazakh victim, Takhir, initially reported the investment scam to Choeng Thale Police Station. He and his legal team subsequently met with the Phuket Governor, Sophon Suwannarat, today, January 7, to seek assistance from the authorities.
During the discussion, Takhir explained that he visited Phuket frequently until he met a Ukrainian real estate agent in the province. The agent offered him a condominium in the Choeng Thale sub-district and later invited him to invest in a new real estate project alongside him and his Thai associate.
The project involved the construction of an apartment complex named Layan Green Park, which required an investment of 300 million baht. The project began in 2019, before the pandemic, and the first phase was already completed.
The Ukrainian man and his Thai business partner proceeded with the second phase of the project, which is a hotel. The hotel is currently under construction.
However, Takhir, who was one of the project’s partners, has never participated in any decision-making processes, meetings, or actions related to the project. Moreover, he has not received the financial returns he expected, despite the project’s progress.
Takhir revealed that two of his friends were also victims of the scheme. They intend to pursue legal action against the suspects to prevent similar incidents from happening to others.
MGR Online reported that Phuket Provincial Police already summoned the two accused suspects for questioning but require further evidence. Takhir and the other victims will also be questioned before additional legal proceedings are taken against the two businessmen.
Governor Sophon promised to ensure justice for all parties and issued a warning to foreign investors to avoid making decisions without consulting the relevant authorities. He urged foreigners to contact official organisations, such as the Board of Trade of Thailand or the Federation of Thai Industries, for advice before making investments.
According to the report on MGR Online, the accused Ukrainian and Thai businessmen could face up to three years in prison and a fine of 60,000 baht under Section 352 of the Criminal Code, which pertains to embezzlement.
Latest Thailand News
