Matchmaking firms raided

Post by **BKKSTAN** » March 21, 2008, 10:42 am

Bangkok Post:

Police raid two firms offering online match-making services

SUMETH WANNAPRUEK

KHON KAEN : Police yesterday raided two firms offering match-making services in the province of Khon Kaen after allegations of swindling. The police team raided the Thai Publuk and Thai Zury companies in Muang district which provide online match-making services for Thai women wanting to find foreign partners.

The raid followed complaints by more than 50 northeastern women, who claimed they had been deceived by the firms, which promised to find foreign husbands for them. They claimed the firms failed to honour agreements.

Pol Lt-Col Weerawuth Siangsai, the chief of the suppression division at the Khon Kaen police station, said women from Khon Kaen and neighbouring provinces had hired the match-making firms.

They told the firms about what they expected of the foreigners they wanted to marry. The firms later contacted foreigners and suggested they chat with the women on the firm's websites.

The correspondence and online match-making service lasted two months and each woman was charged 5,000 baht.

If the two sides wanted to meet, the firms would arrange places for them to see each other face to face. The meeting places included Suvarnabhumi airport and tourist venues, said Pol Lt-Col Weerawuth.

If the two sides agreed to marry, they had to pay 50,000 baht to the service providers, the police officer said. The firm would also get 10% of the dowry money.

Pol Lt-Col Weerawuth said there are six match-making firms in Khon Kaen with over 1,000 registered customers.

Police had been unable to act against the firms earlier because women had not filed charges. Many felt they would be embarrassed if their stories were made public. Most simply gave information to police but did not press charges, said the officer.

Post by **Bump** » March 21, 2008, 12:31 pm

Well there goes the last hope for a buisness

I'm kidding around but really a tragedy that these even exist. The money the ladies stood to lose was peanuts in comparison. 10% of the dowery tha could be a lot of money especially if these guys are relying on them for advice on the culture.

Skip the 5K upfront from the ladies and nothing would have even been said about this.

My memory is not that great but wasn't there articles in the not to distant past about the number of farrang divorces in Khan Kean?

Post by **beer monkey** » March 21, 2008, 5:17 pm

The raid followed complaints by more than 50 northeastern women, who claimed they had been deceived by the firms, which promised to find foreign husbands for them. They claimed the firms failed to honour agreements.

Mmmm wonder what the 50 women looked like....

and as the saying goes.." It Takes Two To Tango", and maybe 2 months was not enough time.

Post by **hxjohn** » March 22, 2008, 7:09 am

in udon there are many more some run buy goldfinger

Post by **marjamlew** » March 22, 2008, 7:11 am

Circa 2001:
A pretty, young English teacher from KKU snares a farang on the interent and has a bright idea. To use this new medium along with her aquired English skills to connect lonley farangs with available and willing locals, who wish to wed a farang. She sets up in a local internet cafe and a number of girls present themselves and the required money to start the ball rolling. She manages to help create a few unions and develops a repore with her farang customers with some success.
Along with her farang husband she sets up a company and website and has a few minor successes which seem to help create a snowball effect. Local middlemen/mafia type figures get a wiff of the money moving around and fan out into the country side and villages to spruik the riches available and make ambit claims to debt ridden farmers desperate to alleviate their financail burdens. Contracts are signed and title deeds hocked on the promise of a marriage within three months.
This is when things turn sour. Farangs turn up to meet their new loves only to be bombarded with demands for money and fast marraige. Many turn and run but some refuse to see the ruse and are sucked into the game. Photos of happy weddings are plastered across the site. Phones, motorbikes, pickups, new roofs and whitegoods are on display and more and more punters decide to hock everything they have in persue of these riches.
Lies, Lies and more lies continue until it all blows up and a disgruntled customer with connections to the boys in brown blows the lid on the whole operation.
Our pretty young teacher finds herself out of the classroom and in the Khon Kaen monkey house along with her farang husband. The middlemen mafia types move on the the next internet operation as they are now springing up all over the place.
The men searching for emotional security and the girls searching for financial stability and security are still out there waiting to be connected and the middle men mafia types are always lurking ready to strike.
Things stay the same.

Post by **dougness** » March 22, 2008, 8:06 am

Is this groundbreaking news,lol.

Post by **BKKSTAN** » March 22, 2008, 9:42 am

If you are not of the right class,you are not going to be allowed to get ''rich'' in Thailand,period!!!To many vultures feeding on the vulnerable,they prey on ignorance and those without ''backup''(strong political and powerful family Ties)!If you are not from the IMMEDIATE area and/or CHINESE,you will only be allowed to scratch a living at best if you are humble and subservient in your actions!!TIT

To Many expats don't understand this principle!That is why they dump so much money into theirs and their Tilaks business schemes.Of course,the fact that very few Isan Thais know anything about how to run a business,doesn't help either!

Post by **Bump** » March 22, 2008, 7:55 pm

Only new is the boys in brown involved

Post by **hxjohn** » March 23, 2008, 3:13 am

marjamlew wrote:Circa 2001:
A pretty, young English teacher from KKU snares a farang on the interent and has a bright idea. To use this new medium along with her aquired English skills to connect lonley farangs with available and willing locals, who wish to wed a farang. She sets up in a local internet cafe and a number of girls present themselves and the required money to start the ball rolling. She manages to help create a few unions and develops a repore with her farang customers with some success.
Along with her farang husband she sets up a company and website and has a few minor successes which seem to help create a snowball effect. Local middlemen/mafia type figures get a wiff of the money moving around and fan out into the country side and villages to spruik the riches available and make ambit claims to debt ridden farmers desperate to alleviate their financail burdens. Contracts are signed and title deeds hocked on the promise of a marriage within three months.
This is when things turn sour. Farangs turn up to meet their new loves only to be bombarded with demands for money and fast marraige. Many turn and run but some refuse to see the ruse and are sucked into the game. Photos of happy weddings are plastered across the site. Phones, motorbikes, pickups, new roofs and whitegoods are on display and more and more punters decide to hock everything they have in persue of these riches.
Lies, Lies and more lies continue until it all blows up and a disgruntled customer with connections to the boys in brown blows the lid on the whole operation.
Our pretty young teacher finds herself out of the classroom and in the Khon Kaen monkey house along with her farang husband. The middlemen mafia types move on the the next internet operation as they are now springing up all over the place.
The men searching for emotional security and the girls searching for financial stability and security are still out there waiting to be connected and the middle men mafia types are always lurking ready to strike.
Things stay the same.