Pongnattana W, 33, filed a police report at the Dongtan sub-branch of Pattaya Police Station, claiming he was scammed by a condominium salesperson in Jomtien. Pongnattana accused the salesperson of forging his signature to cancel a purchase contract and withholding over 1,002,500 baht in down payments.
Several years ago, Pongnattana had purchased three condo units in the same project and had already made substantial down payments. However, the project remained incomplete. The salesperson later proposed a new project, but Pongnattana declined and requested a refund. Instead, he was advised to sell his down payments.
In one instance, after placing a 500,000 baht down payment, Pongnattana agreed to cancel the contract but received only 198,000 baht out of the promised 250,000 baht. For another unit, where he had paid 700,000 baht, no resolution had been reached. The most severe issue involved the third unit, where Pongnattana had made a down payment of 1 million baht. He later discovered that his contract had been fraudulently canceled, and the condo was sold without his knowledge, with the proceeds never returned. The property rights were transferred to a new owner, who had already received the title deed.
When Pongnattana confronted the condo’s sales staff, a heated argument erupted, which was captured on video. He refused to settle and vowed to pursue legal action, suspecting that other victims might also be involved.
Ms. Kae (pseudonym), a former employee of the company, revealed to reporters that her supervisor had orchestrated the forgery. She explained that sales agents managed all down payment documents, making it difficult to determine how many individuals were affected. Ms. Kae admitted that she had warned her supervisor about misleading customers. However, the supervisor reassured her that partial payments were being made, though Ms. Kae later found out they were minimal. Under pressure from the company, which withheld her salary and commission, she confided in Pongnattana, sharing the information out of guilt and fear. She also noted that financial records could still be traced.
When reporters visited the condominium office in Jomtien, they found it closed, and a phone inquiry was met with the brief response: “Not available to talk,” before the call was disconnected. Pongnattana remains committed to pursuing legal action.
