A group of 70 individuals has filed complaints with the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), alleging they were deceived into purchasing condominium units, resulting in a total loss of 3 billion baht.
Pavena Hongsakula, founder of the Pavena Foundation for Children and Women, led the group in filing the complaint on Wednesday. She explained that the group represented approximately 200 affected people in total.
The victims initially reached out to the foundation on Saturday, claiming they were misled by a debt-relief company that promised to pay off their credit card debts. In exchange, they were required to sign contracts committing to purchase condominium units.
One victim, identified only as Meen, shared her story, explaining that the company, located in Khlong 2 in Lam Luk Ka district of Pathum Thani, contacted her with an offer to settle her 900,000 baht credit card debt. Meen was unsure how the company knew about her debts, but they did pay off the amount owed. In return, she was asked to sign a contract to participate in a condo purchasing project.
Initially, Meen believed she was only signing up to buy one unit. However, she later discovered that the company had used her documents to apply for loans from multiple banks. As a result, she found herself with 16 million baht in debt for four condominium units. The company had promised her that she would only need to pay for one unit, while it would cover the costs of the other three. The contract also stated that the company would buy back all the units within two years. But when the company defaulted, Meen was left responsible for the full debt and faced lawsuits from the banks.
Other victims shared similar stories, with some being duped into purchasing multiple units, leading to debts as high as 40 million baht. The victims, who have formed a Line group with over 200 members, are deeply distressed, especially since the company in question has since shut down.
Ms. Pavena urged the DSI to assist in negotiating debt restructuring with the banks on behalf of the victims and to investigate the company and others employing similar deceptive tactics, particularly those advertising on social media.
