manchesterlalala

robblok, on 2012-03-20 12:16:32, said:

robblok, on 2012-03-20 12:16:32, said:

our contracts are very clear and weve been doing it for over 15 years here. I doubt we would accept someone like you as a tenant to be honest. No proper tenant would except their deposit to cover last month or so rent and if you responded as indicated the next step would be a letter from our solicitor giving you 24 hours notice to pay or leave after which time the electricity and water will be cut off and the place repossessed as per the contract. We never cheat and are totally fair but we will not put up with nonsense from our tenants. We have even had tenants leave us their deposits asking us to check place when they have gone (since they were to busy to meet us) saying they will collect their deposit  a few months later when next in the area or just asking us to transfer to their banks once weve checked all bills and rest are paid. While weve had to politely point out we can legally cut off electricity and repossess those who have tried it have seen it was in their best interest to comply and they have always got their deposit back. However we would never accept back a tenant who tried to breach their legal contracts.

I would add that all our units are in my wifes name and all contracts and the rest are with her since as a Thai she has far more power than a forang landlord and anyway I would not ever risk working without a work permit. We did have one incident where a nasty tenant did threaten to report me to immigration and to tax people which was funny since he was most surprised to learn his contract was with my Thai wife and condo was hers. He was a backpack teacher working without a permit so my wife had a word with a friend in immigration and we never saw him again but his deposit is still waiting for him to claim it anytime (less unpaid rent) You do bad you get bad back.

How much we talking about here in terms of lost deposit?

A couple of thoughts:

- presumably you got their details too when you signed the rental contract. Given he and his wife are such cheapskates there is a fair chance that they haven't paid tax on their rentals. Presumably you also have evidence of tranfers to them, electronic or otherwise, as well as the lease. Letting them know you'll report them to the revenue department might get their attention.

- As far as I can tell, they've defamed you. Smarter people than me will know better, but I understand that filing for defamation is rather easy in Thailand, though I stand to be corrected on that fact and the efficacy of it.

- Finally, the guy is working without a work permit. That is illegal you know.

Benedix is a such bore. You can guarantee he will be in the first five posters to respond to any topic, always with his ultra-witty contrarian point of view. OP made a very funny topic. Thai Visa sends out "News Clippings" and they allow advertisements in those clippings. It seems like a very large percentage of advertisements are related to prostitution. I agree that the headline+ad was funny. Yet here is Benedix arguing with a fictitious villain (himself) about God knows what.

NamKangMan, on 2012-01-18 12:33:10, said:

I like the news stories they cover and go for the stories that nobody else will touch but the editor (Alan Morrison) has a huge ego that drags that site down and his hate for this forum is voiced continuely.  
Just look at his comments in that article. No wonder he had no real career in journalism in Australia and had to come to Phuket to air his ego.