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Serious AMDK Lost Everything After Retiring to Thailand!
- Thread starter Pinkieslut
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British expat’s £1.5 million Thai dream ends in jail nightmare
Retired engineer says corruption and dodgy deals destroyed his golden years abroad
Puntid Tantivangphaisal1 day agoLast Updated: Tuesday, August 26, 20252 minutes read
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What began as a dream retirement in Thailand for a British expat spiralled into a nightmare of prison cells, financial ruin, and heartbreak.
Martin Savage, a 65 year old retired engineer, says a bitter boundary row with a neighbour over a driveway ultimately cost him everything: his £1.5 million (around 67.5 million baht) property portfolio, his retirement fund, and his freedom.
“I have lost everything, I’m completely broke.”
Savage had moved to Thailand nearly two decades ago with his Thai-British wife, 66 year old Sudarat, after a successful career that saw him work on the Channel Tunnel. The couple invested heavily, buying a family home in Ubon Ratchathani and a 40-room apartment block in Pattaya. For years, the rental income funded their ideal lifestyle.
But in 2010, a dispute with a neighbour turned ugly. Savage said Sudarat, listed as sole owner due to Thai laws barring foreign land ownership, borrowed £34,000 from a moneylender. Instead of repayment, the lender allegedly flipped the couple’s apartment block, worth £1.2 million, for just £45,000.
“He was a predator; this was his business. In Thailand, all you have to do is pay somebody in the office a bit of money, and it happens.”
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The couple fought on in court. Then in 2017, they were arrested. Savage alleges police tricked them into signing bogus documents before jailing them for three months in Nong Plalai Prison.
“There was barely room to sleep on the concrete floor. I was 57 and suffering from asthma. It could have killed me.”
After their release, the couple discovered their Ubon home and three land plots had also been sold off under dubious circumstances. Court documents showed the same person had signed as both buyer and seller. Their legal battle to reclaim the assets failed.
Now, the once-prosperous couple survive on less than £100 a month from Savage’s pension and commission from Sudarat’s property brokering, The Daily Mail reported.
“We’re barely scraping by.”
Sudarat added, “I am so disappointed in our legal system. I used to have great faith, but I have been let down.”
The British Embassy confirmed it had supported Savage during his detention but declined to intervene further.
Savage warns fellow expats: “This should be a warning to others. Don’t think it can’t happen to you.”
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This seems to be a common thing. Chanced upon this youtube channel where this guy narrates the life experiences of UK and US men who went to live in Thailand, got married to Thai women, lost their money and ruined their own lives.
https://www.youtube.com/@talksofthailand/videos
https://www.youtube.com/@talksofthailand/videos
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Thailand is giving free flights to tourists and the Ah Nehs are cashing it in.
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After knowing all these 
.. I feel that Sinkieland is much a better place to stay long term than any hellhole in this world 
.. I feel that Sinkieland is much a better place to stay long term than any hellhole in this world This story is incomplete with many gaps in the reporting.British expat’s £1.5 million Thai dream ends in jail nightmare
Retired engineer says corruption and dodgy deals destroyed his golden years abroad
2 minutes read
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Pictures courtesy of The Daily Mail
What began as a dream retirement in Thailand for a British expat spiralled into a nightmare of prison cells, financial ruin, and heartbreak.
Martin Savage, a 65 year old retired engineer, says a bitter boundary row with a neighbour over a driveway ultimately cost him everything: his £1.5 million (around 67.5 million baht) property portfolio, his retirement fund, and his freedom.
“I have lost everything, I’m completely broke.”
Savage had moved to Thailand nearly two decades ago with his Thai-British wife, 66 year old Sudarat, after a successful career that saw him work on the Channel Tunnel. The couple invested heavily, buying a family home in Ubon Ratchathani and a 40-room apartment block in Pattaya. For years, the rental income funded their ideal lifestyle.
Photos of the couple’s home in Ubon Ratchathani
But in 2010, a dispute with a neighbour turned ugly. Savage said Sudarat, listed as sole owner due to Thai laws barring foreign land ownership, borrowed £34,000 from a moneylender. Instead of repayment, the lender allegedly flipped the couple’s apartment block, worth £1.2 million, for just £45,000.
“He was a predator; this was his business. In Thailand, all you have to do is pay somebody in the office a bit of money, and it happens.”
Related Articles
Self-harming Brit in Pattaya hotel drama identified as missing Scot
2 hours ago
Pattaya panic: Visa crackdowns and QR codes shake expat life
7 hours ago
The couple fought on in court. Then in 2017, they were arrested. Savage alleges police tricked them into signing bogus documents before jailing them for three months in Nong Plalai Prison.
“There was barely room to sleep on the concrete floor. I was 57 and suffering from asthma. It could have killed me.”
Photo of the couple’s apartment block in Pattaya
After their release, the couple discovered their Ubon home and three land plots had also been sold off under dubious circumstances. Court documents showed the same person had signed as both buyer and seller. Their legal battle to reclaim the assets failed.
Now, the once-prosperous couple survive on less than £100 a month from Savage’s pension and commission from Sudarat’s property brokering, The Daily Mail reported.
“We’re barely scraping by.”
Sudarat added, “I am so disappointed in our legal system. I used to have great faith, but I have been let down.”
The British Embassy confirmed it had supported Savage during his detention but declined to intervene further.
Savage warns fellow expats: “This should be a warning to others. Don’t think it can’t happen to you.”
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