Landlord Scammed After Renting to Smooth-Talking Tenant
A Buriram landlord lost months of rent and utilities after trusting a smooth-talking truck driver tenant who moved in without a deposit, then disappeared after two months without paying anything.
On September 23, Nuerucha Antamaa, 33, from Nang Rong subdistrict in Nang Rong district, Buriram province, filed a complaint urging other homeowners to enforce rental agreements and not be too generous, warning they could face the same situation.
Nuerucha explained that about two months ago, a young truck and slide-truck driver approached him for rent. Seeing him as trustworthy in appearance and business, and noting his polite manner of speaking, Nuerucha rented out the entire house for 3,000 baht per month. They agreed on favorable terms with no security deposit required, and the tenant moved in immediately.
Within days, the tenant had installed an air conditioner, which Nuerucha did not oppose. After the first month, when asked about the unpaid rent, the tenant replied he was waiting for money to come in. Nuerucha accepted this, reasoning that the tenant's business probably required him to wait for payment. In the second month, the tenant gave the same excuse, promising to pay everything at once.
After more than two months, the tenant said he needed to move and asked to leave early, promising to pay later. Nuerucha agreed. When he later checked the property, the tenant had already vanished, taking the air conditioner and all belongings. Inside, Nuerucha found the house filthy, collecting over ten bags of trash, with no payment made for water or electricity. The utility arrears alone totaled over 3,000 baht.
Nuerucha said he received no rent whatsoever and now has to pay the outstanding utilities himself. He is warning other potential landlords to enforce rental rules: require one month's rent paid in advance plus a security deposit. Otherwise, they risk heartbreak and financial loss just as he has experienced.
