Young Man Who Went Broke: From Millionaire to Bankrupt, Sent Millions to His Mother and Lost It All—8 Million Gone Without a Trace
A Thai migrant worker who saved millions in Japan over more than a decade discovered his mother had depleted the 7-8 million baht he sent home monthly, leaving him bankrupt, his relationship ended, and facing mounting debts upon his return.
On May 15, a young man posted his story in a 'Bankrupt Lives' online group, revealing how he sent 7-8 million baht monthly to his mother's account only to find it completely depleted upon his return to Thailand.
He explained that starting in 2010, he went to Japan as an undocumented migrant worker alongside his girlfriend. His uncle was already fishing there. Together they saved 7.8 million baht and he had his girlfriend transfer the money to his mother's account each month because he couldn't access his own account while abroad. His Japanese employer was kind and not exploitative.
About 1-2 years ago, his body began deteriorating from heavy labor—back pain and knee pain. He and his girlfriend discussed getting married since they were both approaching 35-36. They planned to combine their savings of over 15 million baht to invest and live off the interest.
For 3-4 years, he kept telling his mother he would return to marry, but she would dismiss him, cutting off conversations. He found this strange. When he finally returned to Thailand, his suspicions were confirmed—the money was gone. His girlfriend learned about it and asked to break up. He drove her home, apologized to her mother, and cried the entire way back.
Within 2-3 days, debt collectors came demanding payment. A creditor then called about the mortgaged house. He had no money to settle it. When he told his mother, she threatened to hang herself or jump in the water if he brought it up again. He moved in with his uncle.
A month later, his mother came to demand he work to pay off the debt, threatening the same fate if he refused. Despite everything, he holds no anger toward his girlfriend for leaving him. They had been together 16-17 years, planning their future together since their factory days.
