2025-01-10
What started as a heartwarming story about a missing dog has now turned into a national scandal in Thailand. A person by name Kluay, previously seen as an animal lover, is now accused of fraud. The incident revolves around the missing dog Thongdee and has led to suspicions of several financial irregularities.
Salary was promised - but never paid
The dog owner first promised a reward of 20000 baht, which was later raised to 50000 baht, to get his dog back Thongdee. At first the dog was found by staff from a restaurant, but it then ended up with Ole, a member of the LGBTQ community, who made sure the dog was returned to its owner.
When it came time to pay out the found reward, the dog owner refused to give the money Ole and insisted that only the first person to find the dog, the restaurant staff, would get the money. During a live broadcast of the popular Thai program Node of current (Hon Krasae) tried Kluay resolve the situation by issuing a check on 20000 baht. When Ole tried to cash the check, however, it turned out to be worthless.
More fraud allegations emerge
After the TV show aired, more people came forward with accusations against Kluay, including:
- Dog rescue expenses that were never paid - Animal welfare activists claim that Kluay promised to pay vet costs for rescued dogs but disappeared when it was time to pay.
- Investment scam with gold trading - A man by name Art stated that he was tricked into investing over 250 baht in an alleged gold investment where he was promised high returns. When he tried to withdraw his money, additional payments were required, but he never got anything back.
- Fake collections - Other people claim that Kluay collected money under the pretense that it would go to animal welfare, but the money was never used for its intended purpose.
Large spread on social media
The incident has attracted a lot of attention in Thailand, especially after Node of current (Hon Krasae) aired the episode where several victims told their stories. The clip on YouTube has been viewed hundreds of thousands of viewers, and the discussion has exploded on social media under hashtags like #DogScamThailand and #KluayFraud.
What happens now?
It is still unclear whether legal action will be taken against Kluay, but several victims are now considering reporting the case to the police. The presenter of Node of current (Hon Krasae) emphasized that Kluay has the right to defend himself, but that there are several pieces of evidence that indicate that something is not right.
The case continues to engage Thai media and the public, and more details are expected to emerge in the coming days.
Thailand Info reproduces this news based on publicly available information from the Thai TV program Node of current (She Krasae). We make no claims of guilt or innocence in this case.
Text: The editorial staff
Image license: jackson moccelin, Pixabay, original image