BANGKOK — South African woman seeks Thai stepmother and her child to claim father’s inheritance after over 15 years of separation.
A deceased South African man’s daughter has initiated a quest to locate a Thai mother and her child who have lost touch for more than 15 years. She encourages them to come forward and claim their inheritance from the father.
On June 20, 2024, Ms. Ged, who received this case, requested assistance. In an interview with “Khaosod Online,” she mentioned that a South African woman is searching for her Thai stepmother, “Prakhong Suksanit,” and her son, whose name is Kittichai Tong.
Previously, the stepmother had registered a marriage with “Derek de Jager”, a South African man who is her father, and brought her Thai stepson to live and study in Africa. However, for various reasons, the Thai stepmother and her son returned to Thailand 15 years ago and never came back to South Africa again.
Her South African father once traveled to find this mother-child pair, but they eventually lost contact. He legally remained married without divorce.
Recently, Derek de Jager passed away several months ago, starting a legal inheritance division where she and her stepmother each inherit half. The African daughter cannot proceed until her stepmother returns to affirm her status.
She seeks help from Thai people to locate and contact this mother-child pair. She has sent their photos along with a message to Ged, or as she calls her, Kiki, which reads as follows:
“Good day Kiki. Please look at this marriage certificate. Derek de Jager died a few months ago and his daughter cannot get anything from his estate and she is struggling. He was married to Prakhong Suksanit, but she has been missing for 15 years.
They must get hold of her to complete the estate. Now they ask for help because I know you. Is there any way you can try and ask if somebody knows her? Maybe ask on Facebook or put in newspaper? Please let met know and phone me.”
The following day, a man who claimed to be the same person as the boy in the photo being sought contacted Khaosod Online. He sent childhood photos to confirm his identity.
He identified himself as Kittichai Suksanit, nickname Tong, which matches the initial information provided by Miss Ged, the coordinator from the South African family. Kittichai said that his mother passed away over 10 years ago due to kidney disease. Since then, he hasn’t returned to South Africa and lost contact with his adoptive father’s family.
Miss Ged, the coordinator, said that she will talk to Kittichai and will continue to coordinate with the South African family regarding the inheritance, which includes a house and a high-value farm.
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