BANGKOK – Mrs. Paveena Hongsakul, Chairperson of the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Children and Women, accompanied a Thai woman to lodge a complaint with Pol. Gen. Surachate Hakparn, the deputy chief of the Royal Thai Police on Monday, to pursue a case against an American man.
The woman claimed that she was assaulted by an American man who made her believe that he wanted to start a happy family. However, once he was in a relationship, he secretly recorded illicit videos, engaged in violence, stole her belongings, threatened her and used the clips to exploit and sell them to various groups. It turned out that other women had also suffered similar fates.
Ms. Paveena stated that she considers this man a danger to women and fears that the videos of these women could be sold in underground markets. She suspected that there may be more victims who are afraid to come forward.
The Thai woman said she met Mr. Thomas, a 34-year-old who claimed to be an off-duty soldier, on a dating app on December 6, 2023. Initially, he presented himself as a handsome and well-meaning man who expressed a desire to start a family. She was not yet ready to marry him and decided to have a relationship first.
As their relationship progressed, he began recording videos and frequently physically abusing her. Unable to take it anymore, she sought help from the Bangkok’s Bang Yai Police Station and filed a complaint against Mr. Thomas for assault.
After reporting the incident, she found out that other women, both Thai and foreign, had experienced similar abuse in different parts of Asia. Two other victims, one of whom was cheated on by Mr. Thomas through the same dating app, suffered similar ordeals.
The American man had travelled to Thailand in April 2023, deceived the first victim through the app, and began a relationship that lasted four months.
The second victim, who was treated in a similar manner, was tricked into registering a marriage and had her gold necklace, which weighed two baht, stolen. She reported the incidents to the police and tried to file for divorce, prompting Mr. Thomas to post her private clips at her workplace. As a result, the woman had to move to Phuket.
In addition to these cases, foreign victims from Indonesia and Japan were identified, all of whom were well-educated and well-off individuals.
Pol. Gen. Surachet mentioned that the perpetrator seems to follow a similar pattern to romance scammers, taking advantage of women looking for online relationships. In this case, he deceived single women through the app by making them believe false stories and relationships and then recording the clips and selling them on adult websites.
The investigation revealed that Mr. Thomas left Thailand for Vietnam on January 7, 2024. His travel history shows frequent entries and exits from Thailand since 2022, with an average of 3-4 visits per year, each lasting about 15 days. He also has a criminal record for property offences in the United States.
Pol. Gen. Surachet instructed Bang Yai Police Station to expedite the arrest warrant and coordinate with Interpol to arrest Mr. Thomas. He also advised Thai women to check the background of people they meet through dating apps before entering into a relationship to avoid becoming victims of fraud, exploitation or illegal video distribution.
