PATTAYA — A Thai landlord has revealed the shocking condition of her Pattaya rental property after a British tenant abandoned the premises, leaving behind extensive damage, garbage, and a strong marijuana odor throughout the home. The tenant also left air conditioning units and lights running despite having fled the property.
Mrs. Chudanat Penampipinyo, 52, a property owner in Bang Lamung district, Chonburi province, shared videos and photos on social media documenting the deplorable state of her once-beautiful home. The images show dirty and damaged belongings strewn throughout both the interior and exterior of the property.
Beyond sharing her experience as a cautionary tale for other landlords, Mrs. Penampipinyo and her daughter have filed a formal complaint with Nongprue Police Station, seeking assistance in locating the foreign tenant to hold him responsible for the damages.
According to Mrs. Penampipinyo, she rented her newly renovated and beautifully decorated single house to Alexander William, a British national, and his Thai wife in December 2024 with a one-year lease agreement. The tenants were introduced through a rental agent.
Problems arose when the tenant failed to pay rent on time and accumulated three months of unpaid electricity and internet bills, resulting in service disconnection. This prompted the landlord to terminate the contract at the end of March.
“On the day we were supposed to inspect the property and reclaim the house, he stubbornly refused to leave, promising to vacate by April 30th,” Mrs. Penampipinyo stated. “He wouldn’t allow us entry even when we arrived with police officers. The police didn’t force entry but attempted to negotiate payment of outstanding bills, which we thought he would settle. In the end, he simply fled.”
Upon entering the abandoned house, Mrs. Penampipinyo was stunned by what she discovered. A strong marijuana smell pervaded the property. More than ten bags of garbage had been left behind. Artificial plants and decorative items were destroyed. Nearly all household items were damaged. Security cameras around the property had their lenses covered with stickers to prevent surveillance.
After posting about the incident on social media, other victims came forward in the comments section, claiming to have experienced similar situations with the same foreigner but had not pursued legal action. This prompted Mrs. Penampipinyo to file a formal complaint, urging police to locate the foreign national and hold him accountable.
“I want to warn other homeowners that before renting out properties, they should thoroughly check tenants’ backgrounds, especially in the case of foreigners, to prevent such incidents from recurring,” the disheartened landlord concluded.
On May 3rd, officers at Nongprue Police Station asked Mrs. Penampipinyo to compile evidence, including video clips, CCTV footage, photographs, contracts, and bills, to support the investigation.
A similar case occurred recently in Wichit sub-district, Phuket province, where a Ukrainian female tenant vandalized and trashed a condominium rental, apparently dissatisfied with the landlord regarding an unreturned security deposit. The damage in that case was reported to be approximately 350,000 baht ($10,490).
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