A 77 year old Thai woman and her daughter accused a famous Thai fortune teller of swindling 66 million baht from their family by tricking them into paying for overpriced home decorations to bring good luck.
The story of the elderly woman and her daughter was shared by the Facebook news page บิ๊กเกรียน (Big Kren) on Sunday, November 3. In an interview with the page, the woman revealed that she paid around 66 million baht to the fortune teller between February to October this year.
The accused fortune teller, identified as Thanawat Jiracharoenwet, is well known as Ti Li Feng Shui. He has over 390,000 followers on his Facebook page and 260,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel. He also hosted a television programme offering advice on creating ideal living spaces based on Chinese geomancy.
Thanawat offered a recommendation service to anyone wanting interior or exterior designs that could bring luck to their family.
The old victim explained to Big Kren that she felt unusually uncomfortable and fatigued and suspected there was negative energy in her home. Having watched Thanawat’s television programme, she contacted him and invited him to her home to check on her suspicions.
Upon arrival at the victim’s residence, Thanawat immediately confirmed that the house had negative energy, which he claimed could make family members unwell. He recommended that she install a new shrine and decorate the house with statues of mythical creatures called qilin and a great lion.
On the first day, the elderly woman paid Thanawat a total of 347,000 baht, which included the service cost and suggested decorations.
More victims emerge
Thanawat later claimed that a neighbour was attempting to attack the family with black magic, prompting the old woman to host a ceremony, which cost her an additional 4.4 million baht. He subsequently proposed further ceremonies and decorations, which she continued to pay for.
The most expensive item was a sacred carved stone, supposedly imported from China, which cost 38 million baht. However, the victim has yet to receive this item.
The old woman said that when she questioned the fortune teller about the missing stone, he became angry. Growing suspicious of his actions, she decided to file a complaint against him at Bangkok Noi Police Station.
After her story went viral on social media, other victims came forward to share their experiences and losses. One woman claimed Thanawat tricked her into buying a pair of lion statues worth 420,000 baht for her health, yet she never received them, even after a month had passed.
Another man reported that he, too, bought a pair of lion statues, costing him 120,000 baht. Thanawat told him they would be imported from China, but he has not received them to date.
A factory owner in Pathum Thani province also reportedly lost 1 million baht to the fortune teller, having ordered the same statues but never received them.
Due to the increasing number of victims, the case was transferred to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB). Officers have urged all victims to file complaints and submit relevant evidence.
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