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A Thai transgender woman, Uthai Nantakhan, also known as Amy, scammed 73 Japanese men out of nearly 30 million baht (US$880,000) over a 13-year period as an act of revenge against her ex-boyfriend. Amy, 49, was arrested in Bangkok on August 4 after a Japanese man reported that she had conned him out of 15 million baht.
The 36-year-old man met Amy in January while she was posing as a Hong Kong tourist stranded without a passport or money. He lent her money for a hotel and other expenses, and they quickly became romantically involved. However, after borrowing money for various reasons, Amy disappeared, leaving him without repayment.
Thai police revealed that Amy had a long history of fraud. She often posed as a tourist, telling victims that she needed money to renew her passport or cover medical expenses, including fake Covid-19 treatments. In some cases, she convinced her victims to invest in fake businesses, only to vanish with their funds.
Amy admitted to targeting Japanese men because of past heartbreak. She claimed a Japanese boyfriend had abandoned her during a trip, forcing her to pay all the bills. She also mentioned being scammed by another Japanese man, which fueled her resentment. "I really hate the Japanese and wanted to take revenge on Japanese men," she confessed.
Between 2011 and 2024, Amy managed to defraud her Japanese victims of a total of 26 million baht. In Thailand, those convicted of fraud can face up to three years in prison and a maximum fine of 60,000 baht (US$1,800).
Amy's story generated widespread discussion on social media. Some users expressed skepticism about her motivation, with one commenter suggesting that her claim of past betrayal might just be an excuse. Another pointed out that her narrow-mindedness led her to a path of crime, emphasizing that the best revenge is self-improvement rather than harming others.
Source: SCMP
