Thailand ScamLords

#Justiceforballerina

Solo Black Female Travel Influencer - STRANDED Calling For HELP 🆘

This Happened to Me in Phuket – And I Won’t Stay Silent

The Dream Trip That Turned Into a Nightmare: A Digital Nomad's Fight for Justice in Phuket

Or: How I Learned That "Fully Furnished" in Phuket Sometimes Means "Fully Fraudulent"

Let's start with the obvious: I love Thailand. The food, the beaches, the people—especially the Thai people, who have treated me with nothing but kindness. This isn't about them. This is about a handful of expats and property companies who saw a young Black female digital nomad and thought, "Ah, perfect victim." Joke's on them—I document everything, and I've got the receipts. Buckle up, eh? This is gonna be a long one.

For five years, post COVID I've been living the digital nomad dream—working remotely, building my brand, and managing a team of eight incredible Filipino professionals (shoutout to my Upwork family—I've spent over six figures on salaries alone, because supporting global talent matters). So when I landed in Phuket, I expected the usual nomad hurdles—spotty WiFi, the occasional gecko roommate—not a near-death experience in a "luxury" rental.

But what happened to me at my SECOND rental - illegal contract abandoned by Property Scout - in Phuket, Thailand, wasn't just a bad rental experience. It was assault, fraud, racism, and a system designed to protect wealthy expats while silencing victims like me.

This isn’t just my story—it’s a warning to 70M+ digital nomads. If a 3M-follower influencer with evidence gets ignored, what chance do solo traveler’s have? Thailand must choose: protect criminals or protect tourism.

I'm speaking out because this can't happen again to anyone else.

📉 Thailand Tourism Decline & Rental Scams - Time to Learn from Dubai 🇦🇪

🇹🇭 Thailand’s Crisis (2025 Data):

Tourist arrivals projected at 75% of 2019 levels (IMF Oct 2024 forecast) vs. competitors at 100-120% recovery
Digital nomad visa applications down 35% YoY (Q1 2025 Thai Immigration) - safety complaints now #2 reason
Rental scam reports up 82% since 2023 (Phuket Tourist Police Jan 2025)
Only 3.7% prosecution rate for property fraud (Transparency Int'l 2024)

💸 Investor Distrust and collapse:

Property fraud up 41% since 2020 (Bangkok Post)

Foreign property purchases dropped 28% (Q4 2024 Knight Frank)
1 in 3 expats report being scammed (2025 InterNations Expat Survey)
60-day visa traps force rushed decisions → perfect for scammers
now flagged by 7 embassies

🇦🇪 Dubai’s Winning Model:

1. RERA System

Mandatory escrow for all deposits (0% scams since 2007)
Public landlord blacklist (updated weekly)
Fines up to 500,000 AED ($136K) for fake listings

2. Tourist Protections

24/7 multilingual police app (95% scam resolution rate)
Mandatory inspections before lease signing

Blockchain property registry (all contracts public)

48-hour complaint resolution guarantee

3. Investor Confidence

Freehold zones with transparent ownership
5-year residency visas for property buyers

📊 2025 Reality Check:

71% of scammed nomads chose UAE over Thailand (Nomad List 2025)
Dubai issued 68,000 investor visas in 2024 (target: 100K in 2025)
63% of scammed nomads relocate to UAE (Nomad List 2023)
Dubai issued 46,000 new investor visas in 2023 - many ex-Thailand residents

💡 Key Quote:

"Every rental scam costs Thailand 3.2 future tourists through social media exposure." (Tourism Authority leaked memo)

💡 2025 Warning:
"Thailand loses 4.1 future tourists per scam via viral exposure" (Tourism Analytics Lab Jan 2025)

Part 1: The FazWaz Fiasco – Or, How a CEO Had to WhatsApp Me to Fix His Company's Mess

The FIRST Pool House In Thalang, Phuket

C5FF80FA-AF4A-4C09-96B3-85BC6BA7390A (1).jpg

Enter FazWaz Phuket, a real estate company that listed a gorgeous 3-bedroom, 2-bath pool villa. Sounds dreamy, right? Wrong. Here's what 120,000 THB (that's two months' rent) got me:

1. Black Mold So Thick It Could've Been a Wall Feature – My master bathroom looked like a Banksy installation - if Banksy worked in toxic fungi. I being short did not notice the science experiment forming above my head in my master bathroom, short girl struggles. The landlord's response? Crickets.

2. A Man-Made Cockroach Highway – The "dryer vent" was just a gaping hole serving as Phuket's roach runway. Counted 30+ roommates marching into my kitchen like they paid rent. I counted at least 30 FEAR FACTORY SIZE roach roomies before my neighbor (bless him) took pity and sealed it himself.

3. Carbon Monoxide Leak: The "You Might Die in Your Sleep" Surprise – When my handy dandy travel size CARBON MONOXIDE detector (purchased from Noon in Dubai, because I'm paranoid in the best way) started screeching, the landlord shrugged it off like I was overreacting only weeks later begging and fighting led to a loose gas hose behind the stove. Cool, cool. OH the neighbour again had to intervene because the island time repair man gave zero F’s about checking the tightness of the gas hoses on BOTH sides connecting from stove to propane….LOL no biggie just might die in your sleep and leave your family with the joy of getting your body 25+ hours back to Toronto, Canada Eh! Shoutout to neighbour at the time again for saving me from becoming a "Canadian dies abroad" headline.

The Plot Twist:

After two months of begging for repairs like a Canadian Karen-in-training (except with actual proof), FazWaz Phuket’s team hit me with the ✨just vibe with the mold✨ speech – because apparently inhaling toxic spores is just ~character building~ for digital nomads?

Cue me going full How to Get Away With Landlord Murder, blasting breach-of-contract emails to every FazWaz email I could dig up. Their response? “No refunds, babes! Just keep breathing that chic black mold aesthetic until… whenever!” As if 10+ health violations (including the cockroach AirBnB next to my stove) didn’t already scream “inhabitable” in every language.

The Audacity:
The fact a property management company actually put in writing that I should live in biohazard conditions? Hilarious to me as a solo Black traveler – like, is this the villain origin story I didn’t order?

Enter the CEO:
Dude suddenly slides into my WhatsApp DMs like “Oops, our bad!” To his credit, he refunded my deposit (after the first wire bounced 🏃 💨 —classic), apologized, and pinky-promised to “address” the Phuket team. Too late, sir – I’d already:

✓ Starred in my own Netflix horror doc (Phuket: Mold & Microaggressions)
✓ Crowdfunded repairs via kind neighbor (shoutout to the real MVP)
✓ Lost all faith in the term “luxury” (it’s giving “gaslighting in Times New Roman”)

Moral of the story?

Always trust your 15 minute delivery or less - 3AM Noon App Dubai purchases (that travel size portable carbon monoxide detector? Chef’s kiss.)
Landlords will really write “fully furnished” but mean “fully delusional.”
If your rental doesn’t try to kill you, are you even a real expat? Eh?

I got my FIRST RENTAL NIGHTMARE deposit refunded back ✅ (after the first wire said 🏃🏾‍♀️💨), but honey...

PART 2: OH, it’s just getting started buddy

Listen up, babes. This isn’t just a bad rental story—it’s a full-on documentary of how I, a 20-something Black female digital nomad (with a diverse business portfolio investing in a american franchise, as well as a team of 8 Filipinos, and two dogs—one currently living her best life at Dubai’s Shangri-La dog hotel while I try to reunite her with her new sister in this mess), got scammed, gaslit, and nearly electrocuted in "luxury" Phuket rentals. Buckle up, eh?

THE SHOWING: THE GRAB DRIVER WHO DESERVES A MEDAL (AND OTHER EARLY RED FLAGS)

Picture this: I’m on a Grab bike in the sweltering Thai heat, trying to find this "hidden gem" of a house listed by Property Scout Phuket. The realtor, "Peach," is 40 minutes late to our showing and won’t explain how to get into the damn alleyway where the house is tucked away. Meanwhile, my poor Grab driver—an absolute legend—stays with me the entire time, trying to help, while I’m seconds away from passing out from heatstroke and/or being mauled by a stray dog that’s eyeing me like I’m its next meal.

First red flag? Peach finally shows up, doesn’t apologize, and just says, "Oh, you found it!" like I didn’t just risk my life in a backstreet Phuket alley.

Traumatized but hopeful, I finally found the 4,300 sq ft house listed by Property Scout Phuket. The realtor, "Peach," assured me the landlord would do a deep clean and fix any repairs or mistakes as STATED in the “contract” (which is not under a Thai company: Contract is illegal). Spoiler: the landlord did not keep their word.

Second red flag? The house had been abandoned for 18+ months (thanks, neighbor gossip!), which explained the:

Moldy towels, bath mats, and pillows (because nothing says "luxury" like sleeping on someone else’s decade-old sweat)

Expired Vegemite (Australian "treasure," my ass)
Gecko poop confetti (free décor!)
A blender full of broken glass (attempted murder or just laziness? You decide.)

But I was desperate. The pool looked nice in the 10-year-old photos (taken during the landlord’s previous marriage—awkward), and I had a vision: me, working remotely in my jungle mansion, saving money, living my best life.

Spoiler: The vision was a lie.

THE 2nd HOUSE ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4NTEzNTE1NDE2MDU0MDQ3?igsh=bGQzZXY2NmF6bnJy

The FURNISHED LISTING Property Scout deceivingly advertised on their website on the Landlords behalf

PART 2: THE LANDLORD FROM HELL

(AND HER BOAT-SALESMAN BOYFRIEND)

Meet Michele Hossack, a retired private school teacher at the British international school of Phuket teacher (and, apparently, Phuket’s beloved community figure), and her boyfriend, Andy Treadwell, a 70-something British citizen, cheap boat salesman who clearly missed his calling as a scam artist.

After a video call where they promised to furnish the place (and deduct costs from my deposit), they rushed me into paying the first month’s rent. Then—shocker—they changed their minds. Suddenly, I had to pay out of pocket for a "fully furnished" house that came with:

No coffee table (just… emptiness)
No rugs (cold floors, colder vibes)
A stained couch (yellow stains in very specific spots—yikes)
A kitchen that didn’t work (broken stove, spoiled groceries, and a fridge that was basically a decorative piece)

When I dared to complain, Andy (the frugal boat king) asked if I "had parents"—because, you know, being Black and 27 apparently means I don’t understand contracts? Meanwhile, Michelle (the "sweet retired teacher") ghosted me after I reported:

An electrical fire (shower explosion count: 5)
A breaker that kept shutting off (leaving me without power for 24+ hours)
A repairman who ASSAULTED ME (CCTV footage shows him slamming a 1,000lb gate into me and pushing me—my left ovary is still swollen)
Her response? "My lawyer said I don’t have to talk to you. You threatened and complained about my home" Really? Kangaroo Karen!!.

PART 3: WHY IM NOT JUST SOME CLUELESS INFLUENCER

(And Other Revelations That Make Criminal Expats Uncomfortable)

Rental Resume: Toronto CN tower - 6 god high-rises, Miami high-rises next to Miami Heat arena , Dubai Burj Khalifa Views, and European adventures - camping in a van through Europe and much more.
Actual Credentials: Diverse investor and entrepreneur/influencer….Franchises, employer to 8 virtual employees in the Philippines (5+ years & 6 figures in employing - feeding families overseas —Shoutout to Upwork).
Neurotic Superpower: Documenting everything like Im prepping for a true crime podcast (shoutout to Michelle & Andys house of horrors everyday something is broken or trying to break me!).

Yet these scamming, lying, deceiving expat landlord boat lover retired couples took one look at my Canadian kindness and thought ah, soft target.

Reality Check:
Don't let the shiny bubbly “influencer exterior” fool you. That bikini shot? Taken between reviewing employees and writing blogs. The same mind that builds viral campaigns also built a six-figure business with a south east asian team.

Let's get one thing straight—I'm the Paris Hilton of the Evidence Generation. Not the "that’s hot" caricature people mocked, but the real Paris: the survivor who turned her trauma into activism, the underestimated blonde who fought for school reforms and animal rights while the world dismissed her as just another socialite.

I'm out here making influencer content and forensic documentation look equally flawless. The difference? My camera roll is equal parts bikini pics and breach-of-contract evidence.

But here's why Thailand should be worried:

The Evidence Era Changes Everything

Tourists now document everything (as they should)
My 3M followers saw THE HORROR & HUMAN RIGHTS violations in 4K
Gone are the days when slumlords could hide. We film. We post. We sue.

Southeast Asia's Reckoning:

Why risk Thailand’s slumlords when:
→ Vietnam offers better prices and fewer scams
→ Bali has actual digital nomad protections (shocking concept!)
→ Dubai delivers real luxury—not just the word "luxury" in a listing

The Dubai Difference
Yes, it’s pricier. But here’s what you get:

Contracts that don’t evaporate like a mirage
Police who actually arrest men who assault you and send threats via realtors, gardeners, and pool boys (yes, this happened)
Carbon monoxide detectors that exist before you’re dead
The understanding that "luxury" isn’t just a thesaurus entry

Let’s get one thing straight—I’m the evidence-generation Paris Hilton. Not the "that’s hot" caricature people mocked, but the real Paris: the survivor who turned her trauma into activism, the underestimated blonde who fought for school reforms and animal rights while the world dismissed her as just another socialite.

Paris taught the world that blondes mean business. I'm just proving the same applies to melanated girls with LLCs and a very organized Google Drive. Thailand's tourism decline? It's not about prices—it's about who's still pretending the internet doesn't exist.

The Paris Parallel: Glamour vs. Justice

Paris was:

Assaulted by her boyfriend, traumatized by institutions
Mocked for her voice—until people realized she was playing 4D chess
A silent force for change (school reforms, animal rights)

I’m:

Assaulted by a landlord’s cronies, traumatized by a rental
Dismissed as "just an influencer"—until the subpoenas arrive
Proof that you can fight back while looking good

The Bottom Line

Thailand’s tourism decline isn’t about prices. It’s about:

Who’s still pretending the internet doesn’t exist
Who thinks "luxury" means "we didn’t actively try to kill you"
Who underestimates women who mix spreadsheets with selfies

We’re the generation that smiles for the ’gram while exposing your shady illegal lease contracts and horrific home and shady illegal workers. Choose wisely.

The Tea on Thailand’s Decline

It’s not the prices. It’s the:
☕ Landlords acting like “habitable” is optional
☕ Tourists preferring places where “luxury” ≠ “we didn’t actively poison you”
☕ Gen-Z documenting everything like it’s our job (…it is)

Final Thought:
If you’re gonna scam tourists in 2024, maybe don’t target the one with a law degree, 3M followers, and zero chill. Eh?

Quit it with the stereotypes and fix your house! LOL:

Enough is Enough: A Demand for Accountability

This isn't about angry complaints or threats over nothing. This is about real assault, real negligence, and a system designed to silence victims.

They wanted a stereotype - just another woman of colour overreacting. What they got was:

A landlord who refused to acknowledge the assault - then sent his workers onto my property twice to intimidate me.
A random man posing as law enforcement, demanding I behave while I BEG for my “cash” refund of almost 8000 CANADIAN DOLLARS like some back-alley payoff.
Police who ignored filed reports, refusing to arrest the illegal worker who attacked me - or even provide an English-speaking kind female officer.
A rental deposit paid via TRANSFER WISE WIRE that should be returned that way under tenant law….But, instead in cash by a stranger, with threats instead of receipts.

This isn't just negligence. This is corruption.

Meanwhile, I'm left injured - forced to return to Canada for medical care (severe ovarian pain, a swollen pelvis) after enduring:

Anxiety attacks
CPTSD flare-ups
Racial trauma
Humiliation
Survivor's regret
Depression

I might have to give away my new puppy because staying in a country that protects assailants over victims was never part of my plan.

But make no mistake - I am not just a victim. I am a business owner who understands:

Premium Expat Rental standards (because our hard earned matters)
Instagram algorithms (because visibility is power)
Contract law (because corrupt illegal lease contracts don't close themselves)
Underestimate me? That's your last mistake.

The Demand:

1. Arrest the attacker.

2. Investigate the runaway landlords that ignored Kathu police July 6th when they phone them at the station when I first made the two police reports.

3. Compensate for medical and trauma costs.

4. Fix the system so no one else suffers like this.

5. REFUND MY DEPOSIT VIA Wise Transfer WIRE so I can SAFELY RETURN home 🇨🇦 and receive medical treatment.

This isn't a complaint. It's a warning. A whistleblower. A Call for justice and prevention.

First Week Of Horrors

PART 1.5 - MORE Repairs ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18513515416054047/

Meet the People Who Did This

1. Michelle - My Australian landlord (yes, the lease is in her personal name), a retired private school teacher from Phuket-where children of color attend. Late 60s, currently hiding in France.

2. Andy - Michelle's British boyfriend, CEO of a Yacht Show Company In SE Asia, lobbying the Thai government for yacht rights while ignoring my pleas for help….He is NOT on the lease and is NOT my LANDLORD

3. The Repairman - A British man, compan , late 40s, working illegally in Thailand. He assaulted me, crushed my pelvis with a 1000lb gate, threatened to keep my passport, and bragged about "mafia ties"-all in front of his 6-year-old daughter.

4. The Realtor - Their realtor, who had the audacity to threaten me the day after the assault, telling me to "leave Thailand" and "not go to the police" because I'm a model and he's "friends with the man who hurt me." (Yes, I have proof.)

5. Property Scout Phuket - The agency that drafted my lease, then ghosted me. Their CEO even blocked me on Instagram when I asked for help.

The "Luxury" Villa That Was Anything But

I paid 70,000 THB/month (over 2900 CAD) for what was promised as a fully furnished 3 bedroom private extra large pool with a master bath tub luxury villa. What I got:

"Fully furnished" = 3 Empty bedrooms (I slept on a stained couch), a broken fridge the size of a mini-bar, moldy towels, and a pool table with no balls. OH! And electrical issues throughout the entire house caused a shower water heater in the master bathroom to explode after I showered while I was doing my hair in the mirror almost bursting into flames until i ran to turn off the MAIN POWER BREAKER.

"High-end appliances" = A broken oven, exploding propane stove, and wiring so bad it fried my induction cooker.

"Safe & secure" = A stalker Grab driver who tried to break in twice, no working security cameras until I paid to install them.

Oh, and let's not forget:

Electrical fires in the shower (no breaker, so I had to flip the whole house's power).

AC units spewing black dust.

Termites eating through the closets.

A pool with broken filters-used once before I realized it was a biohazard.

The list goes on! All documented via WhatsApp

More Repairs….

The Assault That Changed Everything

PART 2 - ASSAULT ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE4MDI2Njc3NDA2NjUwNzc5?igsh=bDN4c2Fiendoa3J5

On Saturday July 5th, 2015 at around 5:16pm in KATHU, Phuket, Thailand the repairman (who had been preying on me everyday on the job fixing my house with "be my daughter's mommy" and “be my wifey” comments) intentionally pushed me twice and crushed me with his heavy gate, leaving me with:

Internal bruising & broken blood vessels (Bangkok Hospital records confirm).

A permanent keloid scar and ongoing SWOLLEN pelvis.

Severe blood loss, 15lbs of weight gone (I'm now under 100lbs).

Then, the next day, The Realtor (the landlords realtor for the sale of their house) called me:

"Leave Thailand. Don't go to the police. You're a model-this will ruin you. I'm friends with the guy who did this to you."

Let that sink in.

The Cover-Up

PART 3 - NO JUSTICE - NO ☮️ ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/s/aGlnaGxpZ2h0OjE3OTUyMTk1MTMxOTkyODM5?igsh=MWZwNXlkYW00cXNlYw==

While I was fighting for medical care, Michelle and Andy were:

Ignoring police calls (Kathu Police have tried multiple times).
Living in France (Andy's mom's inherited home).
Still operating illegally in Thailand (Andy's yacht business, Michelle's teaching credentials unchecked).

Meanwhile, Property Scout Phuket blocked me instead of mediating.

The Deposit Standoff: More Intimidation Tactics

Since July 2nd, I've been trapped in a terrifying game of cat-and-mouse over my deposit. Property Scout Phuket sent a WhatsApp message (which I've saved) confirming the landlords would issue a full refund. Days later (July 10th), they sent a so-called "power of attorney" - a random man with no WhatsApp profile photo who:

Impersonated an on-duty police officer (illegal under Thai law)
Tried to force me to accept cash (no paper trail)
Told me to "be a good girl and behave" - this after his friend the repairman assaulted me and Mike Davison threatened me
Created a chaotic, dramatic standoff when I refused unsafe conditions

This isn't about money anymore - it's about international criminals thinking they can bully a Black woman into silence.

Crimes Committed (Under Thai Law)

This isn't just "bad luck"-it's criminal.

Michelle & Andy:

Fraud (Penal Code 341)
Obstruction of justice (PC 142)
Animal abandonment (their cat has been left for 19+ months)
Racial discrimination (Thai Constitution Sec 27)

The Repairman:

Assault (PC 295)
Illegal work (Alien Work Act)
Extortion (PC 335)

The Realtor:

Witness intimidation (PC 309)
Conspiracy to obstruct justice

#JusticeForBallerina

Toronto Soon Come

I desperately want to get home so I can stop paying out of pocket for hospital visits and waiting for insurance claims to refund me. Waiting for my passport and not able to seek medical care back home.

BONUS - Solo Female Traveller Success ⬇️

https://www.instagram.com/stories/highlights/18046803365537945/

The Illegal Lease Contract

Property Scout Phuket drafted a VOID contract under Thai law. Foreigners cannot personally lease out property in Thailand - it MUST be through a registered Thai company. Michelle personal name on the lease makes the entire contract illegal and unenforceable. This wouldn't stand in any Thai court - not even small claims. They knew this, yet took my money anyway.

I have:

200+ Photos and Video evidence.
Police reports.
Medical records.
Witnesses in the videos.

FINAL THOUGHTS (AND A MESSAGE TO FUTURE NOMADS)

If your Grab driver has to save you from stray dogs before a viewing? RUN.
"Fully furnished" in Phuket sometimes means "fully fraudulent."
British-Australian couples retired in France committing international crimes should NOT be landlords….lol
Always get a carbon monoxide detector (shoutout to Noon Dubai - 15 Minutes or less delivery I miss it lowkey.

To Thailand: I still love you. The culture, the people, the spirituality….I wish I got to enjoy more peaceful times in the rental stage after vacationing for 2 months and becoming one with good karma but…..Thai People/Culture/Life This isn’t about you,

However the system should protect ALL tenants no matter if you are an expat or a

To Michelle & Andy: Your repairman is on CCTV. Your rental is a death trap. Enjoy your rosé in France—karma, eh?

P.S. Milani, I’m sorry your new sister and I are stuck in this telenovela. We’ll be home soon, baby girl.

Contact me: BallerinaAbroad@gmail.com

Follow updates Follow me on Instagram: @ballerinaAbroad | @BellaBallerinaXOX