Law
Thai Housekeeper Inherits 100 Million Baht from French Expat Amid Legal Investigation
A Thai housekeeper has inherited a 100-million-baht estate from a deceased French national, while authorities investigate potential illegal land ownership and nominee business structures.
According to a report by Khaosod Online, a Thai housekeeper known as 'Pa Tim' has inherited assets valued at over 100 million baht following the death of a French woman, identified as Catherine, in April 2024. Catherine was found deceased from a gunshot wound inside a luxury villa in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, with authorities attributing the death to health issues.
Following the incident, the Surat Thani Police’s Center for Suppression of Transnational Crime and Illegal Immigration, alongside the Fourth Army Area’s land encroachment task force, launched an investigation into the estate. Authorities discovered irregularities regarding land ownership and business operations. Investigations revealed that Catherine had resided in Thailand since 2007 and established a company, Maxicate Co., Ltd., in 2012, allegedly without genuine Thai participation in the investment.
Pa Tim has stated that she has not touched the inheritance and continues to work as a laborer. For residents and travelers, this case highlights ongoing government scrutiny regarding foreign-owned businesses and land holding structures in Thailand. While the police have moved to prosecute the case as a nominee arrangement, the final legal outcome regarding the validity of the inheritance and the business structure remains to be determined by the courts.