Many of those who spoke with Police Colonel Phisit Phoolsap recalled being told their bank account books and documents were out of date by bank officials at other branches when they encountered discrepancies in their accounts. They also expressed anxiety about mutual fund investments undertaken on the advice of Mr Chaisit Sappermphool, who is no longer with the bank and being held in custody by Pattaya Provincial Court.
Foreigners in Pattaya are thought to be among the victims of a rogue bank manager with a leading institution in the city who is already behind bars and facing serious fraud charges after the bank he worked with filed legal proceedings against him. On Tuesday, the Chief of Pattaya Police Station met a group of extremely concerned foreigners who expressed their fears to him.
Foreigners in Pattaya have met with the Chief of Police in the city after it emerged that an assistant bank manager at a leading financial institution in the seaside resort has been arrested and is being held by the Provincial Court on fraud charges.
Up to a dozen foreign residents, many with Thai wives, have filed formal complaints with Pattaya Police Station against Mr Chaisit Sappermphool who, according to reports, was a friendly and helpful bank official who often attended to customer’s needs such as preparing lodgement and withdrawal slips as well as updating passbooks.
Account details and documentation showed inconsistencies and sparked alarm when enquiries were made at other branches in the province
The problems arose when the foreign bank customers began to notice their bank account details did not match with transactions allegedly executed at the bank.
Some customers were told their bank account passbooks were out of date and should not have been issued by their own bank branch.
At a meeting between the foreigners and Pattaya’s Police Colonel Phisit Phoolsap on Tuesday, the police chief explained that the bank officer had been using outdated bank books and account management materials to perpetrate fraud.
Bank has commenced legal action against the former assistant bank manager who is already in jail
He explained to them that the bank in question had already instituted legal proceedings against the former staff member alleging large amounts of losses for the fraudulent mismanagement of accounts over which he had authority.
This had already resulted in Mr Chaisit being held in custody. He told them the accused had already been denied bail by the Pattaya Provincial Court because of the nature of the offences he is being charged with.
Concern for mutual fund savings and investments to the tune of tens of millions of baht expressed
At the meeting with the top police officer, it also emerged that many of the foreigners also had concerns about mutual savings and investment funds that the assistant bank manager had put them into.
The foreigners told the police chief on Tuesday that they, alone, estimate an exposure to potential losses in the region of tens of millions of baht because of Mr Chaisit’s malpractice and alleged fraud.
Police have let it be known that this is an ongoing inquiry being treated as a priority and have appealed to any other customers of Mr Chaisit to come forward with similar complaints so that they can be fully investigated.
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