First let me say I absolutely knew something like this would happen, as it’s the same with all people who buy things which are not within their financial grasp. But of course at the time, who am I to say anything about it… also of course this was bound to happen at some point because as every report of falang/thai relationships, there is always some kind of way additional money will be drained from the falangs pocket.
Basically my wife’s older brother bought a used (but still pretty new) open back truck about 4/5 months ago – why he bought it I have no idea considering he works in an office!!! (I didn’t think twice about it as to me it’s the same as people buying ridiculously unnecessary range rovers in the middle of London). Anyway the thing cost 450,000 baht and the monthly payments back were around 6/7000 baht per month. As far as I’m aware he earns 12,000 a month salary. His wife earns the same money as he does as they do the same job. So with their combined incomes I think the car was affordable at a push between them if it was THAT important to have.
Anyway, my wife told me last month that his brother has split with his wife and it has happened before, and now it’s un-reconcilable. She said that he has moved in with a friend and so has she. Today my wife got a call from her mum saying they are figuring out what they are going to do because now, her brother can’t afford to keep up the car payments. They apparently have 2 options
1. Give back the car but loose out on all payments to date, including a 50,000 baht initial deposit/payment
Or
2. My wife’s younger brother and my wife all muck in and help with the payments (i.e… my wife end up paying for it…. I.e. one way or another… me paying for it)
My wife said he doesn’t want to give it up because he’ll loose all the money he’s already put down, and he can’t pay for it himself because he’s split from his wife. So my suggestions were: sell it privately and then pay off the outstanding balance. He might take a hit but then it won’t be as bad as giving it up and he can’t afford to keep it one way or another. Also, that’s life and people have to take responsibility for their own choices.
She seemed to ignore that and said she would talk to her parents next week to see if they are willing to take over the payments and then her dad would keep the car and use it for his work.
Now her parents: Yes they own huge no. rai of land, 2 houses, they live off their land, they have everything, huge plantations. But I know for a fact that they cannot afford to shell out 7000 baht per month on a truck which they haven’t needed thus far for their entire lives. So why would they need it now. I know that they are going to basically take the truck off the brother, he’ll loose out on his initial payments so maybe they’ll swing him a few baht who knows, the younger brother wont be interested he’s got his own business in Bangkok and keeps himself to himself – so it’ll be down to my wife to give ‘some’ of her golden coated falang money which I’m sure they think she’s earning bucket loads of (which she isn’t), or ask me. For the next however money years until the car is paid off.
Anyway I’ll get to the point… I’m simply not having that. We don’t even have our own car, and we certainly cannot afford one. We and I say WE because WE are married and that means everything that’s hers is mine and what’s mine is hers, so my 3 grand of debt to get our apartment, pay for flights and visa and get her over here is also her debt. Basically we are in bigger debt than her brother is, we don’t own our own place, we’re no where near in a position to put some money aside for Ourselves to buy our own place, we have to take responsibility for ourselves because no one else is f**king gonna do it! – so why should I let her give our money away which we need to pay rent / food / bills / home essentials / pay our dept / try and save for ourselves … all to pay for something as unnecessary as a truck which wasn’t needed in the first place and too expensive in the first place for the person in question to think about buying. It’s his mistake, and he can sell the truck on privately and possibly take a hit on that. But it’s not our responsibility, we have our own responsibilities and our own things to take care of, we’ve only been married for a few months for f**k sake.
So basically, it’s not happening. My questions is… how can I put it across in the nicest possible way, that he’s going to have to sell the car because we are not paying for it, we cant afford it just as much as he can’t. we discussed about 6 months before we were married that there was no way I was getting involved with anything of this nature, no way in hell… and she understood and took that on board and expected nothing less. But somehow it’s gradually creeping its way in. either way I am insisting that we 100% have nothing to do with it and she will just have to tell them that.
Its fun reading other peoples woes isn’t it?! Ha. Let the surly/entertaining tips/comments begin! please...
