About 30 people who paid a Thai-Australian man to secure them well-paid jobs as grape pickers down under showed up at Suvarnabhumi airport last night only to discover they had been conned.
Thanida Sitthiruek and the other victims filed a fraud complaint with Crime Suppression Division police after finding they had all been told to show up at the airport to meet Natee Howard Bodyham for a 7pm flight to Australia. He never showed and they had no tickets.
Mrs Thanida said she was convinced by Mr Natee in November to work as a grape picker for a monthly salary of 50,000 baht.
She transferred about 170,000 baht to the Kasikornbank account of Patchareeya Boonthaweesawad in Chiang Mai for travel and other expense with a promise from the man that she could be put on a flight to Australia within three months.
But the trip was delayed for months as Mr Natee claimed her passport and visa numbers did not match, she said.
He finally called her to meet him at the airport, where she found out that she was not alone in being conned by Mr Natee, who had disappeared since their last call.
Police at the airport suggested they seek help from the CSD and gave them a ride to the CSD's office Monday night.
Acting CSD commander Pol Col Akkradet Pimolsri said the police unit decided to accept the case and contacted the Employment Department to assist investigators.