‘I was out of town,’ says woman accused of fleeing with dowry after three-week engagement

A woman accused of disappearing with a THB50,000 dowry (about US$1,500) after insisting her boyfriend get engaged after just three weeks of dating, has emerged to say the feared duplicity is all in his head.

After factory worker Boonchuay Moontham, 32, filed a report with the police on Tuesday, the woman, identified as Arisa Yodsutham, reported to Pathum Thani police yesterday afternoon to tell her side of the story.

READ: Thai man paid dowry to date his girlfriend of three weeks and never saw her again

Speaking to reporters afterward, Arisa described Boonchuay as a “jealous drunk,” who had only imagined that he had been duped, Khaosod reported.

“I’ve never disappeared. I still talked to him on [chatting app] LINE. We still talked on the phone. We [just] hadn’t seen each other for a week,” Arisa said, explaining that she’d gone on a trip with her mother.

The pair were reunited at the Khlong Luang police station yesterday for the first time since their rapid engagement and falling out.

Boonchuay, less than thrilled with how things have played out, reportedly demanded half of the dowry back. Arisa, however, is inclined to return none of it.

“He told me he wanted half of his money back. I am here [at the police station] to prove my innocence. He has damaged my reputation, so I’d like to keep the dowry,” she said.

Arisa also said that Boonchuay had twisted the truth about their engagement. The promised wedding was to assuage her fears that Boonchuay would go back to his ex-wife, with whom he has two children, she said, adding that she has never been engaged or married.

Arisa even had a bit of love advice to the ladies out there: “I’d like to say this to all women. Men who say they can take care of you and do everything for you… the reality is the path isn’t always smooth. At first he was nice, then he became a drunk. He’s a very jealous person.”

“Nice” to “a jealous drunk” in three weeks. Hmmm.

Police said no charges have been filed against either of them, and the pair is still negotiating.