A Bangkok wedding organizer is being accused of abandoning more than a hundred couples who had already transferred deposits for what they hoped would be their dream weddings.
About a dozen of those couples gathered outside the Panvisit wedding planning shop in the Lat Phrao neighborhood this morning, hoping to receive answers after the organizer allegedly took their deposits then cut off contact with them. However, when they arrived this morning, the store had put a sign up that they were “temporarily closed.”
The storeowner has been identified as Panvisit Chongraksantikul.
One of the brides, identified only as 30-year-old Nui, told reporters she agreed to an all-inclusive THB700,000 (US$21,100) wedding package, which included everything from pre-wedding photoshoots, morning and evening receptions, as well as a trip to Japan with a personal photographer.
Nui said she had transferred a hefty 50 percent deposit (THB350,000) to the organizer, and her wedding is scheduled for mid-December. However, up to this point, she only had her pre-wedding photos taken, and the organizer had stopped responding to her messages, Amarin TV reported.
Nui said that the last time she spoke with Panvisit, he agreed to give her money back by Oct. 31, deducting the cost of the pre-wedding photoshoot. She’s still waiting.
Nui said that she’s also in a LINE chat group with Panvisit’s other alleged victims. As of today, there are more than 300 people in the group.
Nui said that she wants Panvisit to respond to the customers and pay them back because some of them have essentially given him their life savings to cover the wedding costs.
As of today, about 100 victims have filed a complaint with Chokchai police station.
Meanwhile, another unidentified bride said that her wedding was scheduled to be held this Saturday. She’s supposed to pick up her wedding dress from the store this Thursday but has been unable to reach the owner, Channel 7 reported.
The unfortunate bride-to-be described her situation as a “ticking time bomb,” and at this point fears there will be no wedding. She’s demanding the store owner take responsibility for her and the others as well.
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