Thai police arrest cheating bride who ran off with dowries

Jariyaporn Buayai was reported to have been arrested in Kratumlom, Samphran district, Thailand, while allegedly trying to escape.

BANGKOK: A woman who allegedly married at least 12 men and then ran off with their dowries has been arrested by Thai authorities.

The Bangkok Post reported on Thursday (Sep 7) that Jariyaporn Buayai, 32, was arrested in Tambon Kratumlom, Samphran district, while she was trying to escape.

Jariyaporn and one of her husbands, Kittisak Tantiwatkul, 33, were both wanted on several warrants for other offences, police said. 

Seven men had filed complaints against Jariyaporn, accusing her of fraud after she allegedly tricked them into marrying her and ran away with the dowries, the report said.

Their lawyer, Songkran Achariyasap, said that she had approached her victims via Facebook, started romantic relationships and then asked the men to invest in her "fruit trade business". They later had sex and got married before she took off with the dowries.

One of the victims, Prasarn Thiamyaem, 32, said he got to know the woman in February 2015 after exchanging "Likes" on Facebook. They discussed the fruit business and he was asked to be her investor.

He gave Jariyaporn 200,000 baht (S$8,110) in borrowed money, had sex with her and she later claimed she was pregnant, the report said. Their wedding was held in Prachuap Khiri Khan in November 2015 when he gave her another 200,000 baht as a dowry. They lived together for four days, the report added. She then told him she had to visit her hometown.

Later, Jariyaporn reportedly had a relative tell him that she had a miscarriage and did not want him to contact her anymore. 

The police acted on five warrants to arrest Jariyaporn on old charges of fraud and embezzlement in five provinces before she married the men.