The program “Hon Krasae” on Channel 3 opened up with an interview. Khaopod Smithinan addressed the issue of being a victim in the case of Nana Rabena defrauding him of over 70 million baht. Khaopod explained that he has known Nana for 8 years. He loved Nana deeply, praying for her every day. Their families are friends, and their two husbands are close as well. Khaopod loved Nana like family. Usually, Khaopod has had close friends for 20 years, but recently he was closest to Nana. Their families are close; they even took care of her child and went on trips together on weekends and abroad.
When asked why he suddenly lent money for investment, Khaopod said he saw Nana as a very hardworking businesswoman who liked to invite friends into business ventures. Khaopod is also a businessman. They had considered doing business together several times but it never happened because Nana questioned why they should start a business. Nana knew someone who invested money by lending it out. Khaopod had met this person occasionally but never discussed investments with them because Nana forbade it, saying this person disliked loud people and was fearful.
One day, Nana said she got a large sum of money and wanted to borrow only for 3 months, offering 7% interest to friends who invested. Nana always offered interest percentages but Khaopod never asked because he didn’t know anyone directly and only trusted Nana. Nana asked Khaopod to help record details, but the names he wrote down were fake.
He recorded as instructed. For two other friends, Khaopod also helped check accounts, but they were invited to invest in stocks and had other people’s names falsely used. Nana was skilled at falsely using names, even of important people in society. Khaopod believed it because Nana appeared hardworking and well-connected.
The first sum invested was 3 million baht, purely for investment, not a loan. Khaopod loved Nana so much that if she asked to borrow, he would lend without interest. Khaopod loves deeply and is very trusting. When he heard Nana’s accounts were frozen (which was untrue), he felt sorry for her. She said she was in trouble, and her husband was too, citing influential people and other cases. Khaopod loved her so much he gave her credit cards to use in various activities because Nana had no money. All the money Khaopod had saved was with her. He even borrowed money from relatives to give to her. It was not a loan between them; Khaopod sponsored her, gave her credit cards, and borrowed from relatives, even though the money was all with Nana.
After giving her money, the first dividend payment had 7% interest, which excited Khaopod greatly. He never followed pyramid scheme news and didn’t realize it might be one, but trusted Nana’s excellence and transferred money immediately. The 7% interest was withheld at source. Nana handled everything, and Khaopod was like her clerk, doing whatever she asked, recording whatever she said.
Asked how the 3 million grew to tens of millions, Khaopod said sometimes while eating, Nana would say a client arrived and pressure him to invest, threatening that if he didn’t, the other two friends would. He got excited because during COVID times, business was tough and the economy was bad. Khaopod’s businesses were stagnant. When Nana offered 4-7% interest, he was eager. He was Nana’s clerk and sometimes only got profits at month-end, but a few days later Nana would call asking to transfer more money, even before he could repay debts.
Asked when things fell apart, Khaopod said it broke when Nana claimed the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) froze her and her husband’s accounts. Other people’s accounts were frozen for 3 months, but Nana’s were frozen for a year. He suspected something serious had happened and checked with AMLO, who said no accounts had been frozen. He kept this in mind. Nana often slipped up, sometimes saying accounts were frozen, but one day she transferred meal money to herself. When Khaopod asked why she said accounts were closed, she claimed she had reopened them. She also sometimes could use the credit card and sometimes not, but used Khaopod’s credit card.
One day, unable to take it anymore, Khaopod and two friends confronted Nana at her house. She showed documents supposedly from AMLO. Khaopod recorded a video without her knowing. The documents were from an envelope but he didn’t capture everything out of politeness, thinking maybe AMLO made a mistake. But the documents were very faint, looking like internet printouts for both her and her husband. He thought, “This is bad, I’ve been scammed,” but still hoped she wouldn’t deceive them and would repay the money.
The biggest blow was five checks that made Khaopod lose all faith. After opening up to Nana that day, he couldn’t sleep and had to check the checks early next morning. He found the five checks belonged to Parinya Inthachai, aka Way Thai Titanium. Earlier, Nana claimed they were third-party checks, but they were actually Way’s own.
Asked whose handwriting was on the signatures, Khaopod, who knew his friends well and Nana’s handwriting, initially thought it was Nana's. However, the person who wrote the letters was Nana’s former company accountant, who messaged that those five checks were written by him, but he did not know whose checks they were. Nana and the accountant signed the checks.
Khaopod insisted this was not a loan but an investment and rejected Nana’s claim that the money given was principal. Otherwise, if he had known from the start, he wouldn’t have done it. He thought a sane person wouldn’t do that and would keep money in the bank instead. He never asked for anything except what Nana offered. The principal money vanished.
Regarding the 70 million baht agreement, when Nana realized she was caught, she said the principal was with her and there was no need to worry. When Khaopod found out the truth, he cried with her for two hours, asking if they would still be friends and if their love would survive. Nana said she would never let Khaopod, his husband, and nephew suffer, promising to pay interest as proof of sincerity. But Khaopod felt like he was endlessly suffering.
When Khaopod and two friends confronted her, Nana told about 35% of the truth. There were hundreds more lies. Instead of investing the money, Nana said she used it herself. She claimed investments failed but it’s unclear if that’s true. She often said she loved her husband, spoiled him making music videos, bought things, and purchased property for him.
On the issue of transferring their children’s school, Khaopod admitted this made him consider moving his children. Her husband is a hotel executive but couldn’t afford international school for their two kids. Khaopod and her husband felt their income was gone, money lost, and wondered how to maintain their lifestyle and pay school fees, thinking about whether to move their children to different schools.
But her husband, Stefan, refused, insisting their children should not change schools because he loved them and wanted their happiness. They had to sell some property to pay the children’s school fees. Khaopod believes karma will deal with Nana’s fraud, and that Jesus will bless him to be better.
Khaopod spoke with Nana last week but has not gotten any money back and is now in debt on her behalf. He never defaults on anyone. He borrowed 5 million baht from his aunt to give Nana and is now in debt for her. He gave her 100% support and even gave her credit cards.
Seeing the footage of Nana being detained made Khaopod cry. He believes in karma. Stefan said he couldn’t bear to watch because he loved Nana so much; she is a small woman to him. Khaopod cried deeply, wondering how she got to this point. At first, he thought maybe they caused this to their friend, but after reflection, he realized she brought this on herself through her actions.
Asked how he discovered the fake slips, Khaopod said it felt like divine inspiration because he never transferred money to that person. He wondered why Nana had so many false claims but never transferred money to that person. Checking his own slips, he found Nana had falsely claimed transfers to many people. At the time, whenever Nana said she had transferred money, he sent it within 15 minutes without checking.
Khaopod feels sorry for his niece, a good, lovely child. He doesn’t know if opposing bail is possible but hasn’t tried. As for Jane Sut, who is weak-handed, he prefers not to comment. Ultimately, Khaopod said this relationship is over. Loving someone so much and being betrayed is as painful as divorce. Loving for 8 years caused emotional wounds but made him stronger, lessons he will pass to his children and grandchildren. Everyone wants their money back, yet he is now in debt for Nana.
There’s no chance or day they will be friends again, but he prays daily for her to get through this and do what’s right. The truth remains the truth, and Khaopod will not cry because he is strong for his children. He told Nana not to play games or act up, and asked P'Noom not to release audio clips to avoid making her look bad. However, if she continues to act up, he might have to help himself by releasing them. He hopes Nana will do the right thing and not force them to struggle. Nana’s denial is strange, and Khaopod wonders if she is just saying what she was briefed to say. Society already sees her as a liar who fabricates stories.
Asked what he wants to say to Nana, Khaopod said he knows he loved Nana deeply but doesn’t know if she loved him. If two people love each other, they wouldn’t act this way. Nana must have seen him as a victim from the start, which is why she told others Khaopod wanted to be friends, but Nana approached him first. Khaopod gave Nana’s family over 100% of his heart, which is now gone. He wants her to have awareness, do the right thing, stop struggling and lying, as it only worsens everything. He hopes the matter will be settled legally. Lying is harmful and should stop. He wants Nana to admit the truth honestly. His only fault was trusting and loving her without suspicion.
Asked if Way was involved, Khaopod said he is friends with Way. Way said his husband has known about this for a year, but whatever comes from Nana’s mouth is untrue. In reality, some couples keep separate accounts but do all business together. It’s unlikely her husband didn’t know where money went or if accounts were negative. Khaopod believes he knew. Khaopod’s family knows everything, but Nana’s and Way’s families don’t know what they discussed.
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