Opening up for the first time. Thanya Thanyares. and Candy Rakkaen. These two women victims recently revealed being scammed by the same person, totaling over 100 million baht. Thanya had to work hard, using her house and car as bank collateral to repay debts, while Candy exhausted her entire savings, resulting in depression and even suicidal thoughts. She said, "I no longer believe in sacred things." They shared their stories on the program "Kui Zap Show" on channel one31, hosted by Peggy Srithanya and DJ Puttichai.
As reported in the media and various programs, Thanya, Peggy, Sanchai, and Candy can be described as business victims who were defrauded. Can we use that term?
Candy: Yes, that fits perfectly.
How much was Thanya defrauded of initially?
Thanya: A total of 83 million baht, but some has been recovered, less than 10%.
And how much for Candy?
Candy: 44 million baht.
For both Thanya and Candy, it involved business activities leading to being scammed. How did it start? What kind of business was it?
Candy: We were already in business and always careful with what we did. For this, I was already selling products. I sourced items to sell. This person had a factory that processed goods for export. Exporting was bigger than what we used to do; we sold online, buying and selling.
One day, wanting to grow, we met him who had a factory. Thanya saw that I was with him, leaving online sales to learn for five months, observing his system and real customers. Because the products were seasonal, when the season came, he asked if we wanted to join, investing and selling similarly. Once invested, he would buy and pay us immediately.
Candy, you went first?
Candy: Yes, it was a small amount, which I tried and it worked. The first investment was 1.8 million baht. I got back both principal and interest.
What was the next step?
Candy: After the first, more customers came. It depended on whether we could find products for the customers. If yes, we delivered. We did this 4-5 times and kept succeeding.
Did Thanya know him through Candy or already know him?
Thanya: I knew him through Peggy first. We probably talked about business, which required money. He then introduced me to meet him. I listened to the business details and knew Candy was involved. As Candy said, we invested and within two weeks, the investment and profit from sales returned. We split the profits 50-50, which was a good return.
How much did you and Peggy invest the first time?
Thanya: I'm not sure, around 4-5 million baht. The returns were quite good.
Was the business a factory producing goods for export?
Thanya: Yes. They shipped container loads. Each container investment was about 4-5 million baht. After selling, they returned profits. It was like a joint investment, splitting profits evenly.
Was the profit high?
Thanya: Nearly 10%. It was normal for such work and seemed legitimate, not fraudulent.
Candy: It seemed promising. After the first investment, I increased the amount. More orders came, so I invested more, up to 10 million baht. That was my limit—I told myself not to invest more. The initial rounds returned profits, but the 10 million baht was still in transit.
Did that 10 million baht take a long time?
Candy: Yes, it took longer. He said he had to source goods from abroad. I accepted that since imported products made sense. But it took longer, and I waited until the big shipment.
On Thanya's side, while Candy waited for overseas goods, you saw good prospects. After the first 4 million investment returned 10% profit, what happened next?
Thanya: I increased investment, seeing that one container was profitable. I added to two, then three containers. I talked with Peggy about inviting close friends to grow together. I invited my friends, and Peggy invited his, whose friends had more capital. My investment was smaller, Peggy's was bigger.
For Candy, starting from 10 million with delays, how many rounds did it take before you became suspicious?
Thanya: It wasn't about delay but trust. Peggy said to keep the money there so it wouldn't have to be returned repeatedly. It was treated as capital, taking only profits out.
How much money did you place there directly?
Thanya: It gradually increased from 4-5 million baht of our own cash. I discussed with my father, believing the business was promising. If we had more money, it could be better. My father and Peggy's sister both said it was impossible to earn such high profits; otherwise, everyone would do it. If it were real, we should do it ourselves, not give money to others to manage. My father didn't join and advised against it, but we had already invested, so we were unsure what to do.
How did you feel when your father didn't agree? Did you start to suspect?
Thanya: Not at all. We continued. Peggy's sister also said it was unlikely, but I discussed with Peggy and saw that it was returning profits.
At that time, when your father and Peggy's sister doubted it, how much money had you invested?
Thanya: About 20 million baht. When my father and sister didn't join, we thought, "We have a house."
Did you discuss this with Peggy?
Thanya: Yes. Peggy had a car, and I had a house from a drama filming that was debt-free—not the one in Rangsit, which belongs to my father. It was my own house, fully paid off. We decided to mortgage the house for about 10 million baht. Between the house and car, we chose the house since Peggy's car had value. Later, I learned Peggy also mortgaged his car for 15 million baht. I didn't know until after. He said he did it discreetly to fund investments. We had a minor argument, but he laughed it off like I did.
So you mortgaged 20 million baht, the house 10 million, Peggy's car 15 million. What about friends' money?
Thanya: Our friends' money was about 5 million baht, and Peggy's friends contributed about 20 million baht.
Candy, besides your own money, the 10 million baht still hasn't returned. Did you invite friends to invest?
Candy: Yes, I did. Before inviting friends, I used my personal savings, which I normally didn't touch—money saved over a lifetime to care for my mother. Another portion was set aside for retirement and travel two years later. That final big round required that much money. Greed was also a factor. I had seen it work without conditions before.
I decided to borrow from myself about 25 million baht from these funds. It initially worked well like Thanya's case. A business partner at that time also joined, investing 7 million baht, making a total of 42 million baht.
Thanya: Peggy's friend's money wasn't 20 million but 30 million. I forgot some details.
After investing heavily, when problems started, what discussions took place? What happened next?
Thanya: I invested around September or October about two years ago. Continuous returns came until February, then everything abruptly stopped. The principal vanished.
When payments stopped, what did you, Peggy, and Candy do?
Candy: At that time, I hadn't spoken with Peggy or Thanya, but we kept in touch. I hired a lawyer to negotiate. I kept pressing them, but they stopped answering calls. When visiting their home, they said they were ill and avoided meeting. I understood they must be stressed. I talked to Peggy, who advised giving them time. He said the business might recover. That gave me hope, so I backed off and waited. Peggy told me not to speak out as it might harm their ongoing business, which seems to be reviving now.
You mean the debtor doesn't want you to talk about it?
Candy: Yes, and I am just waiting, unsure what else to do.
Thanya, after investing so much with no return, how did you discuss this?
Thanya: We talked about what to do. Peggy said suing would put them in jail, preventing repayment. Would that give us satisfaction? No. So we chose to give them a chance. Meanwhile, I learned Peggy invested an additional 8 million baht, increasing from 45 to 53 million baht.
Candy, you invited friends and raised money to help them pay debts?
Candy: Yes, I took the house I live in as bank collateral for 7 million baht. Including 10% profit dividends over six months per contract, it totaled 10 million baht. I mortgaged the house and paid everything.
Did you not inform them about the problems and just pay as usual?
Candy: I did inform them, but they insisted on payment as per contract.
Thanya: Candy is kind-hearted.
Candy: (laughs) Foolish.
Peggy: No, let me correct that. Candy is not foolish; she is honest with her partners. Anyone dishonest with us is their own problem. Be proud of that.
I heard you sold land in Chiang Mai as well?
Candy: Yes, I bought land intending to build an onsen, as I love Japan. It was a dream to have one in Mae On. But when this business hit obstacles, I had to tell my younger sibling I had to sell the land to pay debts.
How was your mental state then?
Candy: Very bad. I never lie and always speak openly, but one day I was told not to talk about it anymore. Because Peggy had his reasons, giving chances and such. At home, I had no money for my mother, who I usually spoiled. She wanted things, trips, but I had to borrow money from her. The savings for her ran out. When she wanted full-mouth dental treatment costing about 700,000 baht, I couldn't provide it. Normally, I'd take her immediately. I couldn't tell her the truth and kept it to myself.
Outside, I ran a business selling bags online but had no investment capital, so I couldn't continue. I was stressed, only spending old savings. This led to unnoticed depression. I stopped socializing, avoided talking to anyone. Every time I spoke with Thanya, I felt better just from her reply. I stopped contacting others, isolated myself, stopped live selling, even entertainment work. I refused singing and hosting jobs. I was afraid to meet people.
This lasted about six months. The business failed, making those six months very hard. I checked the house contract, wondering if I'd lose it. I reached a point of not wanting to live. I couldn't help my mother, worried how insurance would cover me. I started writing about preparing for death. My partner noticed and was concerned but couldn't talk to me. He quit a 28-year executive job to care for me. I am very thankful. He used therapy in Japan to help me recover, going there three months, four times. It was a very heavy moment.
Why not see a psychiatrist?
Candy: I didn't accept being depressed then. I thought I was strong and could fix it myself. But I was falling apart inside without realizing it. If anyone watching this caused such harm, know that you broke Candy deeply.
Would you say you were financially ruined?
Candy: At that moment, yes, the money was gone, including funds for my mother and my savings.
How did you recover from that feeling?
Candy: Recovery was very hard. One day I looked at my mother, who didn't ask anything. I hinted about what if I ran out of money, and she said she'd go sing for a living. That made me realize I just had to get up and work. I saw two friends who were also victims live streaming late at night, which energized me. I invited my mother to work with me to pay debts. It was around a festival—maybe Jenny's or Candy's. I decided to fight back.
You joked that Thanya worked like a debtor—is it true you really are in debt?
Thanya: Yes, really. When people joke, it's because we are in debt. Peggy didn't dare ask my father for money because he forbade it. We endured for two years, working to repay friends' debts and some of Peggy's friends'. But a large amount remained. Peggy said he felt bad facing friends, as it seemed like we took their money without giving expected returns. So we decided to tell my father.
We expected a long scolding from my father, but he listened. Peggy had experienced business failures before, and my father helped. Now Peggy is over 50 but still relies on his father, which makes him feel bad. But my father is very kind and supportive, which is why Peggy loves his parents deeply.
A supportive family?
Thanya: My father asked, "How much, son?"
How did your father react when told the amount?
Thanya: "Fifty million, son?" Then he asked my sister to find money to help Peggy. I understood why Peggy loves his parents so much—they support everything.
You and Peggy didn't rely solely on your father but also did marathon live streams?
Thanya: I told my father I'd use this money first to ease stress with friends. I'd repay him monthly, unsure if it would take 50 years to finish. Peggy's father had already allocated money for his two children, but Peggy never touched it. So it's like taking his own money and repaying it gradually since it's saved for his children.
When did the intense live streaming marathons by Peggy and Thanya start? What were the hours?
Thanya: The toughest was during flood relief with about 20 regular customers plus 20 more for flood aid. We started at 3 p.m. and ended at 1 a.m., taking bathroom breaks only. Peggy sometimes joked, and we had to be careful not to upset clients.
Candy, you saw hope from Peggy and Thanya's live streams. That day coincided with their status downgrade announcement. What happened?
Candy: Actually, I bought a slot to go live with Peggy and Thanya for good luck.
Thanya: They didn't tell me; they contacted the team themselves.
Candy: On that day, I had a 4 p.m. slot. Just as they announced the downgrade, I was getting ready and thought, "What's going on?" I didn't dare ask. At first, I thought it was just content, but when I saw Thanya live, her eyes were red and swollen. I realized it was real but had to go on with my slot.
What was the atmosphere like when you arrived?
Candy: Very tense. No joking or light talk.
Thanya: Before going live, I changed and asked if she wanted to go on. I said I'd go if she did, or not if she didn't. She was afraid I might expose them live. I assured her I wouldn't. We had client work to finish. She came on hesitantly, afraid of slipping.
That day, after the downgrade announcement, many viewers joined the live stream?
Thanya: Many thought it was content, but everything said was true with no exaggeration. Even my brother-in-law asked if I had a script.
Candy: I confirm no script. It was very tense for me and Thanya. But Thanya had great spirit, and it ended joyfully. That day was refreshing.
They gave the debtor a chance to repay. Will legal action follow?
Candy: From my side, lawyers were appointed to negotiate. They claimed internal fraud. As investors, we want to know when money left the system.
Thanya: We gave them two years to recover. They should have by now.
Candy: I'm near breaking point, so legal action will proceed.
And you, Thanya?
Thanya: We haven't discussed next steps with Peggy yet, maybe waiting on Candy.
Candy, after being scammed, you became depressed and even lost faith in sacred things. What happened?
Candy: Not completely lost faith but stopped being superstitious. Before, having never faced such problems and with business success, I turned to sacred things, worshipping many deities, setting altars, becoming a kind of spiritual devotee. It was like an exchange—I invested hoping for big returns. But when the final amount didn't return, I realized it was futile and decided to stop superstitious worship. I still respect the sacred, like the Naga, and still go to worship with Thanya.
Thanya: We still worship.
Candy: But not like before. I was so upset I even talked to my grandfather, "Don't you love me?" and eventually cleansed all spiritual items. The process was more intense than cosmetic surgery, removing everything.
One of Candy's proud reasons to keep living is to see her nephew AA and his band BUS succeed, right?
Candy: Yes, the band BUS also helps in healing. When I'm down, I listen to their music or watch their activities. It brings me happiness. I have no sons, so AA and AI, Annie's sons, are like my children. Seeing their progress makes me ready to stay for them and my mother.
You should be happy, Candy. Everyone in your family is an artist, all famous.
Candy: I am happy. What brought me back was family, people around me, and AA and BUS. They're very dear.
Click to read.Entertainment news.. Additional information.