Should I support?

I befriended this Thai girl for only a month or so. It's the first time I have a Thai person that I could chat with and practise my Thai.

She has been asking me to support her with some money to start a small business selling clothes and cooked food at the Ratchada market. She will rent a stall there to do her business. Her older sister will be joining her.

It's hard to know if this is a scam but having chatted with her for a while, she seems genuine. It's not a lot of money she is asking for and if I could help, I would like to.

I thought that rather than just give her the money, I would loan her instead. So I'm sort of like an investor. I would tell her that I want a, say, 25% profit, and a return on my loan.

Now, I don't really expect a profit or a return on the loan since the amount is not huge (25,000 baht) but I thought this approach might make her take the business idea seriously.

Am I being naive?

Hi

Never loan money to friends or family and expect it back.

If you want to help and give her money and can afford the lose or do not need it back then great.

What I have done when they said they would pay me back is give money and say pay when you can then forget about if some day I get it back great if not I already wrote it off when I gave .

last year had a good friend that wanted to borrow money to invest in a pyramid gold scheme I new it was fake but she said she was going to get in and out and make 4 times amount in 60 days. she could not afford that big of a hit or lose as had a family so I gave her the amount needed. Of course it was a scam all gone but still great friends and she now listens to me before she gets involved in a quick get rich scheme. like selling weight lose coffee her last get quick scheme.LOL

A month isn't a while, its a fairly short period of time. Ask yourself would you loan anyone else you've only known this long the money?

Have you actually met this person or are you chatting online?

I actually met the person, as well as her sister, had dinner a couple of times. We keep in touch over LINE. I know where she lives, her real name, bank account, have photos of some of her family members and friends. I even know that her maternal grandfather died yesterday. Perhaps I was fed this info. I don't know.

It is true that I wouldn't lend or give money to people I just met. And I intend to give not loan her the money and hope she makes good use of it. I don't expect any of it to come back. I just wish there was a way to be sure she makes use of the money as she said to start a small business.

Is there an opportunity to pay the funds directly to the suppliers she will be using, particularly the clothing and the stall hire?

25000 baht is approx $930aud...not an insubstantial amount, you can obviously afford to 'lose' the money regardless if she uses it as intended or not.

The gift will either be an inspired gift of generosity that will see someone develop themselves or a scam. Time will tell...I guess if she continues to ask for money you will know.

So, you wanna be my friend? I could use some help in a new start up I have been looking into?

Seriously! Step back and take a look at the situation!

How many people, after knowing someone for about a month, are going to ask for a "loan"? Why doesn't she ask someone who she actually knows and knows her?

http://www.thailandqa.com/forum/atta...id=22328&stc=1

I had read this thread many times and resolved not to chime in. There's something about it that makes me uncomfortable--a discomfort that is obviously not shared by many, especially the menfolk. But what the heck, let me get real.

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She has been asking me to support her with some money.

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OK, they're friends and she is helping him practice his Thai. But for the life of me I can't understand why she has the gall to ask for monetary "support" under the circumstance. If she thinks she needs to get paid for her effort, she should charge fees. At least that's remuneration. But simply "ask" for money like that's the most natural thing in the world?? For me, that leaves a very bad taste in the mouth.

If my brother sought my advice on a similar situation, I would tell him to sort out his values and ask him if he's ready to be a philanthropist or a sucker, as the case might turn out to be.

And that I'don't want to meet that woman.

Take it you have checked the internet for postings detailing very similar sounding scams-and that you are sure you are in fact chatting to a woman?

Thanks for all the advice. Very thoughtful I must add.

Just want to say again that I'm quite sure about whom I'm talking to because I met her in person and exchanged LINE number when I was in Bangkok. It wasn't purely online. I've also texted her while we were arranging to meet, and while she was looking for me in a shopping mall. So I'm quite sure who the person is that I'm chatting with. Perhaps some of you missed that in my posting. I just want to do her justice on that point. I would never give money to someone I met only online.

I also want to do her justice on the point about her asking me to support her with some money. It sounded like the request just came out of the blue. Actually, she was working in a low paying job when I met her. She has been at the job for about three years. Her older sister is giving birth next week. So she is finding it hard to make ends meet. (By the way, the older sister is real. I met her for dinner as well and it's quite clear that they are sisters because they do look alike.) I was surprised to hear that she was supporting her sister. But I thought she did the right thing.

I did ask her why she didn't ask her father for the money. After all it's for she and her sister to do business. Perfectly legitimate. Her father is a mechanic and so cannot afford. I didn't ask about her friends. I just assume that her circle of friends would not include people with such disposable amount to spare. But it is a good question to ask.

It is true that it's a sum of money I can afford to lose. I am not saying this because I'm some millionaire. I just hope the money will do some good for her, instead of me spending it on a new iPhone 7.

I guess I'm prepared to be a sucker, at least for this round. But if she asks again, I will most likely not give. If she is out to cheat me, then I've just lost 25,000 baht and maybe a little faith in the goodness of people. But if she is not, and she makes something out of that money, then I would have done some good.

I'll let you know which is the case, as I've decided to give this a go. I told her that this would be a loan and she said that she will repay me the capital. Will see how it goes. I really want to believe that she is doing this for her family, her sister and her soon-to-be-born nephew or niece. I guess that's what driving me to do it. I'm probably being naive here. I just don't want to believe that poor Thai girls cannot be trusted.

What kind of business plan and budget does she have? How much will her rent be at the market? Does she have any retail experience? Is she looking for someone to support her financially while she is getting her business up and running at a profit?

I suspect you will make your own decision regardless of what others suggest. That is not a criticism, but just an observation of human nature in general.

Unless she has business experience she will be learning on the job. I would suggest she start with food, to keep the start up cost low. I remember buying from market vendors who specialized in just one product, and that product kept them busy. Is she going to cook on the spot, or bring something from home? Either way, it would be difficult to handle both food and clothing unless she is going to have a partner.

Having been in the retail business, I can tell you the public is fickle. You put money into something expecting it to sell, and it may not. Then what do you do? I hope you get my point.

Start slow, get experience, and keep the overhead cost as low as possible.

Best wishes to you both.