It’s been a hell of a year and the judges have really been scratching their heads with the motley collection on offer for this year’s awards. There are of course some of the old contenders still there who unbelievably just keep popping up again and again.
But there have been some delightful new arrivals on the scene. Some of these people just suspend belief. Here we have the usual mix of foreigners who have made Thailand their home, some of whom are clearly not what they’re cracked up to be hence they get the ‘Flying Sporran Golden Digit’ – and also a couple of good ones who get the ‘Globes’.
Top of the list this year is a new award The Drew Noyes Commemorative Digit named after an American in Pattaya who has broken all ceilings in the field of self-fantasy. So in from Bonnie Scotland comes….. Yes it’s Brian Goudie, formerly known as Brian Goldie. Actually he’s from Falkirk, which is not that bonnie, but wait, he’s a former officer in the Royal Marines and a barrister in England and an advocate in Scotland.
That’s how he describes himself, but well no he’s not.
He is just using a slightly more credible story than all the Pattaya Brits claiming to be ex-SAS. Sometimes he even reels from an old shrapnel wound from the Gulf War
Actually Brian left the U.K. before a warrant was issued for his arrest, alleging he defrauded the Royal Bank of Scotland. He stayed away long enough for the case to be dismissed.
He then defrauded a mining company in Australia and was jailed for six years – three consecutive two year charges. But Goudie is like a bouncing bog brush.
He’s running around Pattaya with documents from the Procurator Fiscal saying he is a man with no criminal record. ..which is true in Scotland.
He won’t get the same documents from the Australian authorities, but who’s asking?
In Thailand from three ‘projects’ alone with a ‘Scot’s wha hae’’ he is alleged to have amassed over 20 million baht posing as a barrister and officer and a gentleman.
He especially likes to get in with property developers or if not with their victims. Either way he has a good smell for cash.
He runs the Jaggy Thistle in Pattaya (his legal base) acquired from former Ulster drugs dealer Jimmy Halliday on his death bed – in lieu of fees.
Neils Colov, CEO of the Pattaya People Media Group retains his second place spot again this year.
This former Copenhagen gangster who naturally evolved to become the Head of the Pattaya Police Volunteers almost never made the list at all.
But, now a rehabilitated Buddhist vegetarian Colov, rocketed to second place after being awarded the UNESCO Cross and Certificate of Honour at an awards ceremony in the Richmond Hotel in Bangkok.
UNESCO states there were no such awards and that the authors of the ceremony ‘fraudulently used UNESCO’s logo and identity’.
Mr. Colov will not accept the truth or apparently even contact UNESCO to find out.
“So far I only have your words for that you think the awards ceremony is a scam” he told the Flying Sporran. Pick up the phone Niels!
Herr Colov is apparently one of the most decorated people in Thailand, more so than an African dictator, and also gets extra points for appearing on behalf of Drew Noyes at a failed case against this site and predicting that Noyes, of the Pattaya Times, would get off scot free from a charge of attempting to extort the Thonglor Clinic out of seven million.
This all between spending 50 per cent of his time on charity projects.
Way to go Niels who gets the Idi Amin Commemorative Digit.
Well he’s not at the top of the list but Drew Noyes, 56, who describes as himself the most credible, and reassuring American to ever to have made Thailand his home, has now an award named after him
What do you give someone who has got everything, from Royal medals, CIA recommendations, legal awards, immigration police awards, even skydiving and sharp shooting awards. Quite clearly nothing else but a plaque for utter bullshit.
He keeps suing this site and failing and has three more cases in January.
He also has a case against him in January for breach of a court order, judgment in February in a libel case against a seasonal Santa Claus whom he accused of being a drugs dealer – and his case for attempted extortion (see above) also comes up in February.
More recently he has been pursued by a Bangkok based glamour model who complained that he stole her picture and put it in his newspaper advert for his shortly to be opened Cupid’s Gentleman’s Club.
Drew Noyes is the man behind the Pattaya Times, PAPPA Law Company, and One Stop Legal Service Center – a newpaper barely readable, a law office not registered to practice law, and a rip off of the Thailand Board of Investments One Start One Stop Centres nationwide.
He was exposed by the Wilmington Morning Star in Carolina Beach, N.C. long before arriving in Thailand by, he claims, Royal Proclamation.
The newspaper detailed allegations of share and property fraud, false resumés, and sexual harassment. This guy is so prolific, so internet and email crazy that he becomes the first recipient of an award named after him – The Drew Noyes Bullshit Plaque
Winning this title by a mile is Norbert Verweyen the infamous Koh Samui property developer. He runs something called OK Properties but his name is much more associated with Coco Developments on the island.
People who had brought properties off him wrote letters to Ambassadors about a situation which represents ‘a serious and imminent threat to our lives’.
He is stacked up with cases in Koh Samui court, something like 84, and is even suing some residents for working without a permit – having set up a residents committee.
As these are retirees, and one is over ninety, this could be quite a spectacle when they go to Koh Samui court turning up in their zimmer frames.
The British Embassy wrote to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs about Norbert’s activities saying it was’concerned that no action has been taken in response to official complaints filed with the local authorities concerning the alleged activities of Mr. Norbert Verweyen.’
Verweyen has been accused of launching attacks on truculent home owners and has blockaded residents from their paradise estates when they failed to comply with his demands.
He has a fiery temper and ‘Doing a Norbert!’ is the expression on Koh Samui foreigners use when someone has lost the plot.
Coming second in this category is David Allan McDonald a Scottish property developer in Hua Hin who has been ripping off property buyers in the resort for years.
There are people who sue and there are people who are sued. McDonald tells people ‘sue me!’
The courts in Prachuap Kiri Khan are stacked up with his cases against him or cases against his ex-girlfriend, who he has put in charge of everything.
Some of McDonald’s incomplete estates look like east European ghettos. Few agents will deal with his properties except Hua Hin Property.
He has been using Brian Goudie’s company Alba Laws (based at the Jaggy Thistle in Pattaya) to prevaricate, delay and even threaten angry house buyers. Scores of people are chasing him for money.
People get their land deeds to find that his girlfriend is the registered owner of their properties.
He refuses to pay saying he does not have any cash and challenges them to go to court or deal with his lawyers.
THE FLYING SPORRAN DODGY PROPERTY DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR – ALSO RAN
There have been many to choose from but this group also deserve a special mention. So this is the final award in the property developer section and is a group award for three individuals in the property game.
They are David Ames, Richard Haughton and Neal Davies.
David Ames |
All have one thing in common – Harlequin property group. David Ames is the boss of all the companies which were incorporated in Essex in the U.K.
Richard Haughton was the boss of Harlequin (Thailand) based out of Pattaya and responsible for many Harlequin ventures which he transferred to his T.P.M.E Co Ltd, several of which which were never built.
Haughton |
Neal Davies |
Neal Davies is a struck off broker dealing in the Harlequin Income Fund through his Caldora company and promoting properties in the Caribbean which Harlequin has also not been building.
Davies operates out of Phuket. David Ames is currently in the High Court in London pursuing a legal case against Jeremy Newman who created the ‘Harlecon.net’ blog which runs to 1,300 pages of ngative publicity about Harlequin.
Now at last we have an award for merit. This goes to the father of a Dutch model who was raped on Phuket, who was furious when he found out the rapist had been given bail.
A musician, I cannot name him because that would also identify the victim, he composed the song ‘Evil Man in Krabi’ which went viral on the internet.
This led to police producing their own video and the Minister of Tourism Chumphol Silapa-archa claiming that the incident could not be considered rape.
He quoted provincial tourism police chief, Pol Maj-General Loi Ingkhaphairoj as saying: “The woman had dinner with the Thai suspect and a foreign man*.
“Later, she told the foreign man to return to the hotel before heading off with the suspect.”
Having put the bullets in their own heads both police and the Minister slunk off into the shadows.
The musician dad – CK – gets the Flying Sporran ‘Wake Up Thailand’Award for waking up Thailand momentarily.
Next comes the ‘Flying Sporran IFA (Independent Financial Advisor Award) which this year goes to Andrew Wood also a columnist at the Bangkok Post who writes giving advice on financial matters.
Wood’s real job is with Platinum Financial Services born out of Barclay Spencer, Barclay Spencer International, Barclay Carrigan, all started by Andrew Leppard (who also previously wrote the financial column).
Leppard was single handedly responsible for having investors lose millions through his London Nominees Fund – the Fund behind the now collapsed Football Fund into which cash invested in Barclay Spencer IFAs was placed.
Once people in Thailand have mastered the art of setting up companies the world is their oyster.
Mr.Leppard is now running a laundry in Pattaya after the ‘Football Fund’ was exposed by Channel 4 in the U.K.
Andrew Wood gets the award for his column in the Bangkok Post which is essentially a free plug for a company linked to ethically challenged activity in the financial advice field.
Streaks ahead in the ‘True Grit’ category are two sisters from Merseyside who showed remarkable tenacity when their father David Farrell, 72, was murdered after separating from his young Thai wife in Sattahip.
Nicky and Lois Farrell immediately flew out to Thailand when they heard of the death of their father a former property millionaire, club owner, and entrepreneur.
They discovered he was living in fear of his estranged wife Koranit Farrell, 32, to whom he had already given three houses, a small hotel and a rubber plantation.
The two no-nonsense sisters started digging and found a secret compartment in his house where he had hidden the title deeds for his main house from her.
They have demanded Sattahip police conduct a full investigation into his death, but that is going very slowly or not at all. His ex-wife knows the policemen.
He had only £7 plus in his bank account when he was found apparently beaten in his house. But now at least the sisters can control his remaining estate so his young daughter, their half sister, can be properly educated.
I wonder if this is Goldies son or relative?
A Scottish tourist may plead guilty to an alleged "glassing" incident outside a St Kilda cafe.
Richard James Goldie, 23, of St Kilda, appeared in a Melbourne court this morning charged with intentionally and also recklessly causing injury.
Goldie is alleged to have struck, Daniel King, with a glass in Acland Street about 1.30am last Thursday.
Defence lawyer Andrew Halphen today applied in Melbourne Magistrates Court to adjourn the charges so negotiations could continue to settle the matter.
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Mr Halphen also said he needed time to obtain material for a plea hearing and to "get the matter resolved".
It is believed Mr King suffered three lacerations, but none that required stitches.
Police prosecutor Leading Senior Constable Jim Wilson did not oppose the application.
Magistrate Angela Bolger extended Goldie's bail, which included a condition that he surrender his passport.
He will appear again next Monday.
Goldie appeared in court wearing a white shirt, carrying a backpack and with a finger on his right hand heavily bandaged.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/scottish-tourist-may-plead-guilty-to-st-kilda-glassing-20121231-2c23c.html#ixzz2GaJekQEm
Wonderful AD – we love your site and hope the famous 'karma' is active in 2013 in giving all digit and true grit globe winners what they so clearly deserve.
Re Alan McDonald and local property agents, I see that the Hun Hin Property web site 'mission statement' says as follows:
" Welcome to Hua Hin Property – 'Experience is Key'
Hua Hin Property is a brand new but highly experienced company – the faces have been around a long time!
Our aim is to focus on, and pride ourselves in, quality, honesty, experience and after-sales-service. Hua Hin Property carefully select our selection of housing developments, condominium developments and re-sale properties to safe guard our clients. We aim to make sure all our property selections meet our strict guidelines of excellent locations, excellent value, consistently high build quality and capital appreciation"
If Hu Hin Property continues to market Alan McDonald's properties perhaps they should add the caveat:
" Except where we can make a fast buck, in which case we think only of ourselves and to hell with our clients"
Whilst we joke about these people, the truth is they are dangerous parasites preying on vulnerable and honest people who have probably worked hard for their money. If it was up to me I'd remove these people from society just like a wise gardener would remove weeds and kill parasites afflicting his nice garden. Not everyone is a trained psychologist and these cunning psychopathic predators pick their marks very carefully. They lie, cheat and steal their way through life. I'm a big believer in karma, what goes around comes around and when their time comes nobody will shed a tear at their demise. Hopefully 2013 will be the year they get what they deserve.
I agree, Arun.
But Thailand is conducive to the likes of such people. Its culture is very much to turn the other cheek and 'naming and shaming' is actively discouraged and supported by a Thai interpretation of libel that is dissimilar from the West's.
How many blogs or newspapers are there that expose these activities? I can think of only one. This one.
I want to personally thank the awards committee and the members who voted this year. The recipients are all well deserving of their awards. You have chosen well.