Philip Crabb - Thailand

Hi Bloggers,

I just wanted to put up a special post about Philip Dunne or Philip Crabb, the man who scammed me for $22,500 back in 2013. Just so there's some proper record of him on the internet to warn potential victims off. Of course, it's a long time ago (2013), but you never really forget something like that. It's not just the money, it's also the personal humiliation.

Basically, I bought a franchise for his company Island TEFL in Thailand, thinking I would be running a profitable business in a field I was expert in (TEFL). However, his intention to scam became clear from quite early on. He immediately started fabricating reasons to put me in "breach of contract". It was almost obsessive. In reality, however, the exact opposite was the truth. He was the one breaking the contract. For example, it turned out that his company was not even registered properly. He also wanted me to list my franchise as a company fully in my name even though I was only 50% of the franchise.  He was coming up with all kinds of twisted legal bullshit all the time.  Basically, it was the law according to Philip Dunne/Crabb, which in effect meant whatever suited him at any given moment. All completely of his own concoction.

He was simply one of the nastiest people I've ever known. He quickly took a dislike to me on a personal level and after that it was just one continual torrent of abuse from him. Constant outbursts of bad temper. Every email he sent me insulted me in some way. For example, he'd call me dumber than I looked, illiterate and even gave me a nickname, Popeye. Just totally unprofessional.  Fortunately, I never met him in person.  In fact, that was the main lesson I learnt from this - never do business with someone you haven't met, because your personal relationship is always of paramount importance, particularly in a small business.

In the end he didn't even pay me my share of the profits, which should have been about $5,000. Again, completely in breach of contract, as that was the cornerstone of our business agreement. So, the end result was that I effectively paid him $22,500 to be his slave. Quite a deal for him. He pocketed my money, got me to manage and deliver a course for free, and then kept all the profits for himself. Wow!

I could write reams more about this guy and his misdemeanors, but that would be too long for this blog. Apart from being an obvious criminal, this guy clearly has some serious psychological issues and should be on the psychiatrist's couch. His pompous moralising and pseudo-intellectuality were just a couple of examples of his twisted psyche, as also were his clear delusions of grandeur. Not to mention being a complete sociopath.

Of course, being in Thailand, it was almost impossible to get any legal redress. So, readers, please do be warned about these kinds of scam in developing countries.

Please do also feel free to email me if you want any more information about this man.

Back Again

Hi Bloggers,

Incredibly, it's been a whole 6 years since I last posted, so I'd better get back to it!

Let me pick up from where I left off last time. If I remember rightly I was about to start running my own teaching business or franchise in Thailand. Unfortunately, it turned out to be an unmitigated disaster, not because I couldn't handle the business, but because the guy who sold it to me was a scammer.  Yes, I was a complete idiot! Basically, he pocketed my money and never paid me a penny of the profits. Anywhere else in the world he would be behind bars by now, but in a developing country like Thailand without a proper working legal system, it was almost impossible to bring him to justice. Philip Dunne or Philip Crabb was the scammer's name. Absolute scumbag of a man. Do be careful not to do any business with him!

Fortunately, though, I moved on quickly and have developed a great teaching career in the Gulf region working in some top universities here. It blows away working for the British Council, not just in terms of pay, but also in terms of job satisfaction. Nice long holidays too!

Finally, my family. My son is almost seven now. He's growing up to be such a great kid. I'm really proud of both him and my wife. In fact, after so many years of being single, getting married and having a kid was the best thing I ever did. I now have a real purpose in life.

Going forward, I hope to put up some posts about how I stay healthy, maybe some philosophical stuff and anything else I think might be interesting..

Cheers,
Robert

New PM in Thailand

Hi Bloggers,

Well, things seem to have settled down a bit for the time being. There don't seem to be any demos going on in the streets at the moment, though don't be surprised if that changes in the not too distant future!

Basically this new government is the result of political wheeling and dealing, and plenty of horsetrading, including the usual financial backhanders. It's certainly not democratically elected! Nevertheless, Abhisit does seem a reasonable choice superficially, and may even be able to provide a modicum of stability. Interestingly, he was born in England and is a graduate from Oxford University (where I'm proud to say I read myself). So he's pretty articulate and speaks excellent English. Fortunately , he's also disowned the PAD. So let's hope ....

I regularly watch CNN, and one of my favourite reporters is Dan Rivers, based here in Bangkok. Do try and watch his interview with Abhisit if you can. He always asks really tough challenging questions, and had Abhisit on the back foot a couple of times, particularly re: the popularity of Thaksin and his supporters. Dan's interview with the Bali bombers was also a real classic, especially when he tells one of them to his face "you're nothing but a cold blooded murderer, is what you are."

Of course, tourist numbers are well down as you might expect. The only benefit that might come from this is the possibility of some good bargains in peak season, due to the large number of cancellations. My advice is go to hotels in person on spec, as, if they have low occupancy, they might make you an offer there and then.

Anyway, I'm off to Chiang Mai for a few days at Christmas. It's my favourite medium sized city anywhere in the world. Looking forward to getting out into the country and riding up into the hills on my motorbike. Fantastic scenery around there.

Will blog again soon. Have a nice Christmas!

Cheers,
Rob

Airport Aftermath

Hi Bloggers,

So the PAD got their demands and have now finally left the airport. But it was always likely that the court would rule against the PPP, so I wonder why they bothered in the first place. Why didn't they wait till after the court ruling? That way, they would have saved Thailand billions of dollars in lost tourism. In fact, the PAD have cost the country far more than any of Thaksin's dubious transactions. To me this is clear evidence that it's about power, not about the moral purity of a particular government.

Let's look more closely at what's really going on. The PAD are determined that no party representing the rural poor is going to have office. This is, in effect, a class war, and, in my opinion, risks eventually developing into a full blown civil war. There must now be massive discontent countrywide amongst those who voted for the PPP. And, indeed, they have themselves now formed their own protest group, the red shirts.

As it happens, the PPP will probably be able to re-constitute itself under a new name with a new leader, but the PAD will almost certainly continue to harrass them. So I think we can all expect some more fireworks at some point in the not too far future!

At street level, one of the effects of the airport closure is the absence of tourists in Bangkok. This evening, I went for a meal in the normally packed out food court in Sukhumwit Soi 7, and it was virtually deserted. Thousands of people in the tourist industry have had their lives affected by the amazingly inconsiderate actions of the PAD. It's really important the Thai people see through the PAD and banish them completely.

One of the things that disturbs me most is the precedent the whole affair sets. By succeeding like this, a signal has been sent out that it's OK to go to the streets if you don't like a government, even though it was democratically elected. Another worrying feature is the fact that the army is clearly not neutral. The PPP were unable to call on its support throughout the whole crisis. How can any government work when it is at odds with its own army? Anywhere else in the world (almost) the police and army would have worked together quickly to quell the problem.

Anyway, enough for one blog! Let's see how things unfold.

Cheers,
Rob