A Thai man’s heartbreaking story has gone viral after he claimed his mother spent nearly 7.8 million baht (approximately RM1 million) that he and his girlfriend had painstakingly saved while working illegally in Japan for 15 years.
The man shared his experience in a Facebook group, revealing how he and his longtime girlfriend travelled to Japan in 2010 as undocumented workers in hopes of building a better future together.
According to the post, the couple took on physically demanding labour jobs and spent years living frugally while slowly accumulating savings.
Over the course of 15 years, the pair reportedly managed to save around 7.8 million baht.
Because of his undocumented status overseas and his trust in his family, the man said he arranged for his wages to be transferred directly into his mother’s bank account in Thailand for safekeeping.
The couple originally planned to save up 15 million baht before returning home to live comfortably from bank interest earnings.
However, after suffering from chronic back pain and knee injuries caused by years of heavy labour, the man, now in his mid-30s, decided to return home earlier than planned to get married and settle down.
The situation reportedly took a dark turn after he informed his mother about his plans to return to Thailand permanently.
He claimed his mother suddenly became distant, avoided conversations about money and would allegedly hang up whenever financial matters were mentioned.
The devastating truth was finally uncovered after the couple returned to Thailand.
According to the man, the entire savings account had been emptied.
Even more heartbreaking, it was reportedly his girlfriend — who had spent 16 years working alongside him in Japan — who first discovered the missing money.
Unable to cope with the loss and collapse of their future plans, the woman eventually ended their relationship.
The man recalled tearfully driving his former girlfriend home and apologising to her mother before returning alone while crying throughout the journey.
The nightmare reportedly worsened days later when creditors began appearing at his home demanding repayment of debts.
He then allegedly discovered that his mother had not only spent all the savings but had also accumulated large debts and mortgage-related liabilities under his name.
The man said arguments soon erupted between him and his mother, who allegedly threatened suicide whenever the issue was raised.
To escape mounting pressure and emotional distress, he eventually moved into his aunt’s house.
However, he claimed his mother later tracked him down again and demanded he continue repaying her debts.
Despite the betrayal, the man said he felt more guilt towards his former girlfriend than anger at his mother, lamenting that the pair had sacrificed the best years of their lives working overseas together only to lose everything overnight.
He ended his post with the emotional line: “From having everything to having nothing only takes a moment.”
The story has since sparked widespread discussion online across Thailand and Southeast Asia, with many netizens expressing sympathy while others warned about the dangers of blindly trusting relatives with large sums of money.
