Thai cops to detain 'runaway bride' on theft charge

Police in Thailand detained a woman accused of taking off with dowries after marrying at least seven men. But it remains unclear what charges she might face in the high-profile case, reports Bangkok Post.

Police today took Jariyaporn Buayai, 32, to the Thanyaburi Court in Pathum Thani to seek the first detention on a charge of stealing an air-conditioner from a resort room there in 2013.

Criminal suspects can be detained for up to seven 12-day periods, or 84 days, before charges must be formally laid.

Responding to reports that she cheated at least seven men out of three million baht [BDT 7,388,134.86] in dowries and investment money, the Loei native said today that she had no intention to deceive the men.

Her parents had nothing to do with her actions, she added.

Police earlier suspected her parents were conspirators since they had been at all of her weddings to take the dowries, the Thai newspaper adds.

Jariyaporn, who was arrested on Thursday, said she had not tried to escape.

“News reports that there are 30 or 40 men, who claimed to be the damaged party, are also not true,” she was quoted as saying by Thairath Online.

“As far as I know, I’m in custody because of some criminal charges in 2013."

Apart from the theft in Pathum Thani, Jariyaporn faced arrest warrants for failing to pay for some durian she bought and other minor charges, according to Thai media.

Police have yet to charge her in connection with absconding with the dowries since there is no law specifying how long someone has to remain married after receiving a dowry.

Meanwhile, Thanakrit Vorathanatchakul, a prosecutor attached to the Attorney General’s Office, advised that the men who felt they were cheated into giving dowries to the woman could take civil action to get their assets back.

He said that what Jariyaporn was accused of doing violated Section 341 of the Criminal Code on fraud.

“However, the offence is not a state crime. Victims must file complaints [with police] or file suit with the court within three months after they become aware of the crime and know who the offender is,” he said.

Since the offences took place the course of a few years, the statute of limitations might already have expired for some of the victims, the Bangkok Post reports.