Thailand Investigations Blog
Do You Want to Know the Truth?

I’ve spoken time and again on this blog about how there seems to be a prevalence of private investigation agencies that offer their services to the general public. Normally this kind of boom is a good thing for customers and prospective clients, as they have a lot of choices spread out before them and PI agencies are driven to become more competitive and deliver the best results possible, which in turn gives better output for the industry as a whole.

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The sad thing is though, that there are a lot of agencies who post their services online, but are not transparent with the kind of information they give to potential clients. Most simply have a generic email or a mobile phone number you use to contact them – which, as I would like to remind you, are both easy to produce on the fly and are thus completely disposable and expendable. Rarely have I seen agencies with fixed addresses or offices.

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This kind of practice is very suspicious, simply because there is no reason for a private investigation agency to hide who they are. I mean, it’s a lot better if you are as accessible as possible not only to your clients but also to people who want to contact you. The very reason why clients contact us is to dig into issues or find people – that sort of thing – we do not want them to practice investigative skills for them to find us. When you think about it, it’s really ridiculous.

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This form of operation begs the question of why these agencies are so afraid to post a means through which clients can reach them easily, even after the case has been ‘resolved’. As I’ve said before, mobile phone numbers and email addresses, even websites themselves, are easily replaced. Are they afraid of follow-ups from clients? I understand that not all results of any PI agency are perfect or fit with what the client expects, but these should be discussed and explained to the client at the very beginning of the working and professional relationship between the two parties. But a private investigator or private investigation agency should always be forthcoming with his / her contact information, especially when it comes to the client.

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Remember that legitimate PI agencies that are confident in the quality of their work have absolutely no reason to hide themselves from clients, and are not afraid at all to display all the relevant contact information so that not just new, but former clients can readily reach them. It is outfits, on the other hand, who have outstanding tasks that have yet to be completed, or are guilty of botching up an investigation are wary of being tracked or traced by dissatisfied customers and clients.

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Mobile numbers and emails can easily be replaced should the need arise. Office addresses and business names, on the other hand, are harder to throw away. So look for the physical business locations and visit them from time to time. And more importantly, look for agencies that are established and stable, such as Thailand Investigation, who have already built a good and honorable reputation for themselves.

Last time, we talked about the different tools of the trade that help a private investigator get the results and the information he or she needs. But as mentioned, the tools don’t make the man (or woman). There always needs to be a requisite set of skills and characteristics that every good PI should possess that will help him or her put the tools of the trade to the proper and the appropriate use. It would be a waste to have good tools but be lacking in the skills to get things done.

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One characteristic that PIs should have is OBJECTIVITY. Not being clouded by bias or be blinded by emotion. Clients hire us to get them facts, not suppositions. For example, someone who has a bias against cheating men (or women) might commit the mistake of jumping to conclusions before he or she can get all the necessary facts to confirm that infidelity is indeed taking place. And the one who suffers at the end will be the client, who has put all trust on the PI. Allowing your biases to cloud your judgment will just not do and is absolutely sloppy and unacceptable for any PI.

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Another skill that private investigators should have is a good grasp of investigative processes and procedures. Certain circumstances might prompt the PI to do the things usually done by law enforcement agencies, such as collecting evidence, and so on. Having these skills also help the PI run in harmony with the authorities, and not against them. It is not unheard of for the results of an investigation by a PI to be of help to the police. Investigative skills are a bit hard to explain here in detail, given the complexity of the whole process, but suffice to say that there is a reason why many of the most successful private investigators in the world have substantial background in law enforcement.

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A private investigator should also have some skills in the self-defense department – you never know where a case will take you, so it’s always important that a PI knows how to take care of himself. Also, in relation to the dangerous aspects of the job, PIs should also know how to be discreet, as some investigations have a lot riding on them, and tipping off the wrong people about the ongoing investigation can have untold and disastrous repercussions.

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The bottom line is that these skills and characteristics are not easy to come by. In the same way not everyone can paint well or sing the notes off a song, private investigation, in a sense, can be considered a calling – it isn’t for everyone. Not just some John Doe can wake up one day and decide that he should put up a private investigation agency. It takes a lot to be successful in this business – it’s a right mix of the skills, characteristics and tools that helps the PI become good at what he (or she) does.

The kind of technology and tools at a private investigator’s disposal are very important in the aid of the resolution of the particular case he or she is on at the moment. Tools serve as complements to the skills of the PI, making the job not only easier, but also making for a more thorough and accurate result for / report to the client.

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One of the tools here at Thailand Investigations that we are particularly proud of is the Real Time GPS tracker. GPS stands for Global Positioning System – in which a satellite in outer space tracks a specific device, and beams its real time coordinates back to the receiver on Earth. Also, the device itself is very small, and can be grasped in the palm of your hand. So you simply slip it inside the glove compartment or under the car – or wherever you feel it will stay without being detected – and monitor the subject’s movement and position from afar. This way you won’t be fooled by alibis such as “I went out for dinner with my boss / friends,” or “I was just doing some overtime work.” You’ll know where they’ve been, and if they’re not telling you the truth, you may choose to ask them why yourself, or have us look for the answer for you.

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Another important tool we use is computer monitoring. Our computer monitoring system keeps you in the loop and makes sure that you are always a step in front, never ignorant of the situation. It’s really bad when you realize the truth only when it’s too late. Computer monitoring software will enable you to be on top of one aspect of you security – emotional and financial – and alert you early to any signs of problems. Our service is always about finding out the truth, and this system is one way of giving you hard, unimpeachable facts. And the earlier you find out, the better. It’s easier to solve that way.

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Lastly is mobile monitoring. Here, you can gain access to more information regarding all phone calls that the target mobile phone makes or receives. You’d also know all the details, like the numbers being called, the time and the duration or a particular call, along with the name it is assigned to in the target mobile phone. Through mobile monitoring, you can also read all text messages and email accessed through the target phone. The program / software is also very easy to use, and is completely undetectable. All you need to do is to give the phone that you want targeted to us and wait for about 30 minutes so software can be programmed in. After that, it’s as if you own the phone, even though its someone else’s. We then monitor all communication that the phone receives and then make regular reports to you about it.

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Of course, the tools cannot ever make a private investigator – it’s a mix of different factors and considerations that make a PI good at what he or she does. Still, it never hurts to have the proper tools to help get the job done quicker and better.

One of the most common pitfalls of men who get victimized by unscrupulous women is because they get easily reeled in by sob stories and other plays on their emotions. Of course, they realize only when it’s too late that all these things were just mere acts of practiced and professional liars and cheats.

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One client for example, got victimized not just by one, but by FIVE different women before he finally thought of getting a private investigator to look into the background of his latest fling. This particular client usually went into a “live-in” situation with these girls – that is to say he let them inside his home and had them live there. He said he always fell for the ones with the sob stories, and he really wanted to help them live a better life. Now, don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with helping a girl out, but when you try to imagine yourself as some white knight on a horse, well, that kind of house of cards is bound to fall down sooner than you think. Needless to say, these girls robbed him slowly (so as not to arouse any suspicion and to have a steady stream of “income”) before here realized it was too late. The first four got away and haven’t been heard from since, the last one was caught red-handed and is in the custody of the local authorities.

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You may think it’s easy to NOT commit that kind of mistake, but you have no idea how many cases we get that run along the same vein. The buttons these women press differ for each man they encounter, but trust me, they know how to play men like a musical prodigy on a piano – in time you’re singing their tune as well, without any clue that you’re just being led on for a ride.

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The most important thing to do in these kinds of situations would be to use your head first before plunging in headlong into any emotional (and financial and / or material) investments with women you haven’t gotten to know for too long. It may sound overly cheesy and teenager-ish, but there really is merit to the old saying that it’s better to be friends first. Now, to make me sound completely adult, that’s only when you want a serious relationship – if you want something more casual with a lot of physical intimacy, then there’s no need for you to commit to anything big, just a couple of Baht for expenses for the day. There’s hardly a need to bring a woman home, much less trust her with the keys to it.

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Trust is nice and should be a staple in any relationship, but only when the person deserves it. And not all sob stories are true, and even if they were, that doesn’t mean the person telling them to you can be trusted. Before you use the proverbial “heart” use a bit of your head and common sense first.

Some might think otherwise, but not everyone can be a private investigator. While movies and other pop culture seem to have glamorized the private investigator and depicted it as a somewhat easy job just any hack with a camera, a car, and a cup of coffee can do, this far-fetched from what a private investigator should be.

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In a somewhat related note to our post two weeks ago, this is probably one reason why many seem to think that being a private investigator is as easy as a bit of advertising, buying a bit of equipment, and renting some office space is enough to put up a PI agency. Especially in a country where PI’s do not need licenses or any sort of government accreditation to become a private investigator or establish an agency, it’s easy to be reeled in by false promises and guarantees.

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But if I may say so, being a PI is not merely a vocation or a job – usually the hours exceed that of the normal 8-5 gig, and when you take into account all the sacrifices, decision-making, technical expertise and all the other factors that go into what a good PI is, it really isn’t something just anyone can do.

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Dedication and determination

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These are two things that should be on the top of every PIs list of skills and characteristics. No matter how polished your investigative skills are, it really doesn’t matter if your PI is the type to give up easily. More often that we’d like, we run into all sorts of walls and hurdles that for most people, would just make them call it a day. But as long as there is a lead to follow, no matter how small, a good PI follows it up and never gives up – calling it quits is always the VERY LAST RESORT.

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Good investigative skills

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There’s a reason why it’s great to have someone with police or law enforcement experience be on (or lead) the team or agency – it’s because people like these (like myself) have had considerable experience in the investigative field, and we are taught all the tricks in the book that there are to know about investigating. How does one know if a lead should be followed or not? How does one establish contacts and who should they be? Only someone with good investigative skills and experience applying them in the real world can really answer these questions.

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Professional

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It is especially important here in Thailand that your PI has a professional attitude – because as we mentioned, there is no governing body or licensing office for private investigators. A good PI knows how to be discreet and is always honest with his / her clients.

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Has the right equipment

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Here at Thailand Investigations, we have all the necessary equipment to augment the skills that we have – GPS real time tracking, mobile phone and computer monitoring software, and a whole lot of other equipment that helps us give more concrete and accurate results to our clients.

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I believe we’ve discussed before how difficult it is when we handle missing persons cases. There is a reason why even in developed countries where it’s easier for people to leave paper trails which eventually lead back to them, here, it’s more difficult, especially considering the nature behind some of the cases we’ve handled.

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One of the things that make missing people cases so hard to solve is the fact that a lot of the leads we get are from the word of mouth. No matter how honest a person may be, it still is a fact sometimes stories morph into different things when passed from one person to another, so we really have no way of knowing whether what a particular person is saying is true or accurate.

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More of the difficulty of searching for people lies in the checking and double checking of the these kinds of information that we get, compared to whatever facts we’ve collected so far. The beginning of each case is usually the most difficult, as you have to start from scratch, replying on the investigative prowess and our considerable experience in this field to look for good places to start our search. But does become a very grinding effort when you have to verify every bit of information that comes our way. But that is really part of the job we are committed to do, as professional private investigators.

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Anyway, another difficulty lies in the fact that there are times when the subject being looked for actually DOES NOT want to be found, or if the people around him or her don’t want him or her to be found. So not only do you face the usual hurdles and obstacles, but also a lot of difficulty thrown your way be people intent on foiling you and preventing you from getting a favourable resolution of the case.

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In any case, but especially in these kinds of cases, there is a volatile mix of luck and skill involved – always in varying degrees – which make it impossible to guarantee results. Favorable ones, at least.

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However, I will be the first to say that there are also few cases more rewarding (or disappointing, for that matter) than being able to find a missing person. After all that effort you put into the case, after all the hours you log trying to piece things together, it is really a big load off your chest – not to mention the client’s elation – when you manage to solve cases of this kind. We’ve been behind a number of cases where fraudulent business partners and the like were found, vindicating their victims; as well as cases where we’ve reunited families. The latter especially, as we’ve posted before here, are the most touching.

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Finding missing people is part of the job of a private investigator. And while there are a lot of difficulties involved in solving cases like this, we are proud to say that thus far we have done a good job, and have exercised our skills to the best of our abilities to satisfy the needs of our clients.

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Despite our previous posts about the subject of fake and unprofessional private investigators, we have still encountered clients – more than we like – who have been victimized by supposedly legit private investigators.

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One thing to remember is that unlike in other countries, THERE IS NO LICENSING BODY THAT REGULATES PRIVATE INVESTIGATORS AND PRIVATE INVESTIGATION AGENCIES in Thailand. This means that pretty much anyone can just set up shop and put up a sign that says they are private investigators. And regardless of what they charge, and if they give results or not, it is not against the law. This is why hiring a good private investigator in Thailand is a bit difficult. Given the nature of a private investigator’s work, not all cases result in success or produce the results the clients expect. But there is a really fine line between a pretend PI and a legitimate one. Here are some tips in hiring a good PI and / or PI agency.

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One, they have a good reputation. You can usually and discreetly ask other people you might know who have had successful experience with a private investigator’s service. This is a great way to know if the kind of service they give and if this will work for you.

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They have experience and the proper background. Like here at Thailand Investigations, I have considerable experience in law enforcement, and have all sorts of knowledge about various criminal activities, and also significant background in investigative techniques. I’ve been in Thailand for a considerable amount of time, and am very familiar with the ins and outs of Thai culture and society.

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They offer a contract. A contract allows for you to see the scope of service offered by the private investigation agency – it basically says what you can and cannot get. If the agency does not or cannot offer you a contract, then you should be suspicious and think twice about getting their services.

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Another tip is to try to get a good measure of the PI you are hiring. Meeting up with them will allow you to assess the way they talk and the way they operate. A good private investigator is straightforward, and does not try to intimidate or confuse you with a lot of jargon and fancy words. They will tell you if a job can or cannot be done, and also tell you the chances of your success. It is important that you can see the PI, as this will help you determine if you can trust them with your case.

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Determining the kind of private investigation agency is very important so that your time, effort, and money are not put to waste. Some cases have a time element to them, so entrusting it to an unscrupulous agency would put you in a worse situation that you were in the beginning. Price and fees are not the only consideration in hiring a private investigator, especially because you still end up spending more in the long run – and probably NOT get any results at all – that you would paying a reputable agency at the onset to handle your case.

Some people underestimate the magnitude of damage a person can do to ruin a business venture. Even the smallest employee who has his or her hand in the cookie jar can run a business to the ground, with you realizing only when it’s too late – even a lowly cashier who pockets money from the till can cost you a lot, even more so when a person who has a lot of authority decides to screw you over, the results can be exponentially devastating.

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It’s not unheard of for expats here to put up local businesses. There’s a lot to love about Thailand – the people, the food, the culture – which makes it a great place to get a vacation and / or settle down for (possibly early) retirement. And who wouldn’t mind some extra income?

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Sometimes though, these businessmen make the wrong choice of employee, and / or do not employ enough safeguards to keep their interests safe. If you own a business personally, there’s really no one to watch over things except you.

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I recall an incident where we were called on to investigate case where a local business was suddenly being in trouble with the government for failure to pay taxes for a significant amount of time. The company was owned by an expat, and he entrusted the running of a business to his business manager, who was in charge of the bookkeeping. It seemed to be doing well for a while, so you cannot imagine his shock when he received notice that he owed the government a lot of money in back taxes. When he looked to the business manager for an explanation, he was nowhere to be found.

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At this point, we were employed to track him down and find out his whereabouts. We were eventually successful in finding after some time – when someone with a lot of money decides to go into hiding, it’s an extremely difficult task to find him.

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When you think of it though, the whole fiasco could be prevented if the business owner decided to put in a few safeguards in his business operations to avoid such incidents from happening.

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• Background checks – especially if you’re going to trust someone with a lot of responsibility, wouldn’t it pay to find out if you should be trusting this person in the first place?
• Computer monitoring software – most financial transactions nowadays are made electronically, so with the right monitoring software, you can easily monitor computer activity, especially in sections / departments that handle sensitive material.

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It was really fortunate that we caught the guy, but what if we hadn’t? No matter how hard we try to pursue every lead, the outcome is never guaranteed. No PI business can guarantee perfect results all the time. As they say, prevention is indeed the best cure, so it would have been better if the business owner spent some extra effort securing his business to prevent any problems in the future.

In the previous blog post, we talked about the reasons why people cheat. When you think of it, almost all the reasons are legitimate, but still, they cannot justify the act of cheating.

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The bottom line in cheating is that it’s eventually found out, sooner or later. Some small-time and one-time offenses have some chance of being forgotten and to never see the light of day, but more often than not, cheating for many people is a full-blown affair. When you commit that big a mistake, you cannot hide it forever. This then, brings us to the discussion of how to handle a cheating partner. Things are not always as clear cut as we like them to be, so we need to be equipped mentally and emotionally to be able to deal with the situation.

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First off, you need to make sure that you are getting your information from a reliable source. When it’s a he said she said thing passed along many people, then you cannot trust this. It is better that you are sure that your partner is cheating before entertaining any other related thoughts. Hiring a reliable private investigation outfit is the recommended way of getting to the truth and getting confirmed and accurate results.

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When the offending party wants reconciliation, it’s really up to you if you want to accept or not. People can change, but not all do. Always keep in mind to assess whether or not your partner feels sincere about changing, reconciling, and being faithful from then on. Sincere partners will accept the fact that you will remain distrustful of him or her for a while and will do everything to make sure that he or she earns back your trust over time. If you say yes, then the both of you should commit yourselves to getting to the root of the problem, and eliminating it completely. Both of you should be ready to talk and be open with each other about the issues the both of you are going through.

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Be wary of being manipulated by sweet words and sweeping promises. You need to keep your wits about you and use your head. Be realistic and practical in your decision-making.

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If you in turn want to terminate things, make sure that you cover all the bases before you confront the offending party. Make sure that all your assets and interests are safe, with shared passwords and codes changed so that you can spare yourself the hassle of dealing with a vengeful soon to be ex partner. While you may reason out that he or she has no place or right to be angry, well, the simple answer is that he or she already cheated on you, so there are few things they won’t stoop so low to do – it is much better to be safe than sorry.

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Only you can really determine the right approach to handling a cheating partner. There is no formula or set of steps you only need to strictly follow – everything depends on the other person. The important thing is to always keep a cool and composed head and not let yourself get overwhelmed by your emotions.

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Cheating has got to be one of the most prevalent and common problems I have encountered in this line of work. And I’m talking of cheating in an emotional relationship only.

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Although there really is no excuse to cheat, people do it anyway despite it being simpler and less complicated in the long run, to come clean and without having to deal with the repercussions of such an action.

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Here are some of the reason people cheat:

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1. Unmet expectations – sometimes, people enter a relationship with the wrong set of expectations. Sometimes they want to change someone, sometimes they think they know the other person; but when the truth kicks in, they cannot handle it, so they reach out to others.

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2. Lack of communication – when communication breaks down between a couple, the tendency is for the person to try to connect with someone else – it’s human nature. This new relationship may start out pretty innocently, but the connection grows and grows until it becomes a full blown affair, and it’s too late to do anything about it.

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3. Lack of intimacy – for many couples, sex plays a very important factor that dictates the dynamics of the relationship. If one or both people aren’t getting as much as they want, it simply follows that they’ll be tempted to fulfill those needs somewhere else and with someone else.

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4. For the thrill of it – sometimes, people suddenly find their current situation of stability and security boring and unchallenging, and infidelity is one way of finding some thrill in a relationship that’s fallen into a routine – secure and safe as it may be. It’s just that some people are wired that way. This also applies to people who view affairs and the quantity of people slept with as some sort of badge of honor.

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5. They fall and can’t get out – sometimes, the other party never intended for it to happen, but they also failed to fish themselves out of a situation that might lead to something more than they bargained for.

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6. To get revenge – some people cheat to get revenge on the other, who either previously cheated (and got caught) or because they feel – regardless of whether it’s true or not – that their partner is also cheating on them.

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7. They want out but just can’t say it – some people use cheating as a means to get out of a relationship – literally. They lack the courage or the willpower to end things, so they simply abandon it in favor of a new one. If they get caught, then so what, right?

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8. They cannot commit to one person – sometimes, people conduct affairs because they cannot be completely open and vulnerable, so they try to spread themselves around; it’s sort of like them not wanting to put all their emotional eggs in one basket.

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9. Peer pressure – sometimes people get into the wrong crowd, and then they become pressured to be like them. For example, a group of friends might see the casual sleeping around as harmless unless you get caught, so they’ll encourage you to do it while helping you cover things up at the same time.

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