Thailand Investigations Blog
Do You Want to Know the Truth?

We here at Thailand Investigations have, on several instances, had clients who had previously hired a private investigation agency before, but were extremely dissatisfied with the way the agency handled the case. When it comes to paying up, these agencies would be great in sending billing and following up payments, but their handling of the case itself would be sloppy, to say the least. When it’s the client’s turn to follow up on the status of the case, he or she only gets vague reports, flimsy explanations and empty promises.

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It is a very unfortunate fact that Thailand has no law or requirement for private investigation agencies and private investigators to have a license, one can simple set up shop and call his business a “private investigation agency” and call himself a “private investigator”. But the sad truth is that many of these people have absolutely no idea how to conduct a proper investigation, much less have any investigation skills and the necessary equipment and expertise needed in handling a case. Many also assume that a couple of contacts are all they need to put up a PI agency. This is a grossly wrong thing to assume – not only is the reputation of legitimate, skilled and dedicated agencies ruined, but it is also a great disservice to the clients that are unfortunate enough to enlist their “services”.

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It is a very basic fact of the business that the private investigation business is a business built on trust. Clients come in and give away sensitive information, as well as hard earned money, to an agency to help them solve a particular problem. It may be finding a missing relative, catching a cheating spouse or girlfriend, doing background checks on business partners, or any other related job. Clients are always the ones who take the first step by trusting the agency and take whoever they hire by their word alone, as there are no government standards or certifications they can turn to. So it is especially hard for clients to find out that they misplaced their trust plus dealing with the fact that their problem is still unsolved. It is paramount in choosing your private investigator that you are comfortable with him or her.

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Many fake and fraudulent firms will also be more focused on the price and fee rather with the service they offer. They abuse your trust and bleed you for your money. Good PI outfits will discuss with you completely the scope of service and other details involved should you decide to enlist their services – this is a sign of honesty and trustworthiness that will translate into good results.

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Thailand investigation is an outfit that you can trust. We are discreet, we have the experience and expertise to get the job done, and we have the necessary tools to aid us. We have proven time and again to our clients – all of whom have different dispositions and naturally, cases, that we do our job right and we do it well.

With so many people falling into the trap of business scams, you would think that people would know better than to fall victim to similar scams, but no.

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A client of mine runs a big wholesale business and was approached by a long time friend who was offering and opportunity to get into the export business. Now, import and export business do earn big bucks, but you also need a large initial capital. The friend presented a lot of documents and presentations which “seemed” professional and authentic enough, and so the client was convinced. The return of investment was pretty high, and so the client really was very excited to invest. The first few months seemed okay, with money coming in regularly. But then one month, the friend suddenly reported that his contact ran away with the money. Our client, suspicious of the sudden change, asked us to look into the matter.

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We investigated, and it turns out that the “friend” was pooling money from different people and simply remitting the “earnings” back to them on an installment basis – eg. twice a month. There was no real business, and the bulk of the money way stolen and scammed away by the person.

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Sound familiar? Yes, we have talked about this before – the infamous Ponzi scheme. As we said, the criminal just pools money from different “investors” and remits the “profit” to the clients at pre-arranged dates of the month. Let’s say you “invest” a capital of USD 10,000, with a monthly interest of 20% a month meaning you get USD 2,000 a month in profit. In the Ponzi scheme, the scammer encourages the clients to invest more and more until eventually, the game goes bust and the scammer disappears into thin air.

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Now, our client is struggling to pay his debt – the money he loaned to invest in the scheme – and is hard pressed to keep his other business up. It is not a pretty picture. Based on the evidence we collected for him, he is planning to file a case against his “friend”.

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But really, the damage here has already been done. The money is long gone and spent, and it is highly unlikely that it will be recovered in full, if recovered at all. The best that can be expected is for the criminal to go to jail. While that can be considered justice, it is still a fact that they money is still lost and gone.

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Securing your investments should be the very first thing on your mind when you invest. No matter how good documents look or how professional the presentation may seem, it is no guarantee – lots of things can be forged and faked. This is why you need an investigative service that will look into things to confirm whether or not the claims are true. We are talking of lots of hard-earned money here, so it is only prudent that you take the necessary steps to ensure that your money is going into good hands.

As we mentioned so many times before, one of the reason many prospective are hesitant to approach a private investigation agency is because they are apprehensive about telling strangers about their problems. Approaching a PI agency means that they will have, to some degree, open up their lives – and that embarrassing and stressful problem that’s been bothering them – to other people. It is not exactly good to hear about a guy who got bamboozled by his girlfriend, or a businessman who got cheated out of his money by someone he trusted.

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And it is a legitimate and ultimately, normal reaction. A lot of people are hesitant because they feel they will be judged unfairly, and especially for people who have a really good reputation, going out in the open and letting more people know about what they are going through risks damaging that reputation, and in certain circles, reputation counts for a lot. And even if it won’t affect your professional life, it can still cause lots of unpleasant waves in your personal life. There’ll be people who’ll badger them with “I told you so” and similar gloats – it is not a pleasant experience for anybody.

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This is why we here at Thailand Investigation consider our discretion one of the best assets of our professional services. You may have all the modern gadgets and gizmos that help in investigations, but if you do not keep as low a profile as possible, you do a disservice to your client. If the client does not mind things getting out in the open, then that’s another matter altogether, but in our experience, the majority of our clients preferred a quiet solution to their problems and silent data gathering. It is THEIR problem and THEIR life anyway, and we always respect their privacy and their desire to be as hidden as possible.

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Not being discreet can also compromise the integrity of the investigation and can make things much harder for the PI. Information gathering will be compromised because the subject is more wary and will try to commit less mistakes and try their best to cover their tracks. What’s more, they can hire a PI of their own to make things more difficult and complicated. So the simpler the operation is – which entails being discreet – the faster we can get results to our client and the faster they can resolve the problems that have been troubling them.

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We value the privacy of our clients and hold it in high regard. In every single investigation we do, we are automatically in discreet mode to preserve the privacy of all the people involved, including our client. Many PI agencies just trump up and go on investigations loudly without a care in the world for what the repercussions might be to their clients.

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Thailand Investigations is a professional outfit whose members and staff know what they are doing. So if you are looking for an outfit where you know your secrets are safe, we’re the team for the job.

We’ve talked about how there are so many private investigation agencies sprouting up like mushrooms these days, offering a whole range of services to clients. To be fair, some do manage to deliver on their promises, but many fail as well, much to the disappointment of their clients who paid good money to get results. The sadder thing is that many of these failures could have been prevented had the clients picked a better PI agency to handle their problems.

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Anyway, we’ve compiled a few reasons why Thailand Investigation is one of the top private investigation agencies in Thailand, and why we are the better choice:

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1. We are discreet.
We understand that many clients prefer to have any investigations done quietly and discreetly, most for personal reasons. This is why our default approach to any investigation is always to take the least noisy and attention grabbing methods to get the job done. The privacy of the client is one of the most important factors that we take into consideration whenever we undertake an investigation. It is bad enough that many clients are afraid to consult with agencies to resolve their problems because of the dilemma’s delicate nature, and we try our best to keep things as quiet as possible.

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2. We know what we are doing.
Unlike many PI agencies that are sprouting up these days, we know the business of investigating from the inside out. Even before Thailand Investigations was started, the agency’s Managing Director, Michel Mauquoi is a veteran of the Belgian Police Force, which means he has had extensive experience in even more stressful and critical investigations and with Thailand Investigation, these skills and knowledge are used to their utmost, and all the people under him have been screened and trained properly to ensure the best interests of the clients are served.

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3. We are an experienced and established private investigation agency
We have been in the private investigation business since 2002, and that puts us in the industry for eight solid years and counting. We have countless solved cases under our belts, and with that, many satisfied clients. The simple test of time is testament to how well we do our jobs and handle the cases we get. And through the years, the skills and knowhow and the technology we have at our disposal has also grown exponentially, which allows us to constantly provide the best service to our clients.

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4. We have the tools to get the job done.
As we mentioned, at our disposal are several tools to help us give you, the client, better results. Many of our tools are trade secrets, but we have shared several technologies with you through this website / blog, such as the mobile phone and computer monitoring systems, as well as out GPS real time tracker. These technologies are examples of just how seriously we take the job, and how solid our results and findings can be presented to you.

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If you wish to contact us, simply leave a comment here, or better yet, reach us through our contact form.

We’ve said it time and again that we understand that most of the time, clients are apprehensive about approaching us with a job or asking for an appointment or consultation with us because they would prefer to keep things ‘simple’ and internal. No need to bring outsiders into the picture.

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That sometimes works, but not all the time. And it’s always better, as we said in the last post, to always trust the work to professionals who know what they are doing – professionals such as us.

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But we would like to stress though, that it is imperative, for the sake of everyone involved, that if you choose and decide to bring us in and enlist our services, then we would appreciate being told the whole story. We are very discreet in our investigation and we value the welfare, trust and the privacy of our clients above everything else. Sometimes you might think that a small embarrassing article cannot possibly be important, but in our experience, we always need as much information as we can get to be able to solve things faster and more efficiently. It may be embarrassing for you to bring up some sensitive topics with us, but since you’ve already let the cat out of the bag, so to speak, then you had best fill us in on everything. Our interest and pursuit of our case is purely professional, and so any information we receive is held in the strictest confidence.

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Being straight with us – or any other investigator you might choose – is the best course of action in any case. Sometimes, in our experience, it is the small bits of information that seem unimportant be the ones to break particularly difficult cases, and yours might be the same. In any case, any information that is passed down to us that turns out to be irrelevant to the case will not be revealed to anyone.

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We understand that trust is not easy to muster, especially after what many of our clients (you) have been through – usually betrayal by a loved one or a business partner – thus the wariness to open up to strangers. But you need to understand that we are after facts, above all things. We need facts to help drive the case to its eventual conclusion. And think about it – the faster the case is solved, the faster you get towards getting that closure you’ve always wanted. A faster resolution to the case means you get to tie up your affairs faster, and resolve everything quicker; and your case / situation won’t be out in the open for long.

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You expect your PIs to always be straight and forward with you, and that is exactly how we operate, backed up by data gathered from various sources – as we tap into our tools of the trade to get things done. But it is difficult to work on a case where there information we receive is vague or lacking – we will find and figure it out sooner or later, so you might just as well spit everything out in the beginning, for everyone’s sake.

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It is not unheard of for some people to give meaning to the most innocuous or mundane things. A simple greeting, text message or email from another person can seem to be evidence of wrongdoing and cheating, but to the casual and objective observer, it can only be seen as what it is on the surface. Of course, we do not discount the probability of your suspicions being right, but it is not uncommon for people – especially in our own experience – to think that they have some damning evidence against a particular individual, even when they really don’t.

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Don’t get us wrong – after talking and dealing with countless clients who have gone through the same, we can say that we understand why they feel this way. The important thing is though, that they should have the right and accurate information before they confront anybody.

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That’s where we come in. While we do appreciate the effort that many do to find out the truth, their means are not always as discreet and the results are not always conclusive and definite. There’s a lot of room for speculation and it does not help that the person has a personal stake in the whole business. Putting too much emotion into such an endeavor can cloud one’s judgment and one may very well end up using the facts to suit theory rather than using facts to come up with a theory. In the end, doing things on your own can do more harm than good.

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Professional investigators such as ourselves are always equipped with much better tools to find whatever truth or evidence that you want. The results are more reliable, conclusive, and accurate. Of course, it goes without saying that we are also much more experienced doing this sort of thing – it is our job and what we do, after all. We are much more discrete and are better equipped to handle all types of complicated situations that can arise from certain investigations. We are also more cognizant of the law, and what you can and cannot do to obtain information.

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There is nothing wrong with trying to do things on your own – the desire to keep things within your scope of influence is normal, but you cannot always do it that way. But you can rest assured that professional investigators always have the clients best interest in mind so every investigation is pursued in the most discreet manner possible.

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Thailand Investigations has been in the business for 8 years, and is staffed by many who are the best in the industry. At the helm is of course Michel Mauquoi, who brings with him a lot of expertise in the investigation business. So when you are looking to find out the truth, the best bet is with the professionals, so you don’t end up with ‘evidence’ that is, in the end, not actually evidence at all.

Many expats here fall in love with the place and eventually decide to put up a local business of their own, many with retirement in mind. It is only natural and expected, as Thailand is indeed a wonderful place and there is a lot of potential here for a business. However, many are unfamiliar with the territory and usually require advice from people who are more versed with the local requirements for starting a business, with the former only supplying the capital and dictating the general direction of the business.

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That is all good and well, except that there are instances where people who put up a business are taken advantage of by their partners / helpers. You need to take steps to ensure that your trust is not misplaced and that your funds are in good and capable hands.

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One of the things you can do is to have a background check done on a prospective partner or partners. Not only do you know his / her trustworthiness, but also know whether he or she is indeed qualified for the job. It always helps so that you know whether or not someone has at least the financial capacity to be a partner, and not just be a bag of hot air. Some might lead you on but really have nothing but their words and their charisma. Always beware of sweet talk.

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It’s important in every start up business that there is a legal framework and base so that everything is in order. Having everything documented, with certain strategic entries overlapping, can serve as a safeguard so that proper records can be kept and less opportunities for some to take advantage over the other. Always consult legal counsel when dealing with such matters, so that any lapses or loopholes can be properly addressed and changed accordingly.

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Another important thing to look out for is proper record keeping and inspection of your business. Many businessmen (and women) make the mistake of just leaving things to the one who manages operations. Try to take the time to visit the office or the business premises every so often. This way, you establish a productive routine while being unpredictable at the same time. Of course, it goes without saying that you should which particular sections of record you should look through thoroughly. Many small cheating techniques involve setting up a separate account to funnel in stolen money, and misdeclaring expenses. Check and double check always. If you don’t have time, then have someone reputable, like an auditing or accounting firm, do it for you. Or better yet, if you can afford it, hire an accounting firm to do the numbers for you.

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It’s not easy to put up a business, much less run it, but if you start things on the right foundation, you’ll have less problems in the long run, and you can focus more on what your business is really about instead of just running around dealing with side issues.

More often than we’d like, we have to be the ones to break to the client that indeed his / her suspicions were correct and that unfortunately, we come bearing bad news. It’s not easy for us, and is doubly hard on our clients. Many of them see it as an end, but depending on how you look at it, it can also be a beginning.

The famous philosopher Nietzsche said that, “That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” This is true. As long as you can move on from the problems that beset you before, you will be sure to come out a stronger and wiser person from it. There’s no use dwelling on something in the past, something you cannot change any longer.

Of course, the process of getting closure is different for everyone, and the extent to which one is affected by it all also varies. But the important thing is to always take steps to ensure that you get over it – to be able to process all that tragedy out of your system, whatever it may be.

• Find out where you went wrong. Try to look back on what happened and try to see what you might have done wrong, what signs you might have missed. If you have friends who know about your situation, try and ask what they think. You might not like what they have to say, but the worst has already passed. Learning what you did wrong will also help you avoid the same mistakes the next time.
• Concentrate on your work. Many people cope by immersing themselves in their work and their hobbies. They try to spend as much time doing enjoyable and productive things instead of just idling the time away and sulking. Before you know it, one day you’ll wake up and discover that what happened doesn’t matter as much to you anymore as it used to.
• Be of help to other people. If you know or can be a help to other people who are going through the same thing that you went or are going through, reach out to them. Informal support groups such as these will help you feel less alone with your problem and also give you the opportunity to use what happened to you in a positive way.
• Find a place you can retreat to for a few days and let your emotions run free. It will make you feel much worse to keep everything bottled up. It is normal for you to feel all sorts of emotions like sadness, anger, frustration, and you need to let that all out. You need to be true to yourself in order for you to set yourself straight.

Remember that what happens to you after – whether you stay down (or how long you do) or get up all depends on you. It’s important to know that not everything in life works out – business deals and partnerships, romantic / physical relationships all have an end. But there is always something beyond that end – it’s up to you if it’s going to be a good thing or a bad thing.

You Will Find Out!

We have had a lot of clients who took a long time before coming to us because they simply were uncomfortable divulging personal details and letting outsiders into their private lives. Many also felt afraid of what the results of the investigation might be, and so chose instead, to let things stay as they were.

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These attitudes are pretty common and very understandable. Who likes being told bad news, right? This is why people just let their suspicions slide and simply hope for the best. Many are hesitant to approach us not mainly because of the expense it entails, but rather because of their fear of what the results of the investigation may be.

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Sometimes these people luck out and nothing happens. It is not unheard of for suspicions and fears to be unfounded, and despite the normal problems that come with anything in life, everything ends out generally happy and okay. The thing is though, there are also some who don’t act out on finding the truth and the root of the problem and almost always (which we only say because of the statistical probability that there might be someone REALLY lucky) suffers in the end. Problems that you allow to persist and turn a blind eye to only exacerbate and grow in time. Whether in business or in personal relationships, problems that are allowed to grow are just like cancer you let spread in your body because you’re too scared to see a doctor because you’re scared of the diagnosis.

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To put it plainly, it’s all very foolish.

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There’s a saying that regret comes only in the end, and even though it may be trite and overused, it still holds true even to this day. Nothing stays a secret for long, and sooner or later, you will find out the truth. It is an inevitable and inescapable fact. And especially when you think about things in the long run, it’s much more practical to come to terms with how bad things are early on than to fool yourself for a long time only to suffer a more painful realization in the future. And you WILL suffer a painful realization, whether you like it or not, so better earlier than later.

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We understand that this kind of thing is not easy at all. It’s very difficult to face facts and accept them for what they really are – a cheating spouse or girlfriend, a dishonest business partner and / or friend. It is not something to be taken lightly. But you have to realize that you cannot live in a bubble of illusion forever, and in the end, only you get hurt if you let things stay the way they are – the longer you delay and live in denial, the bigger the damage will be.

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You can rest assured that we here in Thailand Investigations handle all our cases with the utmost discretion and professionalism. Our aim is to ferret out the truth, and nothing but.

Makes Catching Cheats Easier!

Cheating on spouses, boyfriends and girlfriends, and even in business and professional relationships has become more widespread these days. All sorts of unscrupulous people have developed schemes of many kinds designed to unwittingly ensnare hapless victims and bleed them dry.
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The good news however, is that there have also been breakthroughs and developments in technology that make catching cheats faster and easier than before.

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One example is our mobile phone surveillance and monitoring – we here at Thailand Investigation offer a program that enables you to gain access to more information regarding your girlfriend’s (or any person you want, for that matter) activity. Its most valuable feature is that it enables you to listen to all phone calls that the target mobile phone makes or receives. You’d also know the phone call details, such as the number, the time and the duration, along with the name it is assigned to in the target mobile phone. Apart from this, you could also read all text messages and email that go in the mobile phone, in short, virtually any activity that takes place in the phone. Other benefits that this program provides are the following: access to the phone’s exact coordinates (that is, if the target phone has GPS), ability to listen in to the phone surroundings when the phone is not in use. All this is undetectable to the target in question.

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A report we found on the web has this to say: “Thanks to modern technology, if you cheat there’s a roughly 30% chance you’re going to be caught if you leave evidence on your phone.”

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This makes our mobile detection program very apt and useful, as one of the most used things in any liaison is a mobile phone.

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The same goes for our computer monitoring software, that not only allows you to monitor a particular or even a group of computers remotely, but also control them from afar. You can use this software to check on a suspected cheating girlfriend’s or business partners emails or other incriminating evidence that may be hidden in her or his computer. Even lazy employees can be monitored and caught. This software can also be used to monitor your child’s surfing habits as there are a lot of topics and issues easily found on the internet that can corrupt and destroy a young impressionable mind.

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There is also the GPS real time tracking device, which we have also discussed several times in previous blog posts. It allows you to track movements and locations of the target, and is also largely undetectable to the target. We also make this available for you yourself to use for a period of 15-30 days, after which you return the unit to us. We also use the device in actual investigations and it has immensely helped us in delivering accurate and documented results to our clients.

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