Thai authorities are searching for a Ukrainian national, identified as Miss Anastasia, after she allegedly caused over 350,000 baht in damages to a condominium unit in Phuket’s Wichit sub-district before vacating the premises.
The damage, discovered on April 29, 2025, includes defaced walls, slashed furniture, and broken appliances. The property’s owner, Praphaphan Meesomboon, shared images of the ransacked apartment online, drawing widespread attention. One image shows the word “SWINDLE” and the number “32,000” painted on a wall—an apparent reference to a dispute over the security deposit.
Anastasia began renting the unit on April 15, 2024, under a one-year lease that expired mid-April 2025. According to the landlord, the tenant refused to vacate the property after the lease ended and did not respond to earlier requests to leave. On April 29, she sent a message claiming to have left the unit’s key in a rubbish bin. When Ms Warinrat, the property manager, entered the apartment, she was met with a scene of deliberate and extensive destruction.
“I was shocked. I’ve never seen anything like this,” Praphaphan said. “Every room was destroyed—appliances smashed, furniture slashed, and graffiti everywhere.”
It is estimated to be 350 000 THB in damages Photo courtesy Praphaphan Meesomboon
The landlord also addressed the growing online speculation regarding the deposit, posting on Facebook:
“It’s not true. I never said that I won’t return it. In fact, as promised, I have the right not to return it because the customer didn’t inform me in advance before leaving for 1 month. The customer has wrongly paid the rent, water, electricity bill. Expenses as promised. Do I have to be deducted first? How can I return 32,000 in full? Hello!!!”
Phuket police are coordinating with immigration authorities to determine whether the suspect has already fled the country. An arrest warrant is reportedly in process. If located, Anastasia could face charges of property destruction, financial liability, and potential blacklisting from re-entering Thailand.
The case has sparked public debate over the rights and protections of Thai property owners renting to foreign tenants, as well as the need for more stringent background checks and legal safeguards in rental agreements. Some online commentators have also called for policy reform to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Among the Facebook responses, one user commented:
“How hard is it with calculations? Just subtract the current meter and water bill with the previous one. Is that hard? In between, a cleaning fee was deducted. And if there was any damage, a little more. All this could be done in half an hour. The tenants are definitely wrong, but there could be a reason that is.”
This is not the first time a landlord-tenant dispute in Thailand has escalated to legal action, but the scale of property destruction in this case is particularly rare. The viral nature of the incident has renewed attention on landlord vulnerability in cases where foreign tenants abruptly depart, leaving unpaid bills and damaged property behind.
The owner says there was graffiti everywhere Photo courtesy Praphaphan Meesomboon
This incident has also reignited concerns around Thailand’s rental practices, particularly the recurring issue of withheld security deposits. Many tenants across the country complain not receiving their deposits back or facing unexpected deductions—often due to misunderstandings, unclear lease agreements, or poor communication between both parties. The 2018 update to the Consumer Protection Act was designed to protect renters, stating that landlords who own five or more properties must return deposits within seven days and may only deduct for damage beyond normal wear and tear. However, many tenants choose not to report issues, either to avoid conflict or because they feel the amount isn’t worth the trouble. As the Phuket case draws public attention, it highlights the importance of clear rental agreements, mutual accountability, and better awareness of tenant and landlord rights to prevent similar disputes in the future.
As the investigation continues, Thai authorities urge anyone with information on the suspect’s whereabouts to come forward.
