Bad vibes: Feng shui master arrested for alleged 86m fraud
Police nab Bangkok’s ‘Master Od’ after customers complain he deceived them by posing as 15th-generation Chinese geomancer
Pathum Thani police arrested a self-described “feng shui master” on Monday after customers complained he swindled them out of millions for fake sacred items and rituals.
Thanawat Jiracharoenwet, who operates under the name “Master Od” and owns the Tili Huangjui company, was nabbed at his house in northern Bangkok by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers.
Police searched the house for evidence and detained Thanawat pending further investigation.
His arrest came after 28 people lodged complaints last week, claiming he had deceived them into paying over 86 million baht for bogus feng shui rituals and items.
Police have charged him with public fraud.
Thanawat made a name for himself with his recent appearance on PPTV HD Channel 36’s “The Unlock” show, when he advised shops and businesses how to boost profits by rearranging their premises.
However, he was hit with allegations of fraud after a 77-year-old woman told Facebook news page Big Kren on November 3 that the so-called feng shui master had swindled her out of nearly 66 million baht.
Her report triggered a wave of similar claims against Thanawat, culminating in complaints filed at Bangkok Noi Police Station.
Thanawat claims to be a 15th-generation member of a Chinese family of feng shui masters. However, his neighbours report that his father was a taxi driver.
