Michael Testrup invested millions in a luxury villa in Thailand. Today he lives in a half-finished house that officially does not exist – and is fighting to get his money back.
When Michael Testrup returned to Phuket in December 2021 after years of waiting, he was looking forward to finally seeing the house he had invested in.
But when he met his then-girlfriend again in Phuket, he immediately felt that something was wrong.
“She was not the same,” he says.
The next day, when he mentioned the house, her reaction changed: Short answers and avoiding the topic. Within days, she broke up with him and left.
That was the moment everything began to unravel.
A life built on hard work
For 26 years, Michael ran his own business in Denmark. A one-man company with long days and physical work.
Over time, frustration grew. Not just with the workload, but with the system around it.
He describes constant questions from banks and authorities about money he had earned himself. At some point, he had enough.
“You feel criminalised,” he says.
His body was also worn down. Years of physical work had taken their toll.
In Thailand, things felt different.
“The heat helps my body. I don’t need painkillers the same way.”
He moved first to Udon Thani, where he lived for more than a year. But the cooler nights there did not suit him.
He wanted stable warmth which led him to Phuket.
The investment
The house goes back to 2015.
According to Michael he signed a contract with a developer who promised a finished luxury villa within six months. Air conditioning, appliances and complete bathrooms. A move-in ready house where he would only need to bring a suitcase. The project included 14 villas, a gym, spa, clubhouse and full security.
“It was supposed to be an oasis,” he says.
He was shown plans. Told that several plots were already sold and that the area would increase in value.
That was why he invested.
But the delays started quickly.
Excuses came one after another. First the rain. Then problems with workers. Then materials that could not be delivered. Every time there was a reason why nothing moved forward.
Each time Michael visited Thailand from Denmark, there was just enough activity to keep him believing. Workers sanding. Small progress.
“I thought it would be finished when I moved here,” he says.
But, according to Michael, when he arrived for good, it was far from complete.
“It looked abandoned. Like a ghost house.”
Rain had entered the building and the paint was already peeling off the walls. The swimming pool was nothing more than a hole in the ground, and inside there were no air conditioners, no appliances and no functioning bathrooms.
Even basic infrastructure was missing.
Micahel explains that there was no water supply and no proper electricity. He had to drill his own well and install systems himself.
Two separate companies later told him the electrical work was so poor there was a high risk of fire.
At one point, a local told him the house was worth almost nothing in its condition.
“I had to redo everything,” he says.
He began using his savings to make the house livable.
Documents and deception
As he worked on the house, more problems appeared, this time in the paperwork.
The land size did not match what he had bought. He had paid for 100 square metres, but the official documents showed 97.
More importantly, the house was not registered. There was no building permit in place when construction started. That meant no official house number. No “blue book.”
On paper, there was only land. No house.
“We live in a house that doesn’t exist,” he says.
At the same time, he discovered that the developer’s company had been closed as far back as 2017.
There was no office and no one to contact.
The developer claims that Michael never paid the final part of the construction. But at the time, he was unable to travel to Thailand due to Covid-19 restrictions. Instead, he sent the money to his then-girlfriend, who was supposed to pass it on.
Michael now believes that never happened.
“I sent the money. But it didn’t go to the house,” he says.
In court, the developer has maintained that the missing payment is the reason the project was never completed.
He believes the two worked together.
The legal battle
Michael first had to fight to regain ownership of the land. That alone cost him 1.3 million baht and took a year.
After that, he took the developer to court.
A mediation meeting were scheduled – but the developer did not show up.
Then court hearings followed. Again, she stayed away – until the final session.
There, Michael tells, she brought Michael’s then-girlfriend as a witness against him. According to Michael, her then-girlfriend told the court that he had not asked for air conditioning or appliances – things he says he had paid for – and supported the claim that the final payments had not been made.
According to Michael she also stated that he had been present at a key meeting in October 2022, something Michael denies and says can be disproven with immigration records.
But the case was dismissed.
Too much time had passed. The claim was considered expired under Thai law.
“I lost more money,” he says.
Today, he estimates he has spent around 12.3 million baht on the project.
Starting over
Despite the setback, Michael is preparing a new case.
This time, he hopes the court will force the developer to take responsibility – possibly to buy the house back.
At the same time, he is preparing a criminal case against his ex-girlfriend based on what he describes as false statements and manipulation of documents.
He points to inconsistencies in land records, missing payments and statements in court that do not match immigration records showing he was not even in Thailand at the time.
“There are too many lies,” he says.
The next court date is set in the middle of May.
For now, he continues to live in the house while finishing it step by step. But Phuket no longer feels like home to Michael.
Instead, he is looking towards Hua Hin.
A quieter place.
“I just want peace,” he says.
In mid May, he will return to court.
“After that, I have done everything I can,” Michael says.
