Authorities will investigate whether a Thai maid can right away inherit assets worth about 100 million baht from her French boss who was recently found dead at her residence on Koh Samui.
No foul play was suspected, but a probe is underway into a villa-style hotel belonging to Catherine Delacote in tambon Mae Nam on Koh Samui island in Surat Thani province.
The ill 59-year-old French woman reportedly committed suicide, leaving assets totalling about 100 million baht to Nutwalai Pupongta, 49, her housemaid of 17 years.
An initial examination found that the hotel was built legally but officials had yet to investigate the shareholdings in the late French woman's company which owned the hotel.
The company, GVNE, had three shareholders. Delacote had a 49% stake and two Thais held the rest; a Thai man from Ubon Ratchthani had a 35% stake and a Thai woman from Nakhon Si Thammarat had a 16% shareholding.
The French woman, who had divorced her French husband, was found dead near a swimming pool in the luxury villa compound on April 29. The body had a bullet hole through the temple and a gun was found at the scene.
Koh Samui police said with a court order, an estate executor could allocate the late woman's assets according to her will.
The president of the Tourism Association of Koh Samui said the two Thai shareholders in Catherine's company might have to approve the transfer of the assets.
One lawyer wrote that if a company illegally included a proxy shareholder, the Interior Ministry could sell its assets.
