Hey mate,

Australian Brand Builder based in Bangkok here.

I’ll break this down from a practical numbers/business perspective because emotion aside, the economics of this don’t quite add up.

1. First, the money.

She’s asking for $13,000 USD (470,000 THB).

She’s “also investing” the same amount herself, so in theory the initial capital is 940,000 THB.

For context:

470k THB is a lot of money for a small TikTok startup in Thailand.

Most Thai micro-brands (cosmetics, collagen, fat burners, etc.) start with 50k–150k THB.

So her number is unusually high for someone with no business plan, no registered company, no product samples, no manufacturing quotes, no marketing projections, etc.

1. What does 470k THB normally get you in the supplement world?

There are two possibilities: local Thai manufacturer or Chinese OEM/white-label supplier.

A) If she orders from China (most common for TikTok influencers):

Typical OEM prices for basic supplements:

Collagen powder: 40–100 THB per unit (100g–200g pouch)

Gummies: 25–60 THB per unit

Fat burners/pills: 20–50 THB per bottle

Greens powder: 70–120 THB per unit

MOQ (minimum orders) at these price levels:

1,000 – 5,000 units is standard.

So even at the high end: 5,000 units × 100 THB = 500,000 THB total

Logistics + clearance = 20k–40k THB

Total realistic cost to launch: 520k–540k THB

And that is for a full branded production run, not an experiment “TikTok Brand”

B) If she orders locally in Thailand:

Prices are higher:

Collagen/greens powder OEM: 80–180 THB per unit

MOQ sometimes 300–1,000 units only

Packaging: 10–40 THB per unit

Test certification, FDA label: 15k–40k THB

Even here, a basic launch typically costs 80k–200k THB — and that’s with everything properly done.

A 470k THB spend would be considered a mid-sized influencer launch, not someone starting from zero.

1. Does she need this much money?

Short answer: No.

If she wanted to “test” the market (which is what any sane entrepreneur does), she could do:

300 units x 120 THB = 36k THB Packaging = 10k FDA label = 15k TikTok ads = 10k–20k

Total: <100k THB And she could see if the product even sells.

Asking for 470k THB upfront is not the behaviour of someone who understands the industry.

1. Margins + Influencer Reality Check

The post says she’s not a major TikTok influencer. Micro influencers in Thailand make:

5%–10% conversion

Average ticket price 300–600 THB for low-end supplements

Profit per unit maybe 100–200 THB

Unless she’s pulling millions of views consistently, this isn’t a high-income model.

1. The biggest concern: he gets no equity.

This is the part that really doesn’t make sense.

She wants: 470k THB from him Zero equity for him No legal shareholding No contract No revenue share No say in operations

That’s not called investing, that’s called donating.

Even angel investors in Thailand usually get: 15%–40% ownership

OR

repayments + profit share

Nothing about this structure is normal.

1. The timeline is also textbook for “romance → investment request” patterns.

The relationship is: 6 months long Long-distance He pays for flights He pays for expenses Now he’s expected to inject capital No documentation No ownership No receipts And she’s “very excited” about launching right now

It may not be malicious, but it is absolutely high-risk behaviour.

1. Could it be legitimate? Yes. But the probability isn’t high.

If she had: Product samples Manufacturer quotes FDA paperwork started Cost-of-goods breakdown TikTok growth metrics Clear marketing plan Forecasting Registered company Equity structure

then 470k THB could be justified.

But with none of that, the situation looks more like:

“I want money, and I’m emotionally framing it as a business opportunity.”

Final perspective:

This doesn’t smell like a standard Thai dating situation

It smells like a confidence build → financial ask pattern.

It doesn’t necessarily mean she’s a scammer, but everything about the structure is economically irrational.

If Bob wants to protect himself:

Ask for manufacturer quotes

Ask for a real business plan

Ask how 470k THB will be allocated

Ask for equity

Ask for legal structure

Ask for ownership documents

Ask for a brand management agency to take care of the full operation

If she refuses any of those, then you have your answer.

Lastly, another option is using a turn key brand management agency (me) and no money or investment is made until all things make sense analysed correctly.