How ASOS boss’ £1k-a-night party ruined marriage after balcony collapse, wife reveals ‘turned the gentleman into a monster’

The ex-wife of slain ASOS tycoon Quentin Griffiths says their marriage broke down when he started blowing £1,000 a night on parties with bar girls in Thailand’s Sin City.

The online retail entrepreneur, who fell from his 17th-floor apartment on February 9, was enjoying a playboy lifestyle in Pattaya while wife Ploy was at home looking after their two children.

When she discovered he was cheating on her with a woman 32 years younger than him, it brought an end to their fairytale romance, which began on Thailand’s Buddhist festival of Valentine’s Day.

And it was the beginning of a bitter legal battle over his children and the £1.4million villa, which is believed to have led to his suspicious suicide.

She had custody of the children – but following their deaths Ploy, 43, and her legal team claim they should have been returned to her under Thai law.

Yet they have no idea where the children are and fear Quentin’s family may have taken them to Britain as they try to regain full custody.

Thai police are investigating the case after Ploy claimed she was kidnapped. She said of her ex-husband: “He’s still torturing me from beyond the grave.”

Quentin’s death last month stunned family, friends and former colleagues at the online giant he helped create.

‘Felt like destiny’

And this left them wondering why a successful businessman living a dream life in the sun would want to take his own life.

For the first time, The Sun can reveal the full details of the pressure she is facing following a legal tussle involving her ex, the police, the Thai government and a mysterious Chinese businessman.

Quentin and Ploy met by chance in 2007 in a park in Bangkok when they were leaving candle-lit floats on a lake as part of the Loy Krathong festival.

Ploy, who was a marketing student at university at the time, said: “I wished to meet a nice guy and he appeared. It was like destiny.

“It was love at first sight. He was handsome, kind and gentle. Perfect.”

A few years ago Quentin, who was 58 at the time of his death, left his post as marketing director of Asos, which he co-founded in 2000 and was worth more than £4 billion.

He retained substantial shareholdings, but Ploy had no idea how rich he was as their relationship grew, spending part of the year in Thailand and part in the UK.

At one point the married father of three revealed he had a family at home, but he told her he was getting a divorce.

They had two children of their own – a boy born in 2012 and a girl born the following year – and lived in a villa in Pattaya.

Quentin overcame the legal obstacles restricting foreign ownership of land and property by starting a company to buy villas, of which he and Ploy were directors.

At one point they discussed getting married, but he asked her to sign a pre-nup, which she struggled to understand.

I was at home taking care of my kids and he was out partying with friends and girls. My handsome English gentleman had turned into a monster

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They had a Buddhist religious ceremony, which, in the eyes of Ploy and her family, made them husband and wife.

She was hoping to make their villa near the beach their forever home, but heartache was just around the corner as Quentin started getting involved in Pattaya’s nightlife.

The coastal resort, located 90 minutes south of Bangkok, has been dubbed “the world’s largest brothel.” According to some estimates, the number of prostitutes working in bars, massage parlors and brothels is 60,000.

Ploy said: “If I was lucky he’d come home at 5 in the morning. Some nights he wouldn’t come home at all. When I asked him what he was doing, he walked away and ignored me.

“I was at home taking care of my kids and he was out partying with friends and girls.

“My handsome English gentleman had turned into a monster.”

She checked his credit card statements and found he was blowing around £1,000 a night on entertaining bar girls.

Ploy is convinced he was cheating on her with a series of sex workers and said: “He wanted to be the big star, the richest man in town. He gave me an allowance of 60,000 baht (£1,377) a month to pay the house and all the bills, but he was spending it on drinks and women a night.”

He then learned that he had formed a relationship with a Thai woman named Jom Thipanongsri, who was about 26 years old.

Ploy revealed that he was paying her £2,000 a day and keeping her in a penthouse away from the marital home where he would sometimes spend the night.

She added: “I was numb, in complete shock. I felt sick.”

The couple separated, leading to a court battle. They regained custody of the children with Ploy being granted visitation rights in 2023.

She claims Quentin effectively barred her from having any contact with the children. She is then horrified to learn that he has removed her as a director of the company that owned their house, effectively losing her half of it.

Ploy informed the police and Quentin was arrested in January 2025, convicted of falsifying documents and jailed for 18 months.

Ploy’s attorney Mona Mancong tried to negotiate a plea agreement that would give her client back custody of the children and a share of the house, while keeping Quentin out of prison.

But he refused and said in a message: “I have learned the hard way – my opponent is not someone who can be trusted. I have to continue to use the courts to protect myself and the children.”

After his conviction he was released pending appeal, but was wearing an electronic ankle tag.

While the criminal case was ongoing, he sold the villa for £700,000 to an estate agent, who renovated it and put it on the market for £1.4 million, and sold it to a Chinese businessman.

Quentin’s appeal was due to take place at the end of last month – but on February 5, Thailand’s Business Development Department ruled the sale unlawful.

‘Cried every day’

The Chinese businessman discovered that her new home was at the center of a criminal case and demanded her money back – money that Ploy suspected her ex-husband no longer had.

Four days later, Griffith died. Ms Mankong said: “The Chinese buyer was angry. He approached Quentin and made his feelings clear. Did he threaten him? I don’t know.”

Griffith’s body was returned to Britain and an inquest into his death was opened and adjourned in Bournemouth, where he lived. England.

Ms Mankong said: “He was under pressure from all sides. There was no legal option left for him. But he refused to stand down. Even till the day before his death, we were trying to mediate with him.”

On December 23 last year, Ploy briefly saw his children for the first time in five years to deliver Christmas gifts.

They believe that Quentin left instructions to his relatives after his death to keep the children away from him.

Police sub-lieutenant Phonson Khanchali of Huay Yai district station in Pattaya said: “Ploy filed a complaint that someone had taken his son and daughter.

“The complainant has since been unable to contact her children and fears for their safety. She now wishes to take legal action to regain custody as the father has passed away.”

I have cried every day since his death. He was and still is the love of my life. my heart is broken

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No charges or arrest warrant have been issued. It is believed that Quentin’s family is caring for the children or has arranged for them to be looked after by a nanny after acting on their legal advice, but it is not known where the children are.

The family and their legal team have been contacted for comment.

A spokesman for the lawyers at Pattaya-based Johnstone law firm, Ploy, said: “Under Thai law, when one of the parents dies, the parents Power Unless the Thai court orders otherwise, it automatically remains with the surviving legal parent.

Accordingly, children are legally required to be returned to their mother’s care. We are concerned that actions taken to relocate the children and limit the mother’s access may be based on bad legal advice.

“To protect her legitimate parental rights and the best interests of the children, a criminal complaint has already been filed against all persons involved.

“Our aim is to ensure compliance with the law and prevent further misunderstandings.”

A family court hearing is scheduled for April 28 in Thailand to decide custody.

Ploy cried as she recalled the happier days, saying: “I cry every day since he died. He was and still is the love of my life. I’m heartbroken.

“But most of all, I miss my kids more than I can explain. I just want to hug them again.”