Source: Benni Fish from Pexels on Canva & MJ_Prototype on Canva for illustration purposes only
What began as a whirlwind romance between a Singaporean man and a Vietnamese woman has ended in scandal, betrayal, and a bizarre demand for money.
The man, 45-year-old Lim Guoguan (name transliterated), married 27-year-old Phan Thi Nhan (name transliterated) in 2022 — but instead of living happily together, the couple spent most of their marriage apart.
When Phan later discovered her husband’s affair, tensions flared.
Following another heated argument, Lim demanded that she pay him a S$1,000 monthly “marriage fee” if she wanted to remain in the relationship.
Source: Shin Min Daily News
Court proceedings revealed that Lim and Phan each faced three charges under the Immigration Act.
On 12 Sept, both pleaded guilty to one charge each and were fined S$3,500, reports Shin Min Daily News.
The registered address of the couple was at Block 182, Bukit Batok West Avenue 8. But Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) checks in Dec 2024 found Lim living there alone, while Phan had actually moved to a rented flat in Geylang.
This false declaration was made so she could obtain a Long-Term Visit Pass.
The pair first met in 2021 after Lim approached Phan to exchange contacts. They began dating and, not long after, Phan proposed marriage.
The wedding took place in Nov 2022, attended mostly by Lim’s family. Phan had only one friend present.
Although she initially stayed with him for several days, Phan soon moved in with her sisters in Ang Mo Kio and Punggol, visiting her husband only once or twice a week.
Source: Google Maps for illustration purposes only
In May 2023, she discovered Lim’s affair.
After a heated argument, she stopped staying with him altogether. Though he later persuaded her to return, her visits remained infrequent.
By August 2023, their relationship had further deteriorated.
During another quarrel, Lim demanded Phan pay him S$1,000 monthly as a “marriage fee.” Astonishingly, she complied and paid him consistently until their arrest.
In March 2024, Phan discovered she was pregnant with his child. Lim asked her to move back in with him, but she refused and chose to continue living with her sisters.
By June 2024, she had rented a unit in Geylang with relatives and gave birth to their child that November.
Source: fezailc from Pixabay on Canva for illustration purposes only
When Phan’s Long-Term Visit Pass was up for renewal in Oct 2024, Lim falsely declared that she was still living with him in Bukit Batok and had never been denied entry into Singapore.
In reality, Phan had been banned from entering Singapore for two years in 2016 before successfully appealing in 2017.
Their deception was eventually uncovered, leading to their arrest and conviction under the Immigration Act.
Also read: Man spends S$12K but fails to get Vietnamese bride, matchmaking agency denies cheating him
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