Husband texts to wife: 'We won the lottery, good-bye'

Two weeks after a common-law couple won the Thai lottery for almost $1 million, the man sent his partner a message via smartphone SMS: "Let's break up."

The shocked woman, Saowanee Thogwiset, 28, has responded with a lawsuit claiming her half of the lottery winnings, plus child support for their eight-month-old son.

Bitterness and recriminations have ensued. Here's the story.

Ms Saowanee and her common-law husband, Thammarong Keawsuanjik, a clothing store security guard in northeastern Thailand, have lived together several years.

Many Thais have a religious marriage ceremony, which is not recognized as legal. However, under Thai law, a couple with one or more children is recognized as being effectively married.

On September 16, in the regular bi-monthly lottery drawing, the couple won first prize - 30 million Thai baht, or $857,000 at today's exchange rates.

Several days later, with the winnings firmly in hand, the couple went to the bank and deposited it all in Thammarong's account.

Two days after that, Thammarong withdrew 700,000 baht - about $20,000 - and deposited it in his wife's account. He disappeared for several days, and then she got the text announced he wanted to break up.

Information in the Thai media says that Thammarong had spent several days searching for and buying a plot of land, and arranging to build a house. But he seemed not to want to be around Saowanee.

She has filed a lawsuit to get her legal share of the winnings. She also filed a case at the Juvenile and Family Court to force Thammarong to pay support.

Things can always get worse, of course. A completely unrepentant Thammarong wants nothing to do with arbitration. On the contrary he has threatened to file a counter-suit demanding full custody of their child.