My landlord refuses to return my deposit
I have a problem with my landlord because they are not returning my security deposit.
My deposit was 48,000 THB. At first, they were trying to charge me around 25,000 THB, and now they are trying to charge me almost 40,000 THB.
They have tried to charge me for things like light bulbs, a small mark on the sofa that was already there before I moved in, and many other items.
The main issue now is a small scratch on a glass door/window. Honestly, it is such a small scratch that I never even noticed it before. It was probably already there from the beginning, although I cannot be 100% sure. Maybe I caused it, maybe not. But I do not understand how I could have scratched a window at head height, in the corner of a room. It does not make much sense to me.
Because of this, they are trying to charge me 15,000 THB, plus another 2,000 THB to repair the lock of that same window, which supposedly had a lock, but it never locked properly during my tenancy.
They are also trying to charge me for the bedroom wallpaper. I had a desk there, and from sitting there and sometimes putting my feet against the wall, the wallpaper became stained. I understand and accept that maybe part of the wallpaper needs to be replaced if it cannot be cleaned. However, they are asking for 15,000 THB to replace the bedroom wallpaper.
They have not specified how many square meters this includes, whether they are replacing the whole room, only one wall, or only the damaged area.
When I pointed out that they were trying to charge me for things that were already there before I moved in, such as the small sofa mark, a curtain issue, and light bulbs that should be considered normal wear and tear, they suddenly came back with this new charge for the glass.
What can realistically be done in this kind of situation? Has anyone had similar problems with a landlord or deposit deductions in Bangkok/Thailand? If so, how did you solve it?