Kiwi gangster Tim 'Sharky' Ward 'unrecognisable' after years abroad

Notorious money lender Tim 'Sharky' Ward has returned to the Gold Coast but is significantly leaner in his physical appearance. Photo / Facebook

A Kiwi who became notorious for his business practices and his partying in both Australia and Thailand has re-emerged looking significantly slimmer than before.

Tim "Sharky" Ward, who fled from Queensland for Thailand in 2009, has long been known for his bodybuilder physique.

But in a recent photo which has been shared on TikTok, the former millionaire looks almost unrecognisable.

"Sharky lost his size," one user commented.

Before: How Tim 'Sharky' Ward (left) used to look. Photo / Facebook

The dramatic weight loss comes after Ward returned to the Gold Coast, a move which appears to be prompted by the pandemic.

Ward became known as the "Shark of Papaya" and developed a cult-following among locals.

He has amassed significant wealth at various times of his life, including owning at one stage three Lamborghinis in an incredible rise to fortune which began as an orphan in New Zealand.

Part of this was due to the extreme interest rates he was known to charge on his loans – in some cases as much as 200 per cent.

There were reports Ward went to Thailand after learning of an Australian Federal Police investigation into his activities.

Ward has openly admitted to sleeping with sex workers in Thailand and said he enjoyed how easy it was to pay off police on the island paradise.

"I don't have to wear a shirt. I don't have to abide by the rules and if I do break the rules, I just pay," he was quoted as saying previously.

He also shared his scrapes with the law, once bragging online after he was released from jail following an alleged stabbing.

"Police reckon I stabbed a guy. Jail in Thailand sucks. No food, no water, no air con, no shower, no bed." But he was out of prison within 48 hours and escaped deportation.

"You guys know how it is in Thailand. You can kill someone - but if you pull enough out of your pocket, you will eventually walk free."

After: The notorious gangster, looking somewhat more slender, has returned to Australia.

On his Facebook page, which has 60,000 followers, Ward says: "I been flat broke and I been a multi millionaire. The happy place is definitely somewhere in between."

After growing up an orphan in New Zealand, Ward moved to Australia in 1990.

- Additional reporting, NZ Herald