King Power rejects corruption lawsuit

[webfact]

King Power rejects corruption lawsuit

By THE NATION

 

File photo: King Power's shop

 

THAILAND’S DUTY-FREE shop operator King Power has issued a statement dismissing allegations of corruption relating to its contract with state-owned Airports of Thailand following the criminal court’s acceptance of the case for trial on Monday.

The statement, published by the UK-based The Guardian newspaper, said: “The allegations in question have yet to be accepted by the court and are categorically denied. King Power has always followed and been absolutely committed to the highest standards in proper and ethical business practice. We are proud of our company’s good name and honest reputation and will fight rigorously any attempts to discredit them.”

 

The statement is signed by Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha, the chief executive of King Power and vice chairman of prominent English football club Leicester City.

 

King Power, founded by Aiyawatt’s father Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, has a controlling interest in Leicester, which rose to become the 2015-16 Premier League champions.

 

According to The Guardian, it was not clear whether the corruption case in Thailand would have an impact on King Power’s ownership of the club. 

 

Premier League rules prohibit people from owning more than 30 per cent or being a director of a club if they have been convicted of a criminal offence of dishonesty, but there is no precedent for companies involved in club ownership, rather than individuals, being charged.

 

The corruption lawsuit was filed by Charnchai Isarasenaluk, a former vice chairman of the National Reform Steering Assembly.

The lawsuit alleges that a total of 18 defendants, including senior executives of Airports of Thailand and King Power, had committed wrongdoing by enforcing its duty-free shop concession contract at Suvarnabhumi Airport, resulting in more than Bt14 billion in financial damages to the state.

 

The lawsuit said the accused had conspired to reduce the government’s share of revenues on the sales of King Power’s lucrative duty-free shops from 15 per cent of sales under the contract to only 3 per cent.

 

This resulted in losses of more than Bt14 billion to the state over the past several years, it said. 

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30331604

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Full story:

[Katipo]

Of course there is corruption. How else could a monopoly be allowed to have a such a strong stranglehold on duty free in Thailand?

[anon537687643]

Any lawsuit will test how powerful KP is! If it doesn’t get very far then it means it’s getting too close to powerful people!

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect

 

[mikebell]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

the highest standards in proper and ethical business practice.

Remember those bogus shop-lifting charges a few years back?

[rkidlad]

I remember when Leicester won the league. I think it was the final game of the season at home and the Thai owners gave everyone a free pie and beer at the stadium. Many fans, who know nothing about how things are done in Thailand, were in awe of these owners. Saying they're good people and they wish they had owners like them. 

 

Free pie and beer - that's how easy it is. Even in the UK. 

[Sydebolle]

I did not know that you can "reject" an accusation of anything. I always assumed, that such cases would end up in court for fact finding. 
THB 14 billion (USD 437 million) is not to be sneezed at either and, should things go the right way round it could happen, that a football club might end up on the market for sale - lets see but not expect anything, will we? 

[khunOo]

King Power is a monopoly like True. They have deep pockets and will pay to make this case go away.

Then they will continue to fleece/rip off customers with sub-standard service and high prices.

Letting foreign competitors enter the market would be the solution for duty free and satellite/mobile services. But the richest, most powerful Thai families will never let that happen.

TIT

[Rancid]

21 minutes ago, khunOo said:

Letting foreign competitors enter the market would be the solution for duty free and satellite/mobile services. But the richest, most powerful Thai families will never let that happen.

TIT

This isn't entirely unique to Thailand. Consider the red tape and reporting requirements in the West now to start a new business, almost like they make it as difficult as possible for new entrants. So who benefits, why large existing companies that can afford government compliance costs, keeps new competitors at bay. Then consider if that is purely coincidental.

[USPatriot]

They have lawsuit rejection power

[Stargeezr]

I have  boycotted King Power and have not bought a penny of duty free in Thailand since

they took it over.  I would rather pay a bit more from local vendors on the streets than them

thieves.

Geezer

[oobar]

2 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I have  boycotted King Power and have not bought a penny of duty free in Thailand since

they took it over.  I would rather pay a bit more from local vendors on the streets than them

thieves.

Geezer

Odds are you won't have to pay a bit more from local vendors.  More likely, substantially less. I had a company that for many years provided a product to KP,  which sold it for double the retail price as that of the same item available at Bkk supermarkets.

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, Katipo said:

Of course there is corruption. How else could a monopoly be allowed to have a such a strong stranglehold on duty free in Thailand?

Simply being a monopoly is all that is needed to hold such a position.  Corruption isn't a given.

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, mikebell said:

Remember those bogus shop-lifting charges a few years back?

Those bogus charges that were not instigated by King Power as a company, you mean?

[Just Weird]

6 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I remember when Leicester won the league. I think it was the final game of the season at home and the Thai owners gave everyone a free pie and beer at the stadium. Many fans, who know nothing about how things are done in Thailand, were in awe of these owners. Saying they're good people and they wish they had owners like them. 

 

Free pie and beer - that's how easy it is. Even in the UK. 

That's how easy what is?  Influencing some gormless football fans?  What's that got to do with a King Power monopoly?

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, Sydebolle said:

I did not know that you can "reject" an accusation of anything.

Well, you live and learn...anyone can reject any accusation.

[Just Weird]

5 hours ago, khunOo said:

King Power is a monopoly like True. They have deep pockets and will pay to make this case go away.

Then they will continue to fleece/rip off customers with sub-standard service and high prices.

Letting foreign competitors enter the market would be the solution for duty free and satellite/mobile services. But the richest, most powerful Thai families will never let that happen.

TIT

"But the richest, most powerful Thai families will never let that happen".

Well, not until King Power's contract expires, until then nothing can be done, and rightfully so.

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, USPatriot said:

They have lawsuit rejection power

They have the power to reject an accusation, which is all the company has done.

[Just Weird]

4 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I have  boycotted King Power and have not bought a penny of duty free in Thailand since

they took it over.  I would rather pay a bit more from local vendors on the streets than them

thieves.

Geezer

That would explain why the business is going down the drain.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Just Weird

[rkidlad]

3 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

That's how easy what is?  Influencing some gormless football fans?  What's that got to do with a King Power monopoly?

Wow! You've been insufferable with your posts that I've read recently. 

 

Anyhoo, that's how easy it is to make 'people' think you're good or honourable. I've never thought the owners of King power were good people. You don't make that kinda money without doing something illegal or extremely immoral. But there are people who think they're decent people. And that was my point. Do keep up. 

[Just Weird]

1 minute ago, rkidlad said:

Wow! You've been insufferable with your posts that I've read recently. 

 

Anyhoo, that's how easy it is to make 'people' think you're good or honourable. I've never thought the owners of King power were good people. You don't make that kinda money without doing something illegal or extremely immoral. But there are people who think they're decent people. And that was my point. Do keep up. 

Your opinion of my posts is neither here nor there but, regardless, I think you'll find that I am allowed an opinion.

 

"I've never thought the owners of King power were good people. You don't make that kinda money without doing something illegal or extremely immoral".

That's a banal statement to make without backing it up.

[rkidlad]

Just now, Just Weird said:

Your opinion of my posts is neither here nor there but, regardless, I think you'll find that I am allowed an opinion.

 

"I've never thought the owners of King power were good people. You don't make that kinda money without doing something illegal or extremely immoral".

That's a banal statement to make without backing it up.

Is it? It's banal to think that someone who's made a s*** load of money in Thailand has done something illegal or extremely immoral? 

 

I guess the fact that they're up on corruption charges makes it even more a 'banal' statement. It's boringly obvious. 

 

 

[Just Weird]

7 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Is it? It's banal to think that someone who's made a s*** load of money in Thailand has done something illegal or extremely immoral?

Yes, without any evidence, it is.

 

7 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

I guess the fact that they're up on corruption charges makes it even more a 'banal' statement. It's boringly obvious.

What's 'boringly obvious' is that the company has not even appeared in court yet, never mind been found guilty of anything.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Just Weird

[rkidlad]

Just now, Just Weird said:

Yes, without any evidence, it is.

 

What's 'boringly obvious' is that they have not even appeared in court yet, never mind been found guilty of anything.

Brilliant. No opinions until the case is over. You did quote them as 'thieves' in an earlier post though, right?

 

13 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

Your opinion of my posts is neither here nor there but, regardless, I think you'll find that I am allowed an opinion.

I feel the same.

[Jimbo53]

4 hours ago, Stargrazer9889 said:

I have  boycotted King Power and have not bought a penny of duty free in Thailand since

they took it over.  I would rather pay a bit more from local vendors on the streets than them

thieves.

Geezer

Same here,after they and the immigration officers scammed my family out of £1000 a few years ago. G

 

[Just Weird]

2 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

Brilliant. No opinions until the case is over.

When you have no knowledge of the company's activities in relation to the court case, any opinion about uncorroborated accusations counts for nothing.

 

5 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

 You did quote them as 'thieves' in an earlier post though, right?

Wrong, I didn't.  Now you're taking banality to new levels.

[rkidlad]

4 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

When you have no knowledge of the company's activities in relation to the court case, any opinion about uncorroborated accusations counts for nothing

If they count for nothing, why do you care? 

[Just Weird]

5 minutes ago, rkidlad said:

If they count for nothing, why do you care? 

I don't care, but when you express them on a public forum don't be surprised if someone comments on them.

 

Have you found the "thieves" quote that you accused me of posting yet?

Edited November 15, 2017 by Just Weird

[rkidlad]

8 minutes ago, Just Weird said:

I don't care, but when you express them on a public forum don't be surprised if someone comments on them.

I wasn’t surprised. Just bewildered by someone who says they don’t care about others’ opinions on them, or about others’ opinions on the integrity of a company, would be so vitriolic about the very opinions they said they didn’t care about. 

Edited November 15, 2017 by rkidlad

[Orton Rd]

7 hours ago, rkidlad said:

I remember when Leicester won the league. I think it was the final game of the season at home and the Thai owners gave everyone a free pie and beer at the stadium. Many fans, who know nothing about how things are done in Thailand, were in awe of these owners. Saying they're good people and they wish they had owners like them. 

 

Free pie and beer - that's how easy it is. Even in the UK. 

They did it several times that season as well as keeping the ticket prices down and subsidizing travel for away matches. The football has nothing to do with their so called duty free shops.

Edited November 15, 2017 by Orton Rd

[rkidlad]

Just now, Orton Rd said:

They did it several times that season as well as keeping the ticket prices down and subsidizing travel for away matches. The football has nothing to do wit their so called duty free shops.

I’m not blaming the fans. They have no control over what the owners get up to. My reference was to other fans who heard of the gesture at the end of the season who were in awe. 

 

Friends know I live in Thailand and a few made comments about the owners being good guys. Also read the same comments when reading the story online.