Thailand might get to pocket smuggled money

By The Nation

 

 

Almost all of the Bt98 million in undeclared Thai banknotes halted at the Lao border on Tuesday appears to be headed for state coffers.

The two Lao brothers arrested trying to carry the money into Laos from Nong Khai agreed to pay a Bt40,000 fine and let Thailand keep Bt94 million, thus avoiding further prosecution, after the money was deemed to have been illegally acquired.

 

If the Customs Department agrees to the arrangement proposed by its Nong Khai office, Suebanh Tiasili, 30, and Khumborn Tiasyly, 24, would walk away with Bt4 million, Nong Khai Customs chief Nimit Saeng-ampai said on Wednesday evening.

 

For now, the Bt98 million is sitting in a bank.

 

The brothers maintain that they’d collected the cash for their currency-exchange business in Laos. But they allegedly failed to declare to their own government the exchange of a substantial amount of US dollars for baht, as required by law.

 

Nimit cited a Customs regulation that anyone transporting undeclared cash valued between Bt450,000 and Bt2 million across the border is liable to a Bt20,000 fine, while larger amounts draw a Bt40,000 fine.

 

The regulation stipulates how much of the money is to be returned to the offender and how much is to be confiscated.

 

Nimit alleged that the brothers had travelled in and out of Thailand at least five times in November and four times in December, transporting cash each time.

 

They allegedly confessed to exchanging US$800,000 on a previous trip and $2.8 million this time.

 

Nimit said his office would henceforth be stricter about checking personal vehicles leaving the country for drugs and unusual amounts of cash. He also plans to seek the cooperation of banks in notifying the office about substantial currency exchanges.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/detail/national/30333926

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-12-14

 

3 minutes ago, webfact said:

Almost all of the Bt98 million in undeclared Thai banknotes halted at the Lao border on Tuesday appears to be headed for state coffers.

 

Substitute the word "police" instead of "state" would probably be nearer  the mark !

If it was as reported B98 million.....London to a brick there was a lot more!

Who's pockets is the question 

Watches all round for the boys. 

33 minutes ago, webfact said:

Almost all of the Bt98 million in undeclared Thai banknotes halted at the Lao border on Tuesday appears to be headed for state coffers.

Quelle surprise...

Policemen's mia nois are already salivating..

 

3 hours ago, webfact said:

Bt94 million

Where did the other 6 million go ???

Thai calculators ???

3 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

Quelle surprise...

In fact, a lot of countries see to it that criminal money is going into the state coffers.

And why not?

4 hours ago, Thaiwrath said:

Substitute the word "police" instead of "state" would probably be nearer  the mark !

Substitute Prayuth and his deputy Prawit. Corruption perish the thought.

New watch for Prawit?

1 hour ago, PAIBKK said:

Where did the other 6 million go ???

Thai calculators ???

 98m - 4m (which the perps were allowed to keep) = 94m

 

Specsavers required.

4 hours ago, ChrisY1 said:

If it was as reported B98 million.....London to a brick there was a lot more!

Mate, you must be getting old to use a Ken Howard quote. Remember to not run up steps

1 hour ago, hansnl said:

In fact, a lot of countries see to it that criminal money is going into the state coffers.

And why not?

They have been fined for the crime committed in Thailand

 

 

5 hours ago, webfact said:

The brothers maintain that they’d collected the cash for their currency-exchange business in Laos. But they allegedly failed to declare to their own government the exchange of a substantial amount of US dollars for baht, as required by law.

 

The rest should go to Laos as that is where they failed to declare their dollars, so the money should go to Laos...

Edited December 14, 20178 yr by Bluespunk

In the UK our customs use dogs trained to sniff out bank notes.

 

but I could recommend something better for the Thai Customs...

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                                Any Pattaya "hospitality" lass 

 

Probably drug money imo... payment for a load of meth. Daily business in these parts...

And of course the judicial forfeiture of the money will be used to construct road bumps on the streets to force cars to slow down...

 

the rest would be used to build proper water treatment plants near the beaches to avoid disposal of waste water in the seas......but suddenly!! ..drrrrring!....my alarm rings,  I woke up and could not finish this dream !!

Check the US bills. They must be fakes

4 hours ago, Basil B said:

In the UK our customs use dogs trained to sniff out bank notes.

 

Please do not ask for UK Customs trained dogs to come here as the poor things would never get a minutes rest it would be 24hrs a day 356 and one or two may also get sniffed for watches. That would be cruelty to animals.

 

 

 

 

                                                                                                                             

 

 

10 hours ago, rkidlad said:

Watches all round for the boys. 

 

 

and more gold for mai nois 

 

As I read I believe many readers ignore very similar laws in the USA. Civil forfeiture

is a daily occurrence. Nothing has to be proved. Police only have to "believe" the

cash (any amount, no threshold) are proceeds of a crime. The police department

keeps 80% for themselves and get to spend the money as they wish. From Christmas

parties to attending conferences in Las Vegas. Of course you can appeal, but they

are the also the people who judge that appeal. Whats the difference with this.

Watches all around is my guess. 

 

2.8 million dollars exchanged for 98 million baht: wow, that's 35 baht to the dollar! I'll only exchange my dollars at Krung Thai Bank in Nong Kai in the future!