Gen Prawit may have owned 19 pricey wristwatches: CSI-LA Facebook

[TKDfella]

Okay, I can understand a woman who my buy different coloured watches to match what fashion she'll wear. I can understand a chap buying a gold watch for whatever reason...but owning 19 watches, and those that I've seen displayed in the news being multi-functional. What possible reason is there for that? I could understand someone Jacques Cousteau have different watches depending on his adventures but the DPM is hardly likely to be an adventurer of that caliber. I wonder if he has a ship's captain outfit and yacht to match?

[Ricardo]

Perhaps he is planning to open a watch-shop, once he retires from public 'service', maybe becoming an entrepreneur somewhere like the UK even, following another ex-politicians' recent-example ?

 

Let's hope he gets the opportunity to do so, very soon !

 

"Come In Number-2, Your Time Is Up !"

[Baerboxer]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

If this story is even half true and he owns all these watches without declaring them or demonstrating where he got the money to pay for them...

 

...why is he still in the cabinet?

 

Rhetorical question.

[GarryP]

7 minutes ago, TKDfella said:

Okay, I can understand a woman who my buy different coloured watches to match what fashion she'll wear. I can understand a chap buying a gold watch for whatever reason...but owning 19 watches, and those that I've seen displayed in the news being multi-functional. What possible reason is there for that? I could understand someone Jacques Cousteau have different watches depending on his adventures but the DPM is hardly likely to be an adventurer of that caliber. I wonder if he has a ship's captain outfit and yacht to match?

As has been pointed out earlier in the thread, most of these watches do not lose value, and indeed many of them increase in value. Thus, they are seen as an investment and readily converted to cash.

 

People collect stamps, Buddha amulets, coins, etc. Why not watches if you have the money to spare. 

[wazzupnow]

7 hours ago, Samui Bodoh said:

If this story is even half true and he owns all these watches without declaring them or demonstrating where he got the money to pay for them...

 

...why is he still in the cabinet?

stupid question,he is the only person in the cabinet that can tell time!!

[PerkinsCuthbert]

Don't hear too much news of the junta leader's brother these days, do we?

[poohy]

Disappointed that there is no comment from junta lover Steven100 one hopes hes well and not lost an expensive watch

[TKDfella]

10 minutes ago, GarryP said:

As has been pointed out earlier in the thread, most of these watches do not lose value, and indeed many of them increase in value. Thus, they are seen as an investment and readily converted to cash.

 

People collect stamps, Buddha amulets, coins, etc. Why not watches if you have the money to spare. 

While I agree to some extent, stamps and coins have an historical fascination and Amulets are a matter of spiritual significance. That cannot be said of in the present case.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

3 hours ago, kensisaket said:

I worked with a Thai company in Bangkok for several years. Owning expensive watches was common among the higher paid Thai's (status symbol).  It's not a crime to own an expensive watch(s).

 

It is if you cannot explain how you managed to pay for it (or them), particularly if you supposedly own about 30 million bahts worth of them and, in addition, have apparently increased your other assets by a further 30 million in the last 5 or 6 years on a salary alleged to be no more than one million per year.

 

Lucky for us, the NACC is on the case, so we can be sure of a totally transparent,  impartial and fair investigation into this particular case.  

[wvavin]

He is outwardly telling everybody that he is immune to any possible legal action on him even though everybody knows he could never can afford these watches from his official salary.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

3 hours ago, kensisaket said:

Declared or not, this is obviously a witch hunt. Additionally, the operative word here is "owned".  Just like owning several cars over a lifetime.  Trading up is not uncommon.  

 

To my knowledge, when you "trade up" your car over the years, you still end up with only one car and not 19!

 

The Junta has made massive claims about reducing or eliminating corruption, so it is no "witch hunt" when a leading member is asked to explain his unusual wealth.  Not to do so would confirm to the general public that the Junta is not serious about its intentions regarding corruption.

[mrmicbkktxl]

1 hour ago, khunpa said:

Sure, but I think we all know this is just due to a “mistake” :-D

honest mistake

[whaleboneman]

5 hours ago, bra said:

A lot of bar girls will be green with envy when they see all of these watches. I don't think he would have sold HIS body to get the watches - but what did he sell???

His soul.

[marqus12]

[Megasin1]

I think it was all just a misinterpretation in the translation of the Thai language - I don't think they said they would clean up corruption, what they meant was they would clean up on corruption. As soon as they get the Airport concessions sorted they will be set for life. I have a friend who collects expensive watches ... and yes, the right ones do increase in value, he just doesn't feel the need to be discreet about his ill gotten gains, if he'd taken big brown envelopes he could have posted facebook pictures of himself with piles and piles of 1000 baht notes and advertised some whitening cream whilst he was at it.

[DavisH]

7 hours ago, missoura said:

Even with all those watches, I'm wondering if he was ever late for meetings...

Never...the meeting never start until HE arrives:)

 

[Jonmarleesco]

Well, if nothing else, they help to distract one from the rest of him. 

[Jonmarleesco]

41 minutes ago, Megasin1 said:

I think it was all just a misinterpretation in the translation of the Thai language - I don't think they said they would clean up corruption, what they meant was they would clean up on corruption. As soon as they get the Airport concessions sorted they will be set for life. I have a friend who collects expensive watches ... and yes, the right ones do increase in value, he just doesn't feel the need to be discreet about his ill gotten gains, if he'd taken big brown envelopes he could have posted facebook pictures of himself with piles and piles of 1000 baht notes and advertised some whitening cream whilst he was at it.

'... advertised some whitening cream whilst he was at it.' The cream won't help. Even if he can find it, he's probably forgotten what to do with it.

[Jonmarleesco]

A lot of 'good' friends must have passed on. 

[sawadee1947]

Who the hell could remember all the kick backs in one's life???? Give him peace

[kensisaket]

1 hour ago, Retiredandhappyhere said:

 

To my knowledge, when you "trade up" your car over the years, you still end up with only one car and not 19!

 

The Junta has made massive claims about reducing or eliminating corruption, so it is no "witch hunt" when a leading member is asked to explain his unusual wealth.  Not to do so would confirm to the general public that the Junta is not serious about its intentions regarding corruption.

The article did say "owned"; and, was not specific over what period of time.  I'm sure he has more than one watch, 19 maybe.  I made more than one comment on this post; and, can tell you from personal experience that expensive watches are status symbols for the wealthy in Thailand.  I still believe that this may be backlash for going after the Shinawatra'; thus, my reference to a witch hunt.  If you get a chance to talk to some of the Thai military try to get them to open up about promotions, making the military a career, assignments etc.  A lot of those things involve paying off someone in the higher echelon.  I believe the police are the same way.  You can make your own assumptions about the junta and how they gained a lot of their wealth based on what I just said.  It's damn near impossible for a farong to think like a Thai; however, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they may not even consider that to be corruption.  

[cookieqw]

7 hours ago, eggers said:

I'll repeat myself, yet again, they likely to be "authentic copy" watches & he's taking the media for a ride....It proves the point, the media is full of mindless, story-tellers who can't disseminate fact from fiction !! 

But he’s already said that he borrowed one of them from a friend, I mean who would lend out a 1st copy ??  Besides what about all the crackdowns on copies ???

[F4UCorsair]

Give the guy a break. He's a poorly paid militafy officer.

Sent from my [device_name] using http://Thailand Forum - Thaivisa mobile app

[soalbundy]

5 hours ago, khunpa said:

True, displaying them in public is totally stupid and I am sure any smart person, would not do that... I guess, we can then conclude that he is pretty  ......... ;-)

and privileged and unashamed, one of Thailand's untouchables, it's like the House of lords in the UK you can fiddle your expenses, never turn up and still collect your money, nothing happens to them either, backbone of society.

[eddie61]

11 hours ago, colinneil said:

If this storyis true it just shows the arrogance/ hypocrisy of this man and his cronies.

We will stamp out corruption, but continue  being corrupt ourselves.

 

[JAS21]

No ... he has only ever owned one watch at any one time ... he trades it in and gets another ... does it every few days ... has a 'special relationship' with the shop ... where have I heard special relationship before

[Next stop NK]

The sad thing is that the government seems to live in the 18th century and I doubt those modern watches can show dates from that century

[wakeupplease]

Has anyone ever asked him the time and can he even tell the time? Maybe he thinks buying new watches will help him learn to tell the time. For god sake someone buy him a speaking clock.

[baboon]

12 hours ago, eggers said:

I'll repeat myself, yet again, they likely to be "authentic copy" watches & he's taking the media for a ride....It proves the point, the media is full of mindless, story-tellers who can't disseminate fact from fiction !! 

Possible, but you yourself don't actually believe that for an instant.

[Retiredandhappyhere]

6 hours ago, kensisaket said:

The article did say "owned"; and, was not specific over what period of time.  I'm sure he has more than one watch, 19 maybe.  I made more than one comment on this post; and, can tell you from personal experience that expensive watches are status symbols for the wealthy in Thailand.  I still believe that this may be backlash for going after the Shinawatra'; thus, my reference to a witch hunt.  If you get a chance to talk to some of the Thai military try to get them to open up about promotions, making the military a career, assignments etc.  A lot of those things involve paying off someone in the higher echelon.  I believe the police are the same way.  You can make your own assumptions about the junta and how they gained a lot of their wealth based on what I just said.  It's damn near impossible for a farong to think like a Thai; however, it's not out of the realm of possibility that they may not even consider that to be corruption.  

 

Oh, so that makes it OK then.  I robbed a bank last week but that's OK as I don't consider that a crime!    However, as I am not a member of the current government, no doubt they would take a different view?