The hammer falls: Raids unveil money laundering, safety lapses

 

Officers seize illegal life jackets and other items from the Aqua Dive Center Phuket Co Ltd office near Chalong Pier on Tuesday (July 10). Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET:-- In the hunt to bring to justice the people responsible for the dozens of tourists killed in the Phoenix tour boat disaster, Tourist Police and other officers yesterday (July 10) raided 11 sites related to two tour operators whose boats capsized and sank in storm conditions off Phuket last Thursday (July 5).

 

The Phoenix sank about 1.5 nautical miles off Koh Hei (Coral Island), south of Phuket, and the Serenata sank off Koh Mai Thon, some eight kilometres southeast of Cape Panwa.

 

All 41 people on board the Serenata were safely rescued, but at last report the Phoenix disaster had killed at least 41 people. Although officials are still dodging the label, so far all the dead identified were Chinese.

 

Full Story: https://www.thephuketnews.com/the-hammer-falls- raids-unveil-money-laundering-safety-lapses-67836.php#dDSvUqe4CZTw0BOd.97

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-7-11

This country needs a complete makeover...

Finally the name of Tran Lee is mentioned, took a while. As I said earlier, Lazy Cat is a big player, at least 5 boats every day, and took over the contracts of the now defunct Tran Lee.

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

27 minutes ago, Just1Voice said:

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

Responsible, yes, but only one, no.

“As for this investigation, we owe it to the Chinese people to find what the real cause of the disaster was. Was it an accident? Was it the nominee shareholders and how they operated the company? Or was it the boat? We have to find out for them” Gen Surachet said.
It was the captain ...!
 

The responsibility lies with the culture of the country, the poor education, the lack of critical thinking, the rampant greed.

 

The Captain would go out in a cyclone if instructed by his greedy masters.

 

The cops busting this stuff will make no difference, there is no safety culture in the country.

2 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

 

That's oversimplifying things a bit.

 

You and I and no one else knows why the boat did what it did that day, what orders the captain may have been operating under. And, beyond that, the captain alone doesn't account for apparently substandard life preservers that were used, and possibly a substandard design of the boat itself.

2 hours ago, stevenl said:

Finally the name of Tran Lee is mentioned, took a while. As I said earlier, Lazy Cat is a big player, at least 5 boats every day, and took over the contracts of the now defunct Tran Lee.

 

Same guy as involved before. But just operating under a new company name?

 

The Thai authorities are really on the ball -- NOT!!!

 

The hammer falls?  I know what I'd like to do with that hammer!!!

 

So this how it looks if they seriously throw the book at someone. Rarely to be seen on Thai soil.

 

36 minutes ago, DanaDeLuxe said:

So this how it looks if they seriously throw the book at someone. Rarely to be seen on Thai soil.
 

 

Playing to their Chinese overlords... Have to be at least perceived to be doing something because of the high death toll.

 

But we all know what the end result is going to be, at least in terms of little if any change in passenger safety.

10 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

 

He should have done the honorable thing, and gone down with the ship.

10 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

In a perfect world maybe... but failing to hire a qualified seaman, providing a substandard boat contrary to design, providing unapproved lifejackets, failing to give instructions, and operating an illegal company whose directors are thai imposters is ....BEGINNING OF THE STORY

8 hours ago, TallGuyJohninBKK said:

 

That's oversimplifying things a bit.

 

You and I and no one else knows why the boat did what it did that day, what orders the captain may have been operating under. And, beyond that, the captain alone doesn't account for apparently substandard life preservers that were used, and possibly a substandard design of the boat itself.

The captain is ultimately responsible for the vessel and the lives of all onboard. This also includes the reliability of all equipment carried on the vessel. I know these people are under pressure from their 'masters' but it doesn't alter those facts.

 

This is an age old mantra, well proven over many centuries.

12 hours ago, stevenl said:

Finally the name of Tran Lee is mentioned, took a while. As I said earlier, Lazy Cat is a big player, at least 5 boats every day, and took over the contracts of the now defunct Tran Lee.

Did Lazy Cat also buy some of the Tran Lee assets that were auctioned off?

It was rumored at the time that many of those assets (boats, buses, etc) were in fact purchased by other Chinese to be placed back into service by similar Chinese-owned operations.

8 minutes ago, DrDave said:

Did Lazy Cat also buy some of the Tran Lee assets that were auctioned off?

It was rumored at the time that many of those assets (boats, buses, etc) were in fact purchased by other Chinese to be placed back into service by similar Chinese-owned operations.

Maybe some small things, but Lazy Cat charters boats, it doesn't own.

What is interesting though is the Lazy Cat logo on another boat, owned by a different company, and that really is a big player, owner of several major tourist attractions, restaurants, etc. Don't want to mention the name though.

2 hours ago, chrisinth said:

The captain is ultimately responsible for the vessel and the lives of all onboard. This also includes the reliability of all equipment carried on the vessel. I know these people are under pressure from their 'masters' but it doesn't alter those facts.

 

This is an age old mantra, well proven over many centuries.

 

The captain is responsible for commanding his boat. But the captain works for a company and that company has owners and managers.  They (the operating company and its executives) are legally responsible as well, as many past civil litigation judgments in shipping disasters have proven.

 “Also, we found that the life jackets seized from Lazy Cat’s storage unit were not TIS (Thai Industrial Standards Institute (TISI) standard. The life jackets were produced at Lopburi, but the label said that they were produced in Nakhon Ratchasima."

 

So will they also be going after the company in Lopburi that produced the sub-standard lifejackets?

16 hours ago, Just1Voice said:

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

Far from it. You think the authorities and their ever lax approach to enforcing the law, and safety standards, are innocent bystanders?

..........safety lapses

 

Thank heaven they had safety standards but a shame that they lapsed this time......

17 hours ago, mok199 said:

This country needs a complete makeover...

Illegal Chinese businesses need a makeover.

Can someone explain what the Chinese owners have done to break the law concerning the nominee.i thought you could own 49% of a business as a foreigner and they didn't own the boat either.also where does money laundering come into this.is it when your a foreigner and you have the business sense to make big money that it's illegal.

On 7/11/2018 at 8:48 PM, Just1Voice said:

They are looking for any and every scapegoat they can find.  The ONLY one responsible for the deaths of these tourists is THE BOAT CAPTAIN.  END OF STORY!

 

Spot on, very poor seamanship

21 hours ago, Just Weird said:

Illegal Chinese businesses need a makeover.

 

And how do these "illegal Chinese business" structures vary from "legal farang business" structures???? 

 

Hint: 40 dead people, and authorities looking for a scapegoat. 

On 7/11/2018 at 11:37 PM, mok199 said:

This country needs a complete makeover...

 

"This country needs a complete makeover." - well, they have been using "makeup" for a long time, to hide the ugly truth that lays just under the surface.

 

9 minutes ago, NamKangMan said:

 

"This country needs a complete makeover." - well, they have been using "makeup" for a long time, to hide the ugly truth that lays just under the surface.

 

yes sir ,she was amazing years ago..but far too much abuse has left her worn and beatdown.. im sure with a little paint and a new slogan,they can pimp her out a few more years...