Police again announce seizure of B4.6bn in assets, allege B7bn in tax fraud by Chinese tour operator

[webfact]

Police again announce seizure of B4.6bn in assets, allege B7bn in tax fraud by Chinese tour operator

By Eakkapop Thongtub

 

The contingent of top-flight officers had flown to Phuket expressly to make the announcement at the Royal Gems Pavilion building beside the Phuket Heroines Monument. Photo: Eakkapop Thongtub

 

PHUKET: Royal Thai Police Deputy Commander Gen Rungroj Saengkram and Immigration Chief Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn along with Region 8 Police Acting Commander Lt Gen Pongwut Pongsri yesterday (Dec 24) announced in Phuket that police had seized B4.6 billion in assets from the Phuket-based Chinese tour operator OA Transport Co Ltd.

 

The huge seizure of assets came in conjunction with investigations also conducted by the Anti Money Laundering Office (AMLO), police, the military and Revenue Department officers, Gen Rungroj said.

 

The announcment was made at the Royal Gems Pavilion Phuket, located beside the Heroines Monument in the heart of Phuket, after the contingent of top-flight officers had flown to Phuket expressly to make the announcement.

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/police-again-announce-seizure-of-b4-6bn-in-assets-allege-b7bn-in-tax-fraud-by-chinese-tour-operator-69794.php#xJIz8KbFXIpHJRyu.99 

 

-- © Copyright Phuket News 2018-12-26

 

[mok199]

These tour groups need a complete makeover...IMHO ''nice work boys''

Edited December 25, 2018 by mok199

[Somtamnication]

4.6 billion? That is A LOT!

[YetAnother]

thai police have at once the easiest and toughest job; easiest as there is criminal activity everywhere you look but toughest as there is so much of it

[LivinginKata]

So Big Joke is now in charge of the Anti Money Laundering Office. Talk about action man ....

[Phuketshrew]

3 hours ago, webfact said:

police had seized B4.6 billion in asset

There will be a few new rot Benz on order and some happy mia noi's after netting that much.

[Deli]

And a part of the $ they spent already on flying to Phuket.

Not talking about unnecessary pollution, they created by doing this,

[topt]

OA Transport appeared to have the biggest fleet of coaches in Pattaya until this happened -

Quote

In September 2016, police already announced that they had seized B4.7bn in assets from the OA Transport network of companies. (See story here.)

The original article also stated -

Quote

In September last year, four members of the Rojruangrungsri family pressed charges against Bangkok and Crime Suppression Division police for false arrest after a court found them not guilty of operating “zero-dollar tours’. (See story here.)

So I am completely confused unless the police have gone from nominee/zero tour to tax evasion in order to get something to stick.......

[Old Croc]

Forgetting about the usual attacks on the RTP whenever something like this is announced, for me, this clarifies matters, about which I've often speculated, regarding these huge luxurious retail outlets.

How the hell did they expect to recoup the massive building and property outlays just by selling rubber, jewelry and  trinkets to Chinese tourists?

The answer, now obvious, is that it is all part of a massive money laundering scheme to explain riches and avoid taxes in China.

Thailand the world's laundry hub.

 

 

 

[BestB]

2 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

4.6 billion? That is A LOT!

I am pretty sure about 2 years ago same company was closed down and 150 or something busses confiscated and some billions frozen. 

 

Interesting that same company would be operating in Phuket and again amass billions.

 

From memory , 2 years ago they were operating out of Pattaya , mother and son operation. 

 

Have not seen any of their buses since 

[BestB]

1 hour ago, topt said:

OA Transport appeared to have the biggest fleet of coaches in Pattaya until this happened -

The original article also stated -

So I am completely confused unless the police have gone from nominee/zero tour to tax evasion in order to get something to stick.......

You beat me to it ????,

 

Though have not seen their buses on the roads in Pattaya, it is possible they shifted operations to Phuket.

 

Tax evasion is the easiest to make it stick and used by police world wide, especially in Thailand where most dodge paying taxes one way or around.

 

its funny to follow news, on one hand they chasing Chinese , on the other they punishing those accomodating then????

Edited December 26, 2018 by BestB

[Dogmatix]

1 hour ago, topt said:

OA Transport appeared to have the biggest fleet of coaches in Pattaya until this happened -

The original article also stated -

So I am completely confused unless the police have gone from nominee/zero tour to tax evasion in order to get something to stick.......

That seems very likely. Whoever these people are, they have not done anything to ingratiate themselves with the current government which the article says ordered the police to make the latest arrests and asset seizures. The BiB must have got a lot of flack for bungling the zero dollar tour case against them which resulted in acquittal. After that the family sued the BiB saying they had destroyed their businesses and plunged them into billions in debt. Perhaps the powers that be wanted to seize their assets before banks could foreclose on them.

 

What is missing is any analysis of the family’s political affiliations. A family with businesses verging on sleaze in many provinces is unlikely not to be involved in politics on various levels, at least as a financier, and all those buses could be useful for transporting  voters, demonstrators etc. With elections coming up it might be to someone’s advantage to have them out of the way.

 

It is not difficult to believe they are guilty of all the things alleged against them but getting the evidence against them may be a different matter. Companies like Kingpower have managed to get through countless legal cases for things like defrauding the government on concession payments, operating illegal concessions putting up buildings at the airport without planning permission, not to mention unproven allegations of duty free produce leaking out into Thailand’s thousands of pubs, but still emerge smelling of enough roses to even convince the honest citizens of the UK of their respectability. These guys seem to have played some really bad cards.

Edited December 26, 2018 by Dogmatix

[Burma Bill]

2 hours ago, Old Croc said:

Forgetting about the usual attacks on the RTP whenever something like this is announced, for me, this clarifies matters, about which I've often speculated, regarding these huge luxurious retail outlets.

How the hell did they expect to recoup the massive building and property outlays just by selling rubber, jewelry and  trinkets to Chinese tourists?

The answer, now obvious, is that it is all part of a massive money laundering scheme to explain riches and avoid taxes in China.

Thailand the world's laundry hub.

 

 

 

Yes indeed. Also has the look of a CASINO, but gambling is supposed to be illegal.

[LivinginKata]

2 hours ago, Burma Bill said:

Yes indeed. Also has the look of a CASINO, but gambling is supposed to be illegal.

 

A lot of 'big money' has long been lobbying for Phuket Island have special status to allow casinos.

[NamKangMan]

 

Push the Chinese / Thai nominee businesses off Phuket and they run the risk of collapse here.

 

What if they then turn their attention to foreign land / property ownership using "nominees?"   Yes, it's possible they are that stupid and / or desperate.  ????

[Kieran00001]

5 hours ago, topt said:

OA Transport appeared to have the biggest fleet of coaches in Pattaya until this happened -

The original article also stated -

So I am completely confused unless the police have gone from nominee/zero tour to tax evasion in order to get something to stick.......

 

I guess you missed the bit where they told us what they were talking about.

Quote

Among the assets seized were 129 properties, including land and buildings in Bangkok and other provinces, and luxury hotel condominiums in Chonburi, Gen Rungroj said.

The 97 “items” seized from the jewelry and gems company Royal Gems Pavilion amounted to B2.964bn, he added.

Also seized was cash held in 30 bank accounts amounting to B136 million, with two Government Savings Bank accounts alone holding B1.5bn, Gen Rungroj noted.

Read more at https://www.thephuketnews.com/police-again-announce-seizure-of-b4-6bn-in-assets-allege-b7bn-in-tax-fraud-by-chinese-tour-operator-69794.php#KrI7Ir2kdShHZhWH.99

 

[from the home of CC]

What about those high end eye wear stores you find on every main street in every big town. I rarely see any customers but the businesses are always in prime real estate locations. With the obvious lack of business, they would  have to operate at a loss just on the utility costs alone. I've wondered if they're just giant cash washing machines.   

[NamKangMan]

3 minutes ago, from the home of CC said:

What about those high end eye wear stores you find on every main street in every big town. I rarely see any customers but the businesses are always in prime real estate locations. With the obvious lack of business, they would  have to operate at a loss just on the utility costs alone. I've wondered if they're just giant cash washing machines.   

 

The "high end eye wear stores" specialize in "rose tinted" lens here.  Their sales are quite strong.  ????

[Oziex1]

12 hours ago, Dogmatix said:

That seems very likely. Whoever these people are, they have not done anything to ingratiate themselves with the current government which the article says ordered the police to make the latest arrests and asset seizures. The BiB must have got a lot of flack for bungling the zero dollar tour case against them which resulted in acquittal. After that the family sued the BiB saying they had destroyed their businesses and plunged them into billions in debt. Perhaps the powers that be wanted to seize their assets before banks could foreclose on them.

 

What is missing is any analysis of the family’s political affiliations. A family with businesses verging on sleaze in many provinces is unlikely not to be involved in politics on various levels, at least as a financier, and all those buses could be useful for transporting  voters, demonstrators etc. With elections coming up it might be to someone’s advantage to have them out of the way.

 

It is not difficult to believe they are guilty of all the things alleged against them but getting the evidence against them may be a different matter. Companies like Kingpower have managed to get through countless legal cases for things like defrauding the government on concession payments, operating illegal concessions putting up buildings at the airport without planning permission, not to mention unproven allegations of duty free produce leaking out into Thailand’s thousands of pubs, but still emerge smelling of enough roses to even convince the honest citizens of the UK of their respectability. These guys seem to have played some really bad cards.

I think your comment on political affiliations, says it all. 

[Oziex1]

14 hours ago, LivinginKata said:

So Big Joke is now in charge of the Anti Money Laundering Office. Talk about action man ....

So we can expect him to set up shop in Phuket then. Good pickings for the intrepid crime buster. 

[impulse]

8 hours ago, from the home of CC said:

What about those high end eye wear stores you find on every main street in every big town. I rarely see any customers but the businesses are always in prime real estate locations. With the obvious lack of business, they would  have to operate at a loss just on the utility costs alone. I've wondered if they're just giant cash washing machines.   

 

Have you ever seen their prices?   One set of glasses a day can pay out their expenses. 

 

[impulse]

Whenever I read news like this, I always wonder if they're actually stamping out illegal activity, or just getting rid of the competition, or shopping for assets to plunder, or punishing an entity for not sending enough brown envelopes (while sending a message to all the others in arrears on their payoffs)

 

[NamKangMan]

On 12/27/2018 at 2:44 AM, impulse said:

Whenever I read news like this, I always wonder if they're actually stamping out illegal activity, or just getting rid of the competition, or shopping for assets to plunder, or punishing an entity for not sending enough brown envelopes (while sending a message to all the others in arrears on their payoffs)

 

 

"or just getting rid of the competition" - the only way Thai companies can compete is to disadvantage foreign companies operating here. 

 

Laws are kept "open to interpretation" to ensure this.  

 

Edited December 31, 2018 by NamKangMan

[Phuketshrew]

On 12/26/2018 at 10:19 PM, Oziex1 said:

On 12/26/2018 at 7:41 AM, LivinginKata said:

So Big Joke is now in charge of the Anti Money Laundering Office. Talk about action man ....

So we can expect him to set up shop in Phuket then. Good pickings for the intrepid crime buster. 

Nah, he'll probably just send down one of huge cardboard cut-outs - far bigger and more intimidating.

[NamKangMan]

1 hour ago, Phuketshrew said:

Nah, he'll probably just send down one of huge cardboard cut-outs - far bigger and more intimidating.

 

Or, he could just have himself Photo Shopped into EVERYTHING.  ????

[observer90210]

With all the shiny gold all over their caps and shirts, these Bib's are worth their weight in gold...the amounts seized, seem like peanuts ????

[LivinginKata]

10 minutes ago, observer90210 said:

With all the shiny gold all over their caps and shirts, these Bib's are worth their weight in gold...the amounts seized, seem like peanuts ????

 

Also, are they all 'pilots' as all have full wings badges .....

[NamKangMan]

3 minutes ago, LivinginKata said:

 

Also, are they all 'pilots' as all have full wings badges .....

 

I have yet to see a "cave rescuer" badge.  ????