Operators of fake seafood restaurant get record prison sentence

By The Nation

 

 

The court handed down a total of 1,446 years in prison to two defendants – Apichart “Joab” Bawonbancharak and Prapatsorn Bawonbancha – for defrauding people by publicising false statements. The duo was each sentenced to a year in jail for each of the 723 offences. Their company, Laem Ket Infinite Co, was fined Bt5,000 per offence or a total of 3.615 million.

 

The defendants pleaded guilty to the charges, hoping for lenient sentences as per Section 78 of the Criminal Code. Hence, the court cut each man’s sentence from 723 years behind bars to 20 years.

 

The suspects had launched a campaign on the so-called website of Laem Ket Seafood as well as on social media selling discount vouchers for premium seafood buffet. Many people fell for this so-called promotion and transferred large sums of money. Then, about a month later, on March 22, 2019, the restaurant announced on Line app and Facebook that it was cancelling all promotions due to an overwhelming response and that it could not source enough ingredients to meet the demand.

 

This sudden reversal angered many victims, who decided to sue the restaurant.

 

Source: https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30389405?utm_source=category&utm_medium=internal_referral

 

-- © Copyright The Nation Thailand 2020-06-10

 

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As been mentioned, someone important missed out on their seafood dinner. Absurd. 

Could have been worse if they had also been convicted of going out and picking their own mushrooms ....

It must have seemed like a good idea at the time to them........

regards worgeordie

Food more important than life here

10 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Operators of fake seafood restaurant 

My suspicions were aroused after I complained that the shrimp tasted rubbery and the chef took it as a compliment. 

12 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

The court handed down a total of 1,446 years

Laughable and pathetic at the same time.

1 hour ago, henry2109 said:

I cannot help you with your picture. Non of the mentioned cases has anything to do with murdering. It was reckless driving with fatal consequences. And every of these cases is different. They deserve jailtime and - where the police was able to catch the person - got it.

In the majority of cases it was DUI, that makes it as a minimum, manslaughter, that is way beyond reckless driving - - and besides seems you missed the point of the posting - got it? 

Was this deliberate fraud or just bad management ?

723 years in prison. Now that is too long a time to live - in or out of prison!

Yet another wonderful example of the Thai 'Justice' system; absurd and Bizarre beyond words !

14 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

This sudden reversal angered many victims, who decided to sue the restaurant

Wow how times are changing... this may make a few others think before ripping off the public.

sounds similar to fitness gyms selling cheap lifetime memberships then either closing or selling after pocketing all the money and not giving refunds - scam is the only word for it

13 hours ago, bluesofa said:

Perhaps the two guilty guys in this case might have got a suspended sentence if they'd poisoned the customers instead of ripping them off.

 

Sad, but probably true. 

obviously something is missing from this story. not uncommon though, for "writers" to leave out key details to fabricate an unbelievable online story.

"perhaps" it was simply an online scam involving a lot of money maybe millions of baht taken from unsuspected people. 20 years is a bit high but i particularly dislike scammers very much so i wont lose any sleep about it.

8 minutes ago, herwin1234 said:

obviously something is missing from this story. not uncommon though, for "writers" to leave out key details to fabricate an unbelievable online story.

"perhaps" it was simply an online scam involving a lot of money maybe millions of baht taken from unsuspected people. 20 years is a bit high but i particularly dislike scammers very much so i wont lose any sleep about it.

According to the article on this in Thai PBS World, it wasn't a fake restaurant at all - they actually served meals at vastly reduced prices to "many satisfied customers" before eventually, when too many people had already paid for vouchers, they went out of business - at which time they offered to refund the money that had already been paid.

 

So all in all, it doesn't sound like that diabolical of a crime and certainly not worth 20 years in jail, especially when compared to the sentences headed down to others for what most people would consider to be much more serious crimes.

 

I'm not sure if a link to this source is allowed - I'll put it and if the mods have to remove it, I apologise.

 

Couple sentenced to 1446 years

Off topic posts and the replies have been removed.

6 hours ago, CorpusChristie said:

Was this deliberate fraud or just bad management ?

Lack of lunch boxes after being caught-out. 

3 hours ago, GroveHillWanderer said:

According to the article on this in Thai PBS World, it wasn't a fake restaurant at all - they actually served meals at vastly reduced prices to "many satisfied customers" before eventually, when too many people had already paid for vouchers, they went out of business - at which time they offered to refund the money that had already been paid.

 

So all in all, it doesn't sound like that diabolical of a crime and certainly not worth 20 years in jail, especially when compared to the sentences headed down to others for what most people would consider to be much more serious crimes.

 

I'm not sure if a link to this source is allowed - I'll put it and if the mods have to remove it, I apologise.

 

Couple sentenced to 1446 years

The link is very clear it was not a scam a lot a people did eat at this low price it looks like it was a very big restaurant and when they where incapable to continue they proposed to refund every one  so after reading the link the sentence looks like pure madness!

Pretty stiff sentence, the first 1000 years will go slowly, but after that the time will fly by.

And nobody smelt anything fishy about it?

HOW CAN such a sentance be given as it is impossible to complete.....????

38 minutes ago, lee b said:

And nobody smelt anything fishy about it?

they have been put in their PLAICE.....and will now flounder in the nick......

7 hours ago, lee b said:

And nobody smelt anything fishy about it?

They took the bait anyway.

8 hours ago, essox essox said:

they have been put in their PLAICE.....and will now flounder in the nick......

It’s a Seafood Restaurant. 
 

Stop talking Codscallop. 

On 6/11/2020 at 6:45 AM, gunderhill said:

On 6/10/2020 at 6:33 PM, snoop1130 said:

The court handed down a total of 1,446 years

Laughable and pathetic at the same time.

For 723 fraud offences?  I don't think so.  But, as the OP stated very clearly, the actual sentences were 20 years...for the 723 fraud charges.

Edited June 12, 20206 yr by Bob A Kneale

On 6/11/2020 at 7:45 AM, ravip said:

723 years in prison. Now that is too long a time to live - in or out of prison!

No one got 723 years, they got 20.

On 6/11/2020 at 9:09 AM, trainman34014 said:

Yet another wonderful example of the Thai 'Justice' system; absurd and Bizarre beyond words !

It happens worldwide, including your country, when there are hundreds of charges being faced, it's not specific to Thailand.  And they got 20 years.

.

Edited June 12, 20206 yr by Bob A Kneale

3 hours ago, Bob A Kneale said:

No one got 723 years, they got 20.

Quotes from the article...

The court handed down a total of 1,446 years in prison to two defendants
The duo was each sentenced to a year in jail for each of the 723 offences
Hence, the court cut each man’s sentence from 723 years behind bars to 20 years.

????

OK, finally reduced to 20

????