Echoes of Big Joke as immigration chief busts "cruel and intimidatory" loan shark gang

 

Picture: Daily News

 

In a raid reminiscent of his high profile predecessor, Thailand's immigration chief Pol Lt-Gen Sompong Chingduang led a team of officers to bust a big loan sharking operation in Bangkok.

 

Several years ago Surachet Hakpan, known as Big Joke, was seen all over Thailand and even in places like Dubai and Manila busting criminals of all kinds.

 

Then he mysteriously fell from grace and found himself shuffling paper. Now Sompong is the head honcho at the IB and the man known as Bid Oud is taking a leaf out of his poster boy predecessor's playbook.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

At a three story premises in Town in Town Soi 3 in the Wang Thong Lang area of the capital 46 Thai office staff, four Chinese managers and one Singaporean were running a loan sharking business. 

 

Electrical equipment and documents were seized. 

 

The terms of the loans offered through a tracking app called "speedwallet" were described as "cruel" by Daily News.

 

If a client borrowed 2,000 baht they were only actually given 1,200 baht then had to pay interest of 12-14%.

 

If the money was not returned in full within seven days then staff at the center would intimidate the client by going to third parties to embarrass them.

 

Picture: Daily News

 

Loans were offered in the 2,000 baht to 50,000 baht range, said immigration's Pol Maj-Gen Phanthana Nutchanat.

 

The operation had moved to its present location just two weeks ago.

 

Sompong said that foreign gangs were exploiting Thai people using advanced technology to reach large numbers of people.

 

He said that this company was running eight applications and there were 5,000 customers on the books.

 

The male and female Thai staff were paid 12,000 baht a month with some handling the loan process and some following up when loans were not repaid.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2021-02-04

 

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And this has what to do with Immigration ? Another chief stepping outside his jurisdiction to make arrests and keep himself on the front page so to speak .

Yes he is police but Immigration Police and should leave these kind of things to the regular police unless the workers are immigrants it really has nothing to do with him .

3 minutes ago, keith101 said:

And this has what to do with Immigration ? Another chief stepping outside his jurisdiction to make arrests and keep himself on the front page so to speak .

Yes he is police but Immigration Police and should leave these kind of things to the regular police .

It's probably because foreigners had set up these gangster practices, that Immigration Police decided to act.

That shouldn't have made any difference to crack up these practices, but if regular police did not act it is fine for me when the 'foreigner stick' is used to get rid of these loansharks.

6 minutes ago, keith101 said:

And this has what to do with Immigration ? Another chief stepping outside his jurisdiction to make arrests and keep himself on the front page so to speak .

Yes he is police but Immigration Police and should leave these kind of things to the regular police unless the workers are immigrants it really has nothing to do with him .

You must be a loan shark...are you scared....lol just kidding

45 minutes ago, keith101 said:

And this has what to do with Immigration ? Another chief stepping outside his jurisdiction to make arrests and keep himself on the front page so to speak .

Yes he is police but Immigration Police and should leave these kind of things to the regular police unless the workers are immigrants it really has nothing to do with him .

The staff was 4 Chinese managers and a Singaporean + some Thai staff.

 

If it was a only Thai run "business" nobody would give a damn, they are everywhere. 

5 hours ago, keith101 said:

And this has what to do with Immigration ?

Fame, name on the press, etc, etc

I would just remind th e policeman that their are 100s of these operations in Thailand.

So sir you are now on a roll and keep enforcing the law.

8 hours ago, webfact said:

At a three story premises in Town in Town Soi 3 in the Wang Thong Lang area of the capital 46 Thai office staff, four Chinese managers and one Singaporean were running a loan sharking business.

Speaks volumes.

Big odious has been out in the cold for so long with no foreigners to bust he has lost his pointing stick and vinyl board franchise ????

Photo ops, medals, gold braide, wings, titles, bright shiny objects and illusions do not make good governance. The lack of humility and the worship of sex, money and power is what it's all about.

On 04/02/2021 at 9:26 AM, keith101 said:

And this has what to do with Immigration ? Another chief stepping outside his jurisdiction to make arrests and keep himself on the front page so to speak .

Yes he is police but Immigration Police and should leave these kind of things to the regular police unless the workers are immigrants it really has nothing to do with him .

I would suggest that the regular police were aware of the operation and doing nothing about it. 

Good for him, return all securities, forgive all debt and lock the bathplugs up. 

Tell everyone that they just need to call him and he will do the same to the next one too. 

On 2/4/2021 at 8:26 AM, keith101 said:

And this has what to do with Immigration ?

 

On 2/4/2021 at 7:56 AM, webfact said:

four Chinese managers and one Singaporean were running a loan sharking business. 

 

 

Seems reasonable? A "share" being run by foreigners. Also believe there was a CCSA (covid) angle as well as this was mentioned in a daily briefing, gatherings and all.

 

 

Been a while since the the requisite Big Joke "sighting" and/or re-animation "story". He had his fan-boys.