Samsung Executives Arrested In Thailand

[cclub75]

``Our executives voluntarily appeared to the Thai police to explain the business disputes. We are in the situation of diversifying our distribution channels with other vendors,’’ said the Samsung official.

``We will respond in a very mature manner and also we are very sorry the Thai media made an otherwise minor case into a serious one,’’ the official added.

That's fascinating !

"voluntarily appeared to the Thai police to explain". And on the other hand, medias said they were arrested friday.

Another exercice of -asian- face saving ? Or the proof that thai police was looking to make a "coup" and put themselves under the spot light ?

[LaoPo]

Maybe the name “Samsung” will help these two exec’s that are being burned by the Thai legal system, but most likely it will hurt them - - The Thai’s smell money, and I’ve never met a Thai in business that couldn’t use the Thai system to take advantage of a falang with money.

Judge Dredd

Hmmm...The whole case smells bad.

The problem here is that we don't know yet the details of the mess but don't underestimate the Koreans in this case; they won't accept to be screwed.

It looks like some high so companies/owners lost substantial 'Samsung' business and filed 'complaints' because of this and want to blame 'Samsung' for this.

I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises'...

Better give me a break.

LaoPo

[quiksilva]

I think the word "arrested" sells more papers than "questioned".

[Solosiam]

Maybe the name "Samsung" will help these two exec's that are being burned by the Thai legal system, but most likely it will hurt them - - The Thai's smell money, and I've never met a Thai in business that couldn't use the Thai system to take advantage of a falang with money.

Judge Dredd

Hmmm...The whole case smells bad.

The problem here is that we don't know yet the details of the mess but don't underestimate the Koreans in this case; they won't accept to be screwed.

It looks like some high so companies/owners lost substantial 'Samsung' business and filed 'complaints' because of this and want to blame 'Samsung' for this.

I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises'...

Better give me a break.

LaoPo

Sounds much more like a simple case of Samsung telling distributors/dealers that they can lower prices and RRP's in their showrooms, and then not discounting the hardware as promised.

Sounds like fraud to me.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

[Old Man River]

Maybe the name "Samsung" will help these two exec's that are being burned by the Thai legal system, but most likely it will hurt them - - The Thai's smell money, and I've never met a Thai in business that couldn't use the Thai system to take advantage of a falang with money.

Judge Dredd

Hmmm...The whole case smells bad.

The problem here is that we don't know yet the details of the mess but don't underestimate the Koreans in this case; they won't accept to be screwed.

It looks like some high so companies/owners lost substantial 'Samsung' business and filed 'complaints' because of this and want to blame 'Samsung' for this.

I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises'...

Better give me a break.

LaoPo

Sounds much more like a simple case of Samsung telling distributors/dealers that they can lower prices and RRP's in their showrooms, and then not discounting the hardware as promised.

Sounds like fraud to me.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

It sounds like fraud to you and it sounds like a business disagreement to Samsung. To me it sounds like a civil case, not a criminal case. Take it to court and let a judge decide.

[LaoPo]

Maybe the name "Samsung" will help these two exec's that are being burned by the Thai legal system, but most likely it will hurt them - - The Thai's smell money, and I've never met a Thai in business that couldn't use the Thai system to take advantage of a falang with money.

Judge Dredd

Hmmm...The whole case smells bad.

The problem here is that we don't know yet the details of the mess but don't underestimate the Koreans in this case; they won't accept to be screwed.

It looks like some high so companies/owners lost substantial 'Samsung' business and filed 'complaints' because of this and want to blame 'Samsung' for this.

I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises'[/i]...

Better give me a break.

LaoPo

Sounds much more like a simple case of Samsung telling distributors/dealers that they can lower prices and RRP's in their showrooms, and then not discounting the hardware as promised.

Sounds like fraud to me.

Not everything is a conspiracy.

Hmmm... we'll see what the truth is and wait for the outcome.

But, I would like to hear your view to my question:

"I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises"

Any idea ?

Laopo

[chinthee]

Old Man river is right. This is a civil issue. Any attempts to elevate it to criminal proceedings is intimidation.

[Solosiam]

Hmmm... we'll see what the truth is and wait for the outcome.

But, I would like to hear your view to my question:

"I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises"

Any idea ?

Laopo

Depends, a Thai is much less likely to simply flee the country - apart from this I don't see how it would be any different.

I very much doubt that the police arrested Korean executives of such a huge company for simply "false business promises", thats their spin on it.

They have had to post bail, so they were indeed arrested. It's millions of dollars we are talking about here, and there has now been over 1,000 complaints filed. Fraud is not a civil case as far as I am aware.

Edited September 9, 2007 by Solosiam

[mbkudu]

a Thai is much less likely to simply flee the country

You could ask Raluek Leekpai's opinion on this if you could find him. He had US$ 10 mill to help him on his way. Phra Yantra rings a bell as well. If Thais are in trouble and they got money, they will bolt. There's a guy living in London doing well.

[LaoPo]

Hmmm... we'll see what the truth is and wait for the outcome.

But, I would like to hear your view to my question:

"I wonder if 'Farang' companies, filing complaints, would have had the same results: "Top Thai executives arrested"...because of filed complaints of 'false business promises"

Any idea ?

Laopo

Depends, a Thai is much less likely to simply flee the country - apart from this I don't see how it would be any different.

I very much doubt that the police arrested Korean executives of such a huge company for simply "false business promises", thats their spin on it.

They have had to post bail, so they were indeed arrested. It's millions of dollars we are talking about here, and there has now been over 1,000 complaints filed. Fraud is not a civil case as far as I am aware.

At least it's good to see your pro-Thai

1. why are you talking about fleeing the country ? It's about TOP executives from a very large Multinational, not criminals.

2. "false business promises" was the phrase everybody talked about, wasn't it ?

3. Bail doesn't mean anything; it's the interpretation of the Thai Police/Justice.

4. I would like to see from WHOM the "over 1,000 complaints filed" are coming from. Any details ?

5. Millions of Dollars: any details ?

We're following 'news', printed by the press who's making a big deal about it but so far we actually don't know anything by facts.

Your quote: "apart from this I don't see how it would be any different." Really ?

So, you think the Police/Justice would arrest Thai TOP executives after Farang companies file complaints of 'false business promises' ?

How naive.

If I'm wrong, read my signature

Laopo

[mbkudu]

Maybe all those stupid rockstar boy Korean haircuts will go out of fashion and the ridiculous Korean soaps will go as well.

Ou Pai!

[Johpa]

a Thai is much less likely to simply flee the country

You could ask Raluek Leekpai's opinion on this if you could find him. He had US$ 10 mill to help him on his way. Phra Yantra rings a bell as well. If Thais are in trouble and they got money, they will bolt. There's a guy living in London doing well.

Let us not forget Rakesh Saxena.

[Solosiam]

At least it's good to see your pro-Thai

1. why are you talking about fleeing the country ? It's about TOP executives from a very large Multinational, not criminals.

2. "false business promises" was the phrase everybody talked about, wasn't it ?

3. Bail doesn't mean anything; it's the interpretation of the Thai Police/Justice.

4. I would like to see from WHOM the "over 1,000 complaints filed" are coming from. Any details ?

5. Millions of Dollars: any details ?

We're following 'news', printed by the press who's making a big deal about it but so far we actually don't know anything by facts.

Your quote: "apart from this I don't see how it would be any different." Really ?

So, you think the Police/Justice would arrest Thai TOP executives after Farang companies file complaints of 'false business promises' ?

How naive.

If I'm wrong, read my signature

Laopo

It was a Korean newspaper which printed most of the information I read about the case.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/natio...9/123_9817.html

Here they are talking about 1 billion baht worth of unpaid contracts and damages. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../298554/1/.html

Sounds like you are suggesting that top executives can not be criminals, which is a bit strange - considering that's exactly what the top executives of many large companies have been found to be in the past few years.

You can call me naive, but personally I think it's naive to think that Thailand would risk the loss of the entire Samsung business and alienate potential Korean tourists for a little bit of money, in a tiny business dispute.

Especially when you consider Samsung's breadth of work here in Thailand, they have just been awarded a $1.1 billion contract by PTT, literally the day after these arrests.

[Gravelrash]

The conclusion seems to be the Koreans are honest and the Thais dishonest, when either could be the case.

Years ago working in Thailand we were fully paid up by the Thai company we subcontracted to without problem, six months later for a similar job in Korea we were told they had decided to renegotiate the contract to half the fee, if we didn't like it we could try our luck in the Korean court.

I know English teachers in Korea who also were not paid. I don't tend to view Koreans as paragons of honesty compared to our local hosts.

[cclub75]

You can call me naive, but personally I think it's naive to think that Thailand would risk the loss of the entire Samsung business and alienate potential Korean tourists for a little bit of money, in a tiny business dispute.

It's easy to mirror your argument : do you think Thailand would risk to loose the confidence of the ENTIRE foreign business community by amending the Foreign Business Act ?

Yes ? No ?

Yes. They did it.

My point is : everything is possible. Even the unthinkable.

Edited September 10, 2007 by cclub75

[LaoPo]

At least it's good to see your pro-Thai

1. why are you talking about fleeing the country ? It's about TOP executives from a very large Multinational, not criminals.

2. "false business promises" was the phrase everybody talked about, wasn't it ?

3. Bail doesn't mean anything; it's the interpretation of the Thai Police/Justice.

4. I would like to see from WHOM the "over 1,000 complaints filed" are coming from. Any details ?

5. Millions of Dollars: any details ?

We're following 'news', printed by the press who's making a big deal about it but so far we actually don't know anything by facts.

Your quote: "apart from this I don't see how it would be any different." Really ?

So, you think the Police/Justice would arrest Thai TOP executives after Farang companies file complaints of 'false business promises' ?

How naive.

If I'm wrong, read my signature

Laopo

It was a Korean newspaper which printed most of the information I read about the case.

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/natio...9/123_9817.html

Here they are talking about 1 billion baht worth of unpaid contracts and damages. http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp.../298554/1/.html

Sounds like you are suggesting that top executives can not be criminals, which is a bit strange - considering that's exactly what the top executives of many large companies have been found to be in the past few years.

You can call me naive, but personally I think it's naive to think that Thailand would risk the loss of the entire Samsung business and alienate potential Korean tourists for a little bit of money, in a tiny business dispute.

Especially when you consider Samsung's breadth of work here in Thailand, they have just been awarded a $1.1 billion contract by PTT, literally the day after these arrests.

You're quite a funny chap, giving me a link which I posted already in #29

Well....answering questions is not your strongest point, is it ?

LaoPo

[geriatrickid]

Judge Dredd's #13 Post makes sense to me. All I know is that the big institutional shareholders are probably even more skittish about doing business in Thailand. The public spin on this is extremely negative and doesn't help Thailand's rep.

[Dakhar]

The conclusion seems to be the Koreans are honest and the Thais dishonest, when either could be the case.

Years ago working in Thailand we were fully paid up by the Thai company we subcontracted to without problem, six months later for a similar job in Korea we were told they had decided to renegotiate the contract to half the fee, if we didn't like it we could try our luck in the Korean court.

I know English teachers in Korea who also were not paid. I don't tend to view Koreans as paragons of honesty compared to our local hosts.

I get paid by three different companies to work in this fine country.... The Thai employer is the only one that pays on time, the others are usually 2-6 months behind.

That said, I still think this does not boad well for any international co. that has any roots in Thailand. Secondly I do not think for one second if a falang was to complain about getting screwed in a business transaction by a Thai there would be any thing done about it . After all this is Thia's Land.

Edited September 11, 2007 by Dakhar

[OlRedEyes]

One wonders if they can ever run out of ways to shoot themselves in the foot. It seem infinite...

[Solosiam]

One wonders if they can ever run out of ways to shoot themselves in the foot. It seem infinite...

Who?

The Korean criminals?

Samsung?

AIS or whoever?

South Korea's turning into one of the most corporately corrupt places in the world, where they let off criminals because they are "too important to the economy".

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

[LaoPo]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

[longway]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

yeah if he'd been here longer he would know its always been a weird place.

[OlRedEyes]

One wonders if they can ever run out of ways to shoot themselves in the foot. It seem infinite...

Who?

The Korean criminals?

Samsung?

AIS or whoever?

South Korea's turning into one of the most corporately corrupt places in the world, where they let off criminals because they are "too important to the economy".

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

You're still cold. Keep guessing .

[Solosiam]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

Not that it makes much difference, but 3 years actually, just recently created a new login as I couldn't work out how to change my name.

[LaoPo]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

Not that it makes much difference, but 3 years actually, just recently created a new login as I couldn't work out how to change my name.

As far as I know, changing a Member name is not allowed/permitted, and:

"14) Multiple accounts on the Thaivisa Forum are not permitted. Any member found to have more than one account will be suspended. Suspended or Banned members found creating additional accounts will be banned."

From: Forum rules, top left of the page.

If more members (or everybody) would change their name, THAIVISA would become a mess....

But, it's not up to me, but Administration.

LaoPo

[Old Man River]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

Not that it makes much difference, but 3 years actually, just recently created a new login as I couldn't work out how to change my name.

As far as I know, changing a Member name is not allowed/permitted, and:

"14) Multiple accounts on the Thaivisa Forum are not permitted. Any member found to have more than one account will be suspended. Suspended or Banned members found creating additional accounts will be banned."

From: Forum rules, top left of the page.

If more members (or everybody) would change their name, THAIVISA would become a mess....

But, it's not up to me, but Administration.

LaoPo

Well, he does get points for being honest.

[OlRedEyes]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

Not that it makes much difference, but 3 years actually, just recently created a new login as I couldn't work out how to change my name.

As far as I know, changing a Member name is not allowed/permitted, and:

"14) Multiple accounts on the Thaivisa Forum are not permitted. Any member found to have more than one account will be suspended. Suspended or Banned members found creating additional accounts will be banned."

From: Forum rules, top left of the page.

If more members (or everybody) would change their name, THAIVISA would become a mess....

But, it's not up to me, but Administration.

LaoPo

Well, he does get points for being honest.

But loses points for stupidity?

Edited September 13, 2007 by OlRedEyes

[Solosiam]

Thaivisa's getting to be quite a weird place nowadays, Seems to be getting filled with the Tinfoil hat brigade.

..says a member who's here for 1 month...

LaoPo

Not that it makes much difference, but 3 years actually, just recently created a new login as I couldn't work out how to change my name.

As far as I know, changing a Member name is not allowed/permitted, and:

"14) Multiple accounts on the Thaivisa Forum are not permitted. Any member found to have more than one account will be suspended. Suspended or Banned members found creating additional accounts will be banned."

From: Forum rules, top left of the page.

If more members (or everybody) would change their name, THAIVISA would become a mess....

But, it's not up to me, but Administration.

LaoPo

Well, he does get points for being honest.

But loses points for stupidity?

Strange to be quoting forum rules at me when you keep trying to flame me and call me stupid, which is AFAIK strictly against the forum rules.

[JimmyCA]

The Korean executives, who had allegedly proclaimed themselves as the authorised dealer of Samsung cellphones in Thailand, had allegedly compelled the Samsung vendors to buy outdated stocks of the Korean cellphone and falsely offered to provide them a US$1 million promotion package in return.

The sales volumes of the outmoded cellphones had been quite low, and the Korean businessmen had allegedly refused to compensate the Thai companies for the losses, police said.

Both suspects denied all charges and chose to fight in court. The Koreans pair were released on Bt 3 million bail each.

The story becomes more and more weird.

The executives of Samsung Thailand who "had allegedly proclaimed themselves as the authorised dealer of Samsung cellphones in Thailand" ?

And then "had allegedly compelled the Samsung vendors to buy outdated stocks of the Korean cellphone" ?

Anyway, TNA is usually close to the absolute zero for clarity... I think we need some reports in foreign medias... Especially from Korea in order to get to the point

My bet is the Thais are trying to scam the Koreans. Samsung is the largest most profitable high tech company in the world. Samsung is too powerful to be scammed, they can walk away from Thailand and Thailand is the looser.

[Prakanong]

The Korean executives, who had allegedly proclaimed themselves as the authorised dealer of Samsung cellphones in Thailand, had allegedly compelled the Samsung vendors to buy outdated stocks of the Korean cellphone and falsely offered to provide them a US$1 million promotion package in return.

The sales volumes of the outmoded cellphones had been quite low, and the Korean businessmen had allegedly refused to compensate the Thai companies for the losses, police said.

Both suspects denied all charges and chose to fight in court. The Koreans pair were released on Bt 3 million bail each.

The story becomes more and more weird.

The executives of Samsung Thailand who "had allegedly proclaimed themselves as the authorised dealer of Samsung cellphones in Thailand" ?

And then "had allegedly compelled the Samsung vendors to buy outdated stocks of the Korean cellphone" ?

Anyway, TNA is usually close to the absolute zero for clarity... I think we need some reports in foreign medias... Especially from Korea in order to get to the point

My bet is the Thais are trying to scam the Koreans. Samsung is the largest most profitable high tech company in the world. Samsung is too powerful to be scammed, they can walk away from Thailand and Thailand is the looser.

Samsung the largest and most profitable hi tech company in the world is it? - figures please.

What figure are you using for "Most profitable - gross, ROCE etc???

How are you defining largest - market cap, revenue?

As a guide here is the fortune 500 released in July of this year - it seems to be showing IBM and HP above Samsung Electronic Jimmy Boy!

Edited September 13, 2007 by Prakanong