Thailand's D S I Ready To Name Buyers Of Cars: Luxury-Car Scam

[chainarong]

One hopes that DSI charges everyone on the list and not just a selective number, omitting the one's that count.

[Bagwan]

So owning an Austin Allegro or a Trabant is not all bad news?

No top of the range tuk-tuks, songthaews or etans seized yet?

[OzMick]

So owning an Austin Allegro or a Trabant is not all bad news?

No top of the range tuk-tuks, songthaews or etans seized yet?

Owning an Austin Allegro or a Trabant is considered sufficient punishment.

[Johnnie99]

Do any Thai ministers read this forum? Or anyone in authority in Thailand? How I wish they would, simply to see the harm they are doing to the reputation of their own country. Sad, isn't it.

Loathe as I am to compliment the place, the scenery can be breathtaking. Contrarily, so can the absolute idiocy.

[hellodolly]

They're ready to "name," but do little else.

My money says the list will not include any PTP members perhaps a minor one or two will be thrown on the sacrificial sword. For sure there will be a lot of Democrats. Makes no difference if they do or don't it will make them look bad which is what the DSI has been instructed to do.

By the time they prove there innocence the matter will no longer be in the public spotlight.

Not saying there aren't some guilty Democrats but I am saying there will be charges against innocent ones and no charges against guilty PTP with the exceptional sacrificial lamb so the PTP can say see we are not covering up. They will then just transfer the lamb to a different post where they can continue at the trough.

[Thai at Heart]

Surely it has to be the importers not the owners who are on the hook, unless they are one in the same which is unlikely.

Who signed off on the import documents for these cars?

Caveat emptor. The buyer has the same right to the goods as the seller - you buy a stolen car, you lose it. You buy a car that has not had the correct import tax paid, you have the choice of paying the tax owing or losing the vehicle.

You then have the right to sue or use consumer protection laws to recover your losses, and to lodge a criminal complaint with the police against the seller where fraud/misrepresentation was involved - good luck with that.

It's not stolen. It's the importers to sell because customs fraudulently gave the importer a document.

If I buy a TV from central branded Samsung and it turns out central or Samsung did something shonky, why is it my responsibility?

Just because the numbers are bigger and it's luxury cars doesn't change anything. I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back.

Should i check that my noodle stand complies with vat law, or will they chase me for his unpaid tax?

Edited June 8, 2013 by Thai at Heart

[smutcakes]

They're ready to "name," but do little else.

My money says the list will not include any PTP members perhaps a minor one or two will be thrown on the sacrificial sword. For sure there will be a lot of Democrats. Makes no difference if they do or don't it will make them look bad which is what the DSI has been instructed to do.

By the time they prove there innocence the matter will no longer be in the public spotlight.

Not saying there aren't some guilty Democrats but I am saying there will be charges against innocent ones and no charges against guilty PTP with the exceptional sacrificial lamb so the PTP can say see we are not covering up. They will then just transfer the lamb to a different post where they can continue at the trough.

Yes, because if it was the other way around, the Democrats would clearly be fair .

Nothing will happen with this, they will be seen to be throwing the metaphoric book at the importers etc but no end user will suffer- same as other forms of corruption- the worst offenders are those who are supposed to lead by example in this society. (They wont treat the importers to severely though, as they don't want to put them out of business as many will need to buy little princess a Ferrari for her 18th birthday)

[Sydebolle]

"about 145 such vehicles" were noted, the same statistic handlers though refer to "2'684'497" travellers left for Songkran the evening before. It seems that they can handle big numbers better then ........

[NongKhaiKid]

Do any Thai ministers read this forum? Or anyone in authority in Thailand? How I wish they would, simply to see the harm they are doing to the reputation of their own country. Sad, isn't it.

Loathe as I am to compliment the place, the scenery can be breathtaking. Contrarily, so can the absolute idiocy.

I sincerely hope they don't Johnny or they would have to invent new criminal and civil offences to cover some of the things we say here as defamation / treason / plotting to overthrow the government / etc are all too lightweight to cover them.

[OzMick]

Surely it has to be the importers not the owners who are on the hook, unless they are one in the same which is unlikely.

Who signed off on the import documents for these cars?

Caveat emptor. The buyer has the same right to the goods as the seller - you buy a stolen car, you lose it. You buy a car that has not had the correct import tax paid, you have the choice of paying the tax owing or losing the vehicle.

You then have the right to sue or use consumer protection laws to recover your losses, and to lodge a criminal complaint with the police against the seller where fraud/misrepresentation was involved - good luck with that.

It's not stolen. It's the importers to sell because customs fraudulently gave the importer a document.

If I buy a TV from central branded Samsung and it turns out central or Samsung did something shonky, why is it my responsibility?

Just because the numbers are bigger and it's luxury cars doesn't change anything. I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back.

Should i check that my noodle stand complies with vat law, or will they chase me for his unpaid tax?

"I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back."

Isn't that what I wrote? If the tax hasn't been paid, they will seize the car OR you can pay the tax owing. Fraudulent documents issued by corrupt officials are worth less than used toilet tissue.

And yes, the same could happen with a TV set, but you won't be parading down the street with so that everyone can see what a rich xxxx you are.

Edited June 8, 2013 by metisdead
3) Not to post in a manner that is vulgar, obscene or profane.

[Thai at Heart]

Surely it has to be the importers not the owners who are on the hook, unless they are one in the same which is unlikely.

Who signed off on the import documents for these cars?

Caveat emptor. The buyer has the same right to the goods as the seller - you buy a stolen car, you lose it. You buy a car that has not had the correct import tax paid, you have the choice of paying the tax owing or losing the vehicle.

You then have the right to sue or use consumer protection laws to recover your losses, and to lodge a criminal complaint with the police against the seller where fraud/misrepresentation was involved - good luck with that.

It's not stolen. It's the importers to sell because customs fraudulently gave the importer a document.

If I buy a TV from central branded Samsung and it turns out central or Samsung did something shonky, why is it my responsibility?

Just because the numbers are bigger and it's luxury cars doesn't change anything. I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back.

Should i check that my noodle stand complies with vat law, or will they chase me for his unpaid tax?

"I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back."

Isn't that what I wrote? If the tax hasn't been paid, they will seize the car OR you can pay the tax owing. Fraudulent documents issued by corrupt officials are worth less than used toilet tissue.

And yes, the same could happen with a TV set, but you won't be parading down the street with so that everyone can see what a rich xxxx you are.

The owners will never pay. They will claim they know nothing about it. Issue will eventually be that the documents appear in order but whoops not enough tax paid.

This will end up all in customs laps.

[HarryMilton]

Do any Thai ministers read this forum? Or anyone in authority in Thailand? How I wish they would, simply to see the harm they are doing to the reputation of their own country. Sad, isn't it.

Loathe as I am to compliment the place, the scenery can be breathtaking. Contrarily, so can the absolute idiocy.

If they did read this do you really think they'd care about the views of TV members? The only people that do are TV members.

[belg]

shouldn't they investigate all politicians who had no welth before getting into office and why they can suddenly afford million baht worth of cars, with a mieger salary ?

[hellodolly]

Surely it has to be the importers not the owners who are on the hook, unless they are one in the same which is unlikely.

Who signed off on the import documents for these cars?

Caveat emptor. The buyer has the same right to the goods as the seller - you buy a stolen car, you lose it. You buy a car that has not had the correct import tax paid, you have the choice of paying the tax owing or losing the vehicle.

You then have the right to sue or use consumer protection laws to recover your losses, and to lodge a criminal complaint with the police against the seller where fraud/misrepresentation was involved - good luck with that.

It's not stolen. It's the importers to sell because customs fraudulently gave the importer a document.

If I buy a TV from central branded Samsung and it turns out central or Samsung did something shonky, why is it my responsibility?

Just because the numbers are bigger and it's luxury cars doesn't change anything. I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back.

Should i check that my noodle stand complies with vat law, or will they chase me for his unpaid tax?

"I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back."

Isn't that what I wrote? If the tax hasn't been paid, they will seize the car OR you can pay the tax owing. Fraudulent documents issued by corrupt officials are worth less than used toilet tissue.

And yes, the same could happen with a TV set, but you won't be parading down the street with so that everyone can see what a rich xxxx you are.

Maybe if it was a giant 3d pink one.

[Thereisnoif]

This scam has been going on for years now, all hi so's know about it and have used it to their full advantage. You don't have to be Einstein to understand that if if you can buy an imported car 40% cheaper than the normal advertised price, the only reason is because import/excise duties were not paid.

[EyesWideOpen]

and they are going to do the same for motorbikes - all the falang HD and big bike owners could be in trouble

I do not think so...

" Hey Khum Sombat, today should we go after the missing taxes on that

35 million baht Lambo, or that 300,000 baht motorcycle ??? Khun Pook, I told you before we simply do not have time for the little fishes, go for the Lambo".

[gobi]

well....I'm thinking if this article was a complete bunch of lies wouldn't your mate Chalerm be screaming "defamation" ?

Don't be so childish. I was pointing out an obvious adversary was responsible for the story. That doesn't make Chalerm, "my mate".

[gobi]

Do any Thai ministers read this forum? Or anyone in authority in Thailand? How I wish they would, simply to see the harm they are doing to the reputation of their own country. Sad, isn't it.

Loathe as I am to compliment the place, the scenery can be breathtaking. Contrarily, so can the absolute idiocy.

If they did read this do you really think they'd care about the views of TV members? The only people that do are TV members.

Some TV members.

[SlideRiceFC]

but but...it's not tax evasion. They just found a loophole and took advantage of it. At least that argument sounds familiar.

[Buckaroo]

When I read the headline to this story, I first wondered if they would be naming the buyers over the local Wat tannoy system

[EyesWideOpen]

Quote : " Tarit said he had already told the Customs Department to block anybody trying to drive a reassembled car out of the country " end quote. How about telling the Customs Department to do their job properly in the first place to stop the illegal import of all cars and motorcycles ?

Since there is no way in the world some government official is going to lose his Lambo, and all these type of crackdown are like a brushfire ,the trick is simply to get the car out of the country. I suspect there may be a booming business getting the cars on a ferry over to Laos. Or failing that just hide them in the country side somewhere in a garage. Wait for the heat to die down, and then presto back to flaunting your wealth in front of the peasants. I frankly will be stunned if so much as a single car is seized, or names of powerful government officials are released.

The cat jumped out of the bag with the car fire, so a bit of noise will have to be made to save face, the cat will be gently pushed back into the bag, and life can get back to normal.

[culicine]

Given the DSI is involved, and the political divide, it will depend on which politicians these cars belong. If PT or their allies all will be brushed under the carpet.

[clockman]

Why do we bother reading such crap issued by the D.S.I. evrything in Thailand is an illusion!

[khunken]

It will be interesting to see if they really name names. Or will it be like the Commerce minister 'promising' to reveal the details about the rice losses.

They could also do it like Chalerm: 'one lambo belonging to a Mr S; a bugatti veyron belonging to Khun V'.

One tends to get suspicious when the DSI is involved & selectivity is the name of the game.

[geriatrickid]

"Tarit says owners will be given a chance to come forward first"

In Germany they do similar things. The tax authorities bought cd's from Switzerland and Liechtenstein containing the names of Germans avoiding paying tax in Germany e.g. Uli Hoeness. Then these people can admit the tax fraud at their tax office and pay only the tax and avoid criminal prosecution for tax evasion.

Not only in Thailand, but always for the rich and famous

They also pay the penalty which can be a multiple depending upon the severity and time period of the tax avoidance. The culprits are then put on the "hot" list and they are closely watched from then on. Here's a reality check; It is more cost effective to do it this way than to go through a long drawn out court case which is expensive and which rarely ends in prison time for the guilty. Most countries do not put non violent offenders in prison. There's no point in spending 30-50,000 euro/$ per annum on incarcerating someone that isn't a public safety threat and that takes away space to incarcerate a violent offender.

Here's another reality check, tax avoidance is not exclusive to the rich and famous, but the rich and famous are more likely to pay up when caught, then other people. You might want to read up on tax avoidance. Some of the worst offenders are the trades and service industries such as small restaurants and wholesalers. Joe the plumber, Sam the butcher, Christos the gyro seller etc. are more prone to cheat and less likely to get caught than the rich and famous. These small fish can cheat hundreds to a few thousand in any given year and it is just not cost effective to go after them.

[OzMick]

Caveat emptor. The buyer has the same right to the goods as the seller - you buy a stolen car, you lose it. You buy a car that has not had the correct import tax paid, you have the choice of paying the tax owing or losing the vehicle.

You then have the right to sue or use consumer protection laws to recover your losses, and to lodge a criminal complaint with the police against the seller where fraud/misrepresentation was involved - good luck with that.

It's not stolen. It's the importers to sell because customs fraudulently gave the importer a document.

If I buy a TV from central branded Samsung and it turns out central or Samsung did something shonky, why is it my responsibility?

Just because the numbers are bigger and it's luxury cars doesn't change anything. I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back.

Should i check that my noodle stand complies with vat law, or will they chase me for his unpaid tax?

"I could believe they impound the cars, and the owners sue the importers for their money back."

Isn't that what I wrote? If the tax hasn't been paid, they will seize the car OR you can pay the tax owing. Fraudulent documents issued by corrupt officials are worth less than used toilet tissue.

And yes, the same could happen with a TV set, but you won't be parading down the street with so that everyone can see what a rich xxxx you are.

The owners will never pay. They will claim they know nothing about it. Issue will eventually be that the documents appear in order but whoops not enough tax paid.

This will end up all in customs laps.

Whoops, not enough tax paid = bye bye car. Fraudulent documents have ZERO value.

[bigbamboo]

Do any Thai ministers read this forum? Or anyone in authority in Thailand? How I wish they would, simply to see the harm they are doing to the reputation of their own country. Sad, isn't it.

Loathe as I am to compliment the place, the scenery can be breathtaking. Contrarily, so can the absolute idiocy.

You talk as if they give a ****.

[surangw]

who will end up with their greasy hands on the cars?

[Evolare]

This witch hunt is just another farse of the corrupt government of Thailand. As i stated before my gfs brothers sells cars, he works for one of the few dealers that actually follows the regulations...i would say on most of their cars...i doubt they do it on all. He told me before this started that one dealership/importer och luxury cars not going to say the name is owned by thaksins sister.

Also he have a sold of a few cars in the past month that have belonged to different ministers and government officials and now in retrospect it seems like they knew already what was going to happend...funny how this is...they should check all the customs officials also.

Rediculous...

[smutcakes]

This witch hunt is just another farse of the corrupt government of Thailand. As i stated before my gfs brothers sells cars, he works for one of the few dealers that actually follows the regulations...i would say on most of their cars...i doubt they do it on all. He told me before this started that one dealership/importer och luxury cars not going to say the name is owned by thaksins sister.

Also he have a sold of a few cars in the past month that have belonged to different ministers and government officials and now in retrospect it seems like they knew already what was going to happend...funny how this is...they should check all the customs officials also.

Rediculous...

What witch hunt? as far as I can see no one has been arrested, and i would be surprised if anyone of any importance of any political allegiance will be charged. The only name so far has been the son of a PT politician, hardly a very successful 'witch hunt'!