Thailand's D S I Tells Luxury Car Owners To Keep Valid Documents Ready

[webfact]

DSI tells luxury car owners to keep valid documents ready
The Nation



BANGKOK: -- People who own or possess 488 luxury cars, whose domestic prices start at Bt4 million each - mostly senior police and military officers, businesspeople and politicians - are required to produce relevant documents and get their vehicles ready for inspection, as their names are on a list released yesterday by the Department of Special Investigation.

Most of the expensive high-performance cars are, surprisingly, equipped with alternative fuel systems such as liquefied petroleum gas or natural gas for vehicles - a bureaucratic loophole exploited by importers to avoid mandatory exhaust-fume inspections. This would have cost the owners or possessors more than Bt120,000 for each vehicle, so that those vehicles could be resold to buyers with minimal risk of being detected later by police or the registrars of vehicles.

DSI director-general Tharit Pengdit said inspection of documents would begin on June 17, and inspection of the vehicles the week after.

"Owners volunteering to have their cars checked can declare their intent to the DSI now, but those hesitant will be summoned by DSI agents to get their cars inspected, starting from June 24," he added. Some 100 suspiciously registered vehicles in DSI custody, apprehended after a series of raids nationwide, will undergo inspections soon, he said.

On the DSI list, prominent owners or possessors include former National Police chief Sant Sarutanond, crocodil- farm owner Uthane Yangpraphakorn, former deputy House Speaker Apiwan Wiriyachai, renowned preacher monk Phra Khru Palad Sitthiwat, retired police general Khate Nimsomboon and Royal Irrigation Department director-general Lertwiroj Kowatthana.


-- The Nation 2013-06-11

[NomadJoe]

Thailand is a plutocracy. Luxury car owners have nothing to worry about and they know it.

[rkidlad]

"BANGKOK: -- People who own or possess 488 luxury cars, whose domestic prices start at Bt4 million each - mostly senior police and military officers, business people and politicians"

Apart from business people - this says it all really

[Bellweather]

Thailand is a plutocracy. Luxury car owners have nothing to worry about and they know it.

Possibly a mini-stampede in the direction of Khao San Road.

[Pdaz]

And "preacher Monk" <deleted> ? So much for a simple Bhuddist life....As long as I can have my Porsche SUV....

[Bellweather]

Isn't it amazing how almost every time a major case breaks DSI Chief Tarit says they know all about it so why is there never any pro-active investigations taking place ? I think all of us could advance a credible answer.

Given all these cases DSI must be sitting on I think Tarit must be organising a merit making ceremony every week and praying " please don't let these be made public ".

[bigbamboo]

"BANGKOK: -- People who own or possess 488 luxury cars, whose domestic prices start at Bt4 million each - mostly senior police and military officers, business people and politicians"

Apart from business people - this says it all really

I think he forgot criminals...... although maybe they are covered by the other four.

[Bellweather]

And "preacher Monk" <deleted> ? So much for a simple Bhuddist life....As long as I can have my Porsche SUV....

I seem to remember 10-15 years ago a scandal involving the abbot of a major temple in Bangkok who had 65 bank accounts and was driven around in a Merc. Everyone knew but no one knew.

[NongKhaiKid]

Isn't it amazing how almost every time a major case breaks DSI Chief Tarit says they know all about it so why is there never any pro-active investigations taking place ? I think all of us could advance a credible answer.

Given all these cases DSI must be sitting on I think Tarit must be organising a merit making ceremony every week and praying " please don't let these be made public ".

Tarit, like so many others in senior positions, is a living example of the " Peter Principle " of being promoted beyond their level of competency.

He is lucky he's in Thailand and is connected and protected otherwise he would have painted himself into a corner but the way he talks. If a big case is made public he claims DSI knew all about it but is never asked why nothing has been done and on the other hand he can't hide behind not knowing as it demands a " why not ? " response.

If this wasn't so serious it would be hysterical.

[Tatsujin]

. . . mostly senior police and military officers, businesspeople and politicians . . .

Damn, their salaries must be VERY good . . .

[pistachios]

If only there was such thing as the IRS in Thailand. They could work for 10 years and jail half of the corrupt officials just by checking the list of luxury car owners.

[A Member]

If only there was such thing as the IRS in Thailand. They could work for 10 years and jail half of the corrupt officials just by checking the list of luxury car owners.

Unfortunately the Revenue Dept is regarded as one of the most corrupt government departments in Thailand and I have absolutely no idea why !

[Halion]

Most gracious and generous of the DSI to give these people such a large envelope of time to ensure that their paperwork is in order..... or is it to allow them to refit the gas systems that their paperwork is based on, or to allow time for them to make the appropiate financial transactions.

The whole thing is ludicrous and a total sham to boot.

Since when did the corrupt who can afford these cars give a dam about the cost of gasoline or their carbon footprint. Anyone bringing in an exotic car and claiming it if fueled by gas should be seriously vetted.

DSI ... Duplicitous Superfluous Idiots

[hanuman2543]

Another shining example of unsocial behaviour of the so called "good" people. By the way, Tarit drives what brand ?

Edited June 11, 2013 by hanuman2543

[lujanit]

Customs officials, police, civil servants, local officials and bar girls are totally corrupt and are just plain interested in masses of money, for themselves of course. So what is new in Thailand?

[Pib]

. . . mostly senior police and military officers, businesspeople and politicians . . .

dam_n, their salaries must be VERY good . . .

It's the "not reported" benefits where the big money is.

[Pib]

BANGKOK: -- People who own or possess 488 luxury cars, whose domestic prices start at Bt4 million each - mostly senior police and military officers, businesspeople and politicians - are required to produce relevant documents and get their vehicles ready for inspection, as their names are on a list released yesterday by the Department of Special Investigation.

Let me guess....the car has been loaned to a relative (probably in an inactive post or on administrative leave) who can't be reached right now and all the paperwork is in the car's glove compartment....just as soon as the relative returns the car I'll show the paperwork....have a nice day...see you at work tomorrow.

[NongKhaiKid]

. . . mostly senior police and military officers, businesspeople and politicians . . .

dam_n, their salaries must be VERY good . . .

It's the "not reported" benefits where the big money is.

This is why being transferred to an inactive post is so feared by senior officials as it takes them out of the loop on EVERYTHING and of course some things are more important than others.

[Payboy]

keep valid documents ready

I heard those documents are all either purple or grey colour, some might even be greenbacks.

[tomross46]

What about pink Bentley's?

[joepattaya1961]

Another shining example of unsocial behaviour of the so called "good" people. By the way, Tarit drives what brand ?

A Tata Nano maybe?

http://www.tatamotors.com/vehicles-and-services/nano/nano.php

[Zolt]

Thailand is a plutocracy. Luxury car owners have nothing to worry about and they know it.

Hmm, I don't know. The Thai police has a tendency to ignore stuff that's right under their nose for years, and then go overboard on the knee-jerk reaction when they finally wake up. Once that kind of devil is out in the open it's kind of hard to put back in the box. I guess they will at least make a show of publicly embarassing a couple of these well-to-do car owners. Should be worth watching .

[harrycallahan]

Hope the middle class elephant camp 'volunteers' from the west are reading, LOL, poor country!

[soi41]

What about pink Bentley's?

As little as I like the guy, Chalerm comes from a very wealthy family background. Big landholdings in, what later became greater Bangkok, and the family runs some very successful private schools. Education and Chalerm in the same sentence??

Role model for Walen?

[GeorgeO]

Thailand is a plutocracy. Luxury car owners have nothing to worry about and they know it.

Hmm, I don't know. The Thai police has a tendency to ignore stuff that's right under their nose for years, and then go overboard on the knee-jerk reaction when they finally wake up. Once that kind of devil is out in the open it's kind of hard to put back in the box. I guess they will at least make a show of publicly embarassing a couple of these well-to-do car owners. Should be worth watching .

and I wonder which side of the political divide those who are publicly embarrassed will belong to...?!

[sonar6ca]

I am sure those owners will find an excellent print shop, looks and smells real.

[finnomick]

Customs officials, police, civil servants, local officials and bar girls are totally corrupt and are just plain interested in masses of money, for themselves of course. So what is new in Thailand?

At least the bar girls have the looks, bless them

[jbrain]

And "preacher Monk" <deleted> ? So much for a simple Bhuddist life....As long as I can have my Porsche SUV....

I seem to remember 10-15 years ago a scandal involving the abbot of a major temple in Bangkok who had 65 bank accounts and was driven around in a Merc. Everyone knew but no one knew.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wat_Phra_Dhammakaya

They had to come with an army legion to interrogate him

[moe666]

Customs officials, police, civil servants, local officials and bar girls are totally corrupt and are just plain interested in masses of money, for themselves of course. So what is new in Thailand?

At least the bar girls have the looks, bless them

Its an insult to hard working bar girls to include them in a comparison with government officials.

[Bluespunk]

Would these valid documents come in 100 or 1000 baht bundles?