Luxury cars regularly smuggled in from Malaysia, say officials

[Lite Beer]

Luxury cars regularly smuggled in from Malaysia, say officials
Santiparp Ramasut
The Nation on Sunday

BANGKOK: -- Customs officials from Songkhla's Sadao district said yesterday they had intercepted approximately 200 luxury cars in the last few years that were smuggled over the Malaysian border into Thailand via Sadao and Padang Besa.

They included stolen cars or those that car owners or rental shops had driven in and then reported stolen so they could claim insurance money, said Sadao customs deputy head Siwakrit Jenwipich, adding that some of the cars intercepted carried the insignia of the Malaysian royal family.

He said customs officials had recently tightened the rules and closed loopholes on selling impounded cars to prevent luxury car dealers and rogue officials from gaining possession of them later at cheaper prices.

Prayuth Maneechote, chief of Custom Office Region 4, said that in the last 12 months his office had seized 35 luxury cars smuggled across the Malaysian border at Padang Besa and five at Sadao, including a Daimler, Mercedes Benz and Jaguar.

He said one loophole enabled illegal high-end car traders to bring in luxury cars with tourists. The cars where then sold in Thailand with the proper papers and reported stolen in Malaysia in order to claim insurance money.

Prayuth said customs officials needed to implement stricter rules for checking tourists who brought high-end cars into Thailand.

-- The Nation 2013-06-23

[DiNiro]

Blame it on the tourists and Muslims from Malaysia.

[arthurboy]

Amazing that those pesky smugglers would even try this outrageous scam.

What with all the military, paramilitary, police, customs, immigration and local authority security personnel everywhere on the ground in the troubled far southern provinces.

I wonder if they had any help from the military, paramilitary, police, customs, immigration and local...

No way, eh, folks?

[DiNiro]

"customs deputy head Siwakrit Jenwipich, adding that some of the cars intercepted carried the insignia of the Malaysian royal family."

Wow.

The Nation can say this?

Edited June 23, 2013 by DiNiro

[Songhua]

While they run around in BKK investigating a problem they reportedly knew absolutely nothing about (until the truck caught fire and 'alerted' them), officials in the south knew it was happening all along - right down to specific methods and details?

A rather serious reporting/communication breakdown.

Next communique from BKK to southern checkpoints: keep a closer eye on those tourists and go over their cars with a finetooth comb.

[hansgruber]

 customs deputy head Siwakrit Jenwipich, adding that some of the cars intercepted carried the insignia of the Malaysian royal family."

 

Wow.

The Nation can say this?

No lese mejeste in Malaysia.

[NomadJoe]

Amazing that those pesky smugglers would even try this outrageous scam.

What with all the military, paramilitary, police, customs, immigration and local authority security personnel everywhere on the ground in the troubled far southern provinces.

I wonder if they had any help from the military, paramilitary, police, customs, immigration and local...

No way, eh, folks?

Have you ever been through the boarder at Sadao? I have numerous times. You can drive right though the Thai side unchallenged.

[A Member]

customs deputy head Siwakrit Jenwipich, adding that some of the cars intercepted carried the insignia of the Malaysian royal family."

Wow.

The Nation can say this?

No lese mejeste in Malaysia.

Could cause a diplomatic incident though. Just imagine a Malaysian newspapers saying this about cars from Thailand !

The Malaysian royal family is unusual in that it's not hereditary and the King is appointed on a 5 year rotational basis around the country's major sultans.

[DiNiro]

customs deputy head Siwakrit Jenwipich, adding that some of the cars intercepted carried the insignia of the Malaysian royal family."

Wow.

The Nation can say this?

No lese mejeste in Malaysia.

So, in Malaysia they won't lock you up if you question the taxes paid on their fleet of Benzs and Rolls?

[A Member]

While they run around in BKK investigating a problem they reportedly knew absolutely nothing about (until the truck caught fire and 'alerted' them), officials in the south knew it was happening all along - right down to specific methods and details?

A rather serious reporting/communication breakdown.

Next communique from BKK to southern checkpoints: keep a closer eye on those tourists and go over their cars with a finetooth comb.

Par for the course isn't it ? As soon as something becomes a major story officialdom have known all about it but very little or nothing is ever said when things are actually happening.

The DSI claimed to have known about the luxury car scam for two years and of course Thailand's own Sheerluck Holmes, Chalerm knows everything about everything even before it's reported but don't expect him to do anything more than allude to issues or make claims he never follows up on.

[NongKhaiKid]

customs deputy head Siwakrit Jenwipich, adding that some of the cars intercepted carried the insignia of the Malaysian royal family."

Wow.

The Nation can say this?

No lese mejeste in Malaysia.

Could cause a diplomatic incident though. Just imagine a Malaysian newspapers saying this about cars from Thailand !

The Malaysian royal family is unusual in that it's not hereditary and the King is appointed on a 5 year rotational basis around the country's major sultans.

This situation doesn't bear thinking about. The Malaysian Embassy would probably be besieged.

[Pib]

He said customs officials had recently tightened the rules and closed loopholes on selling impounded cars to prevent luxury car dealers and rogue officials from gaining possession of them later at cheaper prices.

Don't forget another loved group of professionals who love expensive cars: lawyers.

[belg]

2013, maybe time to review their protective laws and start speaking competition and choice

but the governement is stealing money from tax payers, 60% in their pockets, 40% eventually to farmers

local maffia is stealing from tourists

nothing will change

too much money involved

[EyesWideOpen]

I look forward to the first arrests of the customs officials who are in this

up to their necks....

[Thai at Heart]

I look forward to the first arrests of the customs officials who are in this

up to their necks....

So far, everyone except customs has been investigated, and they should be the first port of call.

They have all the records of the cars.

[Noistar]

While they run around in BKK investigating a problem they reportedly knew absolutely nothing about (until the truck caught fire and 'alerted' them), officials in the south knew it was happening all along - right down to specific methods and details?

A rather serious reporting/communication breakdown.

Next communique from BKK to southern checkpoints: keep a closer eye on those tourists and go over their cars with a finetooth comb.

Par for the course isn't it ? As soon as something becomes a major story officialdom have known all about it but very little or nothing is ever said when things are actually happening.

The DSI claimed to have known about the luxury car scam for two years and of course Thailand's own Sheerluck Holmes, Chalerm knows everything about everything even before it's reported but don't expect him to do anything more than allude to issues or make claims he never follows up on.

2 years? That's 2011. Wasn't there a political event that year? And apparent inaction.

Surprise - TIT

[bkk_mike]

Actually - don't blame the tourists.

It's perfectly legal to enter Thailand for 6 months of the year in a Malaysian car.

I've actually thought before now, that with the Malaysian "my second home" policy allowing you to import one car with no tax, and a second car (which doesn't need to be new - but that is taxed), that it would actually be cheaper (assuming the cars are expensive enough), to get two cars in Malaysia, and drive each of them in Thailand for 6 months at a time, than to buy one car in Thailand.

Admittedly Malaysian import duties are almost as high as Thailand's, but the ability to actually import a used car tax free (that you've owned abroad for at least 6 months) when you initially sign up for the MM2H program, is a major benefit over Thailand. And don't get me started on the right to own your own home. If only I'd met and started dating a Malaysian woman in London, rather than a Thai...

[Tboy928]

2013, maybe time to review their protective laws and start speaking competition and choice

but the governement is stealing money from tax payers, 60% in their pockets, 40% eventually to farmers

local maffia is stealing from tourists

nothing will change

too much money involved

ONE QUESTION , is it any Asia country where the taxes are low, and normal on cars ?

[winstonc]

who cares guys were ok aint we or we wouldnt be here,,,,oh and girls sorry laaaaaadies

[Sydebolle]

Amazing that those pesky smugglers would even try this outrageous scam.

What with all the military, paramilitary, police, customs, immigration and local authority security personnel everywhere on the ground in the troubled far southern provinces.

I wonder if they had any help from the military, paramilitary, police, customs, immigration and local...

No way, eh, folks?

Have you ever been through the boarder at Sadao? I have numerous times. You can drive right though the Thai side unchallenged.

Well, I certainly can add to this subject. Two weeks ago I wanted to drive through Sadao into Malaysia. I have Thai plates, an ITP (international transport permit) and apart from my normal Thai plates also an offical set of all-English plates. With this I drove some 20'000kms through Laos, I was in Dien Bien Phu and also Kratie/Cambodia - never a problem; all in-/out stamped into the ITP.

On clearing Sadao only the immigration cared; customs could not be bothered with the ITP - a new one for me. The Malaysian immigration is "drive-through"; machines able to read the stripe in your passport, a stamp and off you go.

As I cannot afford driving around without insurance I stopped just after the immigration and to the right there was a "Zurich" insurance counter. MYR 75 insurance paid. Next was the police who claimed having NEVER seen all-English Thai plates, declared them fake. My original Thai plates presented did not help and I was forced to turn around driving back to Thailand and, in front of me, there was a car of unknown origin; no plates in front nor on the back. He cleared immigration and drove onto Had Yai.

And now you wonder what is going on? Legal Thai (in Thai or English) plates are, despite ASEAN-bla bla bla, not recognized yet NO plates just pass without hinderance. Pathetic subject!