Lao woman arrested at Mukdahan border check-point carrying Bt30 million cash

[webfact]

MUKDAHAN
Lao woman with Bt30 million arrested at border

MUKDAHAN: -- A 42-year-old Laotian was detained in border province of Mukdahan on Friday for allegedly trying to smuggle Bt30 million in cash out of the country.

The woman who was identified only as Matapon was stopped and her car searched at a checkpoint at ThaiLao Friendship Bridge II in the province. Police were acting on a tip-off about the money.

At first, she refused to be searched, claiming she would wait for her lawyer.

However her lawyer did not show up so the military team asked Mukdahan police to join the search. Finally the suspect, who remained seated in the car, agreed to the search and opened the door.

A total of Bt30 million in cash was discovered hidden under the front and back seats. The money still had bank tags attached. She admitted that the money belonged to her but refused to say the source. Police then charged her of trying to take out more than US$20,000 from the country without permission.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Lao-woman-with-Bt30-million-arrested-at-border-30240553.html

[thenation]2014-08-08[/thenation]

[Bernard Flint]

Illegal business in Thailand??????, worried about the clamp down???/ get my money out quick

[lostinisaan]

     And I thought my wife had an accident....good to hear that she's fine.Okay, we'll pay some "tea money.".... -

[webfact]

Lao woman arrested for smuggling Thai currency
By Digital Content



MUKDAHAN, Aug 8 -- Thai officials early Friday arrested a Lao woman and charged her with smuggling Thai currency amounting to Bt30 million out of the country, customs officials said.

A combined unit of customs, police and soldiers apprehended a 42-year-old woman identified only as Matapon after stopping her pickup truck at the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge linking the Lao province of Savannakhet and northeastern Thailand’s Mukdahan province and found the cash hidden in the vehicle.

Ms Matapon reportedly told police that the money was given to her by her employer to deposit in a bank for buying peptonic from Thailand.

She said she decided to take the money back to Laos because the bank was closed.

But the authorities did not believe Ms Matapon and informed her that under Thai law a person could take not more than Bt500,000 out of Thailand each time.

She is being detained at a police station in Mukdahan for further investigation. (MCOT online news)

[tna]2014-08-08[/tna]

[laolover88]

Report fails to mention the transport! Probably not a 1969 Ford Escort....Got off the plane in Nakhon Phanom on Saturday. 3 new red Mercedes with red number plates lined up at the door.................Money in this part of the world has no limits. Lawyer obviously very sharp not to show up

[lostinisaan]

Report fails to mention the transport! Probably not a 1969 Ford Escort....Got off the plane in Nakhon Phanom on Saturday. 3 new red Mercedes with red number plates lined up at the door.................Money in this part of the world has no limits. Lawyer obviously very sharp not to show up

 

 

 Calling the right guy and meeting him/her does the trick. Majority of the money goes back home.....

 

Ms Matapon reportedly told police that the money was given to her by her employer to deposit in a bank for buying peptonic from Thailand.

 

Of course nothing to do with drugs.

 

I always give my wife more to buy peptin. 

[chuckd]

Report fails to mention the transport! Probably not a 1969 Ford Escort....Got off the plane in Nakhon Phanom on Saturday. 3 new red Mercedes with red number plates lined up at the door.................Money in this part of the world has no limits. Lawyer obviously very sharp not to show up

 

The second article says she was driving a pickup.  No year, make or model provided.

[meatboy]

she must be a customer at one of the 2 banks being investigated for wishy-washy business.solly not today.

[lostinisaan]

she must be a customer at one of the 2 banks being investigated for wishy-washy business.solly not today.

 

    Or she brought MR. T's money to his sister.

[bristolgeoff]

serious cash for one person going to laos,wonder how much she got to keep or lost the lot

[stevehaigh]

how much is that in kip, must be about 10000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 kip

 

not enough trees in Lao to print that much money

[meatboy]

farang gave it to her for safe keeping."you do love me don't you" he asked

[ezzra]

Don't let any one tell you otherwise, these are the proceeds of her selling bananas at the fresh

market....

[godden]

SIN SOT!!!!

[klauskunkel]

Thai officials early Friday arrested a Lao woman

Ms Matapon reportedly told police that the money was given to her by her employer to deposit in a bank for buying peptonic from Thailand. She said she decided to take the money back to Laos because the bank was closed.
 

Employer: K. Matapon, here is a million dollars, please put in bank account, we will corner the Pepto-Bismol market!

Matapon: Great idea, Boss, I'm on it!

Matapon (at the bank): Aw shucks, it's too early, bank is still closed..., hmm, what to do? Hah, I'll drive to Laos and have a cup of tea until the bank opens!

 

 

I do appreciate the time and effort that went into constructing those excuses to justify wrongdoings I have been reading about nearly every day. Of course the construction material is not of the best quality...

[Dee Kwa]

That a million yaa baa tablets that won't be heading the opposite direction (yet).

[larsjohnsson]

She must be a Digital Nomad

[razer]

Years ago in Venezuela the elite were expatriating their money the same way. Bank transfers were limited and there was a quota on individual amounts. Maybe this is the same. I am sure it i happening in Thailand.

[khounteen]

Should have given some to me..

[soalbundy]

I have no idea where that came from

[meatboy]

farang gave it to her for safe keeping."you do love me don't you" he asked

has anybody seen my wife?she was going to the bank.

[khaowong1]

Damn, that's a lot of Pepto Bismo.. 

[BruceMangosteen]

Obviously going to the nearby casino.

[deepcell]

What is th problem if she want to have a trip outside country? Nowadays everything is so expensive!

[moe666]

How much did Yingluck take with her to Paris the shopping is very expensive

[hawthorne]

No declaration and the money does not have to be returned regardless of the reason. The only investigation moving forward is
to find out what type of illegal business is tied to the money.

[SOTIRIOS]

.....how about money laundering.....and illegal business activities......

 

...what is the origin of the money.....

[Dee Kwa]

How about charging you with ridiculously using full stops?

[klauskunkel]

How much did Yingluck take with her to Paris the shopping is very expensive

having offshore accounts has it's benefits...

[Dibbler]

Likely the proceeds of a drug, luxury timber, human or high-value wildlife trade, all standard business models in Lao that violate international regulations and Agreements that the country is party to but ironically attract official government tax.  

 

For example, the links between Lao, Thailand and South Africa involving rhino horn trade and human trafficking is fascinating and the subject of a recent book by Julian Rademayer.  The trade could not happen without the Thai and Lao middlemen, and this woman may be one of them.