Pay up or face legal action, Thai customs chief says as 400 cars go missing

[webfact]

Pay up or face legal action, customs chief says as 400 cars go missing
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- Customs Department chief Somchai Sujjapongse yesterday urged the owners of some 400 cars taken from bonded warehouses to pay tax on the vehicles or face legal action.

Somchai said a department probe found that the vehicles were among the 500 or so luxurious cars that had been taken out of the warehouses and put on public display but not returned.

The motive for not returning the vehicles was tax evasion, he said.

Customs, the police and the Army are trying to track down the car owners and were investigating possible corruption in relation to the matter, he said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Pay-up-or-face-legal-action-customs-chief-says-as--30243101.html


-- The Nation 2014-09-12

[submaniac]

I hope they succeed. It seems unfair that ordinary people have to pay the import duties (for normal cars like Honda, Volkswagen, etc.) not made in Thailand but the super wealthy who are buying Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys etc. get out of it. That is alot of tax money that should be going to the Thai government.

[NongKhaiKid]

Please K. Somchai how dis they get the vehicles out of the secure warehouses in the first place ?

Oh my brain hurts.

[tx22cb]

Car Importers: "Um, can you wait until after the next Bangkok International Motor Expo, pretty please? After all, we've already paid the usual 'contribution'. And don't forget that we have not thrown away those receipts that you issued to us .... not to mention that a few of these cars are in your sons' garages"

Customs: "I know, I know, and that is why I'm only publicly 'urging' you to do so. I can manage the police, but if the Men in Green get serious, all bets are off"

[FireMedic]

Pay up or face legal action

Pretty much sums it all up right there. Instead of LOS is should be PUOFLA because this what the BIB lives by.

Edited September 12, 2014 by metisdead
Bold font removed.

[Suriya4]

I think the 400 cars disappears during Yingluck watch. Please investigate the shin's garages.

[ib1b4]

I think the 400 cars disappears during Yingluck watch. Please investigate the shin's garages.

If you read the original article it said the vehicles went missing eight weeks ago.

[Ricardo]

Please K. Somchai how dis they get the vehicles out of the secure warehouses in the first place ?

Oh my brain hurts.

"I'm just popping-out with it, to the local discoount wash/wax/dry service down the road, no need to make a record of this conversation" ?

[NongKhaiKid]

Please K. Somchai how dis they get the vehicles out of the secure warehouses in the first place ?

Oh my brain hurts.

"I'm just popping-out with it, to the local discoount wash/wax/dry service down the road, no need to make a record of this conversation" ?

Capt. Lawrence Oates of the Customs Dept., " I am just going out, I may be some time ".

PS. So may the cars.

[wxpwzrd]

LOL "Pay up" - two of the most frequently used words by government and law enforcement.

[doremifasol]

................................. investigating "possible corruption"

500 luxurious cars are missing, in my world that is called "certain corruption"

[ezzra]

Earlier reports talked about 500 missing cars, now only 400, and soon only 300, until the whole

issue will fizzle out to 2-3 cars only... and what about the people who let those cars walk out in the

first place? if they're still there, who can tell that the whole thing will happened all over again..

[kalbo123]

I am surprised anyway there is some sort of follow up journalism about this subject, but a guess soon the stakes are too hight and it won't be mentioned again.

[dBrown]

I think the 400 cars disappears during Yingluck watch. Please investigate the shin's garages.

If you read the original article it said the vehicles went missing eight weeks ago.

If you read the original article it said it was discovered eight weeks ago.

[WhizBang]

Not sure why a car for which the taxes had not been paid would be 'allowed' out of the warehouse, but how about confiscating the cars when found and the owners fined on top of being required to pay the import tax.

Then the state can sell the cars, thus making more money off them.

Unless you hit the owners where it hurts, in the wallet, NOTHING will change. Firing any customs employees involved would also go a long way, if not jail time.

[meatboy]

................................. investigating "possible corruption"

500 luxurious cars are missing, in my world that is called "certain corruption"

and they all had fuel in them aswell.

[Triplebank999]

................................. investigating "possible corruption"

500 luxurious cars are missing, in my world that is called "certain corruption"

and they all had fuel in them aswell.

All cars are delivered from the factories or warehouses with a small amount of fuel, if they weren't then how would they be moved around as they have to be?

[klauskunkel]

Somchai said a department probe found that the vehicles were among the 500 or so luxurious cars that had been taken out of the warehouses and put on public display but not returned.

It is imperative to realize in this case that the fundamental rights of the cars to be displayed publicly have not been violated. Thank you

Edited September 12, 2014 by klauskunkel

[pisico]

I think the 400 cars disappears during Yingluck watch. Please investigate the shin's garages.

If you read the original article it said the vehicles went missing eight weeks ago.

Go easy on Suriya: OCD is difficult to control

[Sayonarax]

You should be under investigation, ive never met a more backwards operation in Thailand than the customs office.

I hope the Junta crawls up your kiester

[belg]

who's responsability is it, to take action when the cars do not return ?

is the gov. official greased to just forget ? just check bank records or lifestyle, if it matches any of the employees

[Nickymaster]

I hope they succeed. It seems unfair that ordinary people have to pay the import duties (for normal cars like Honda, Volkswagen, etc.) not made in Thailand but the super wealthy who are buying Lambos, Ferraris, Bentleys etc. get out of it. That is alot of tax money that should be going to the Thai government.

Even worse. They don't pay import duties but get the license plate through connections and sell it as if all duties have been paid. So they can drive the Ferrari for 3 years and sell it for a higher price than what they bought it for.

[phuketlive]

"investigating possible corruption in relation to the matter"

really?

[iReason]

"... investigating possible corruption..."

[Nickymaster]

Can't be that difficult to find. I know where I would start.

[JacChang]

<script type='text/javascript'>window.mod_pagespeed_start = Number(new Date());</script>

Please K. Somchai how dis they get the vehicles out of the secure warehouses in the first place ?

Oh my brain hurts.

Somchai: It's just biz sin ness. More money. I let car go, they gib me money. Then I catch them, I get money again.

[meatboy]

................................. investigating "possible corruption"

500 luxurious cars are missing, in my world that is called "certain corruption"

and they all had fuel in them aswell.

All cars are delivered from the factories or warehouses with a small amount of fuel, if they weren't then how would they be moved around as they have to be?

so they can be moved around uh,well as its a customs bonded warehouse all vehicles are suposed to be secured till the import duty was paid.and can you explain what happened to the bond? the report say's they were taken for display,so was that at a show?if so 500 different models.this could only happen here.

[NongKhaiKid]

Imagine a warehouse full of impounded vehicles, let's say 400, and someone steals one from the back row so it isn't noticed.

Thainess - steal 399 and leave 1 so no one notices.

[meatboy]

Imagine a warehouse full of impounded vehicles, let's say 400, and someone steals one from the back row so it isn't noticed.

Thainess - steal 399 and leave 1 so no one notices.

do they [customs] think this could be an inside job.

[CantSpell]

They should form a committee.

Then exonerate around 380 car owners due to their connections...

Then probably blame Nicolas Cage (Another "90 seconds")