'Big rings behind luxury car scam'
Piyanut Tumnukasetchai
The Nation



False declarations made to show they have been assembled in Thailand, says DSI

BANGKOK: -- AN ONGOING investigation reveals that transnational rings are behind the smuggling of luxury cars into Thailand.

"The smugglers are clearly influential people, with connections in many countries," a member of the investigation team said yesterday, on condition of anonymity. Such smuggling has already cost the country at least Bt1.8 billion in lost tax revenue.

Meanwhile, Pol Lt-Colonel Korrawat Panprapakorn, who heads the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Bureau of Regional Operation Centres, disclosed that relevant authorities' examination of 378 luxury vehicles registered as "assembled in Thailand" showed that false declarations had been made in many cases to evade tax.

Thailand imposes a tax rate of not less than 300 per cent on imported luxury cars. Luxury vehicles whose parts are imported and then assembled in Thailand, however, are subject to only 70 per cent tax.

Some people have apparently made false declarations in order to avoid the high tax rate.

The DSI and other relevant agencies started the examination of luxury vehicles that had been declared as "assembled in Thailand" since August last year, after an accident involving a suspicious vehicle.

Korrawat said the existing database showed there were 6,575 "assembled vehicles" in Thailand and of them, 548 assembled cars were worth more than Bt4 million each.

The cars summoned for inspections are worth more than Bt4 million each.

"Of these expensive vehicles, 215 have been submitted for inspection on a voluntary basis," he said. "We have ordered about 163 others also to undergo inspection."

Korrawat said officials would try to examine 150 others soon.

"We will inform their owners that if they don't submit their vehicles for inspection, the DSI will go after them anyway," he said.

Korrawat said authorities had also found that some vehicles that had been registered as "assembled in Thailand" were in fact stolen and smuggled from Malaysia.

"For instance, we have sought arrest warrants for two Malaysians who drove two stolen Mercedes-Benz cars into Thailand after which these vehicles were declared as assembled here," he said.

Korrawat added that some assembled vehicles were also stolen from the Customs Department's free zone - or tax-free zone - as these vehicles are categorised as waiting for export to other countries.

An informed source said evidence available to the authorities showed corruption had facilitated the smuggling of luxury cars.

"Even import documents are falsified," the source said.

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Big-rings-behind-luxury-car-scam-30245552.html


-- The Nation 2014-10-16

" The smugglers are clearly influential people... "

Well that's an end to that investigation.

The only way to overcome this little scam is to tag the Mr Bigs, place GPS sensors on the parts and track their movements , this little earner has been going on for some time, relying on DSI Tarit was like waiting for that Lotto win , not going to happen and regardless of who and I mean who is in the scam they need to face the consequences

And I was suspicious of the old man walking his water buffalo home

They finally figured out that the cars are being stolen in Malaysia. Insurance claimed and then being shipped or driven to Thailand and under the table registration docs issued.

The car is useless without a book clean your own backyard first.

It's been going on since forever.

this has been going on for years

"'Big rings behind luxury car scam'" Big rings.....big hubs. Thailand the hub of luxury car scams. Fixed it!

They have been looking into this for well over a year now and little if any progress has been made.

Happiness to the people on another level. Still waiting to see the new administration live up to their promise of reform. After all that was a major reason for the military takeover, or was it ?

All those who are surprised, raise your hand..

Big Rings, well a lot of drivers,anyway,with 500 cars missing from a

Bonded warehouse.

regards Worgeordie

It's taken them a long time to get hardly any where on this. Of course it's Thai Mr. Bigs. Let's see how many get busted and prosecuted.

" The smugglers are clearly influential people... "

Well that's an end to that investigation.

No!!! It must go on!!! Lets get those bad Malaysians for helping our Crooks.

" The smugglers are clearly influential people... "

Well that's an end to that investigation.

And Malaysians are being arrested. Hub of Scapegoats.

It's clearly people from Myanmar that are behind it...

"Big rings, influential people" these guys run the circus and get away with everything. Where is a guy like Pol Pot when you need him?

DSI : "The smugglers are clearly influential people"

Google-Translated : "Please give me time to check with the Generals about which cases I can go after, and which ones I should leave alone. Or whether they prefer for me to rustle up some fall guys to take the rap".

And I was suspicious of the old man walking his water buffalo home

Does he have a Ferrari back there?

Was a pink Bentley summonsed for inspection? I very much doubt it!

With a minimum of 300% tax on a luxury car not made in Thailand what do they expect. That's the biggest robbery I see here, excessive import tax.

the gov should not be so greedy with the tax at 300% in the first place.

With a minimum of 300% tax on a luxury car not made in Thailand what do they expect. That's the biggest robbery I see here, excessive import tax.

My thoughts exactly.

...the crime takes place in Thailand, ultimately.....

...of course the cars are imported....from other countries....

...the biggest payoff is obviously Thailand...

...naming names, seizing assets would stop this......

...trying to deflect the blame on foreigners.....will not.....

" The smugglers are clearly influential people... "

Well that's an end to that investigation.

Agreed. Time to bring in the scapegoats.

2 things spring immediately to mind:

300% tax is ridiculous

While we all admire the efforts by the PM to tackle lower levels of corruption, (especially if farang are involved I notice) - but we all know that as soon as the 'wrong names' appear on the list, the investigation will go quiet until everybody forgets about it. Some things are never going to change here.

Could always lower the tax to eliminate black market all together, might even make money money in tax by selling more luxury cars at decent prices

The only way to overcome this little scam is to tag the Mr Bigs, place GPS sensors on the parts and track their movements , this little earner has been going on for some time, relying on DSI Tarit was like waiting for that Lotto win , not going to happen and regardless of who and I mean who is in the scam they need to face the consequences

but..but... influential people

While the smugglers might be influential, so are the buyers who pay the smugglers.

easy way is to stop cars from being assembled in Thailand (unless it is a registered car manufacture assembly plant eg Honda) this will stop people importing luxury cars to avoid tax payments, it will also unsafe cars from being put onto the roads you all know the ones two different cars welded together that just disintegrate on impact.

being going for years for those with deep pockets and lots of baht.look what I own a posh car what about you

Maybe these cars are merely the decoy for all of that rare, exotic toilet paper being trafficked in to Thailand to wipe the <deleted> of the elite.

Who really cares that rich people, who play with their rich toys, are obtaining them illegally, or not?

Not me.

Next...!