'Billions' of Baht worth of assets found at Thai CIB chief's home

[freedom4life]

Wasn't I suppose to be in his house 20 mins. before the raid so I can help myself a bit?...damn

[rametindallas]

Amazing Thailand indeed. This guy makes that transportation guy that had millions of baht

of cash in boxes under his bed look like small potatoes. Billions of baht ? Wow, no wonder

this is a poor country, all the money is being siphoned off by the elite. But this guy did

not accumulate that amount of money without a whole lot of help, will be curious to see who

else is caught in the net. and whether or not they go to jail.

all the money is being siphoned off by the elite

all the money is being siphoned off by the elite anyone who can.

This guy is not part of the 'elite' or controlling families of Thailand. Far from it. He IS one of the thousands in a position where he can make his office pay in illegal ways (land office, customs, police, BMA permitting, etc.). Sadly, his level of corruption is not uncommon; it just hasn't been exposed at anywhere near the scale that it exists.

[StealthEnergiser]

Quite possible this arrested group are involved and may have ownership of jet ski's and allow the scams to continue .

[rametindallas]

I like it how people confess to their crimes straight away....

Because in Thailand, if you confess, you cut your prison sentence in half.

[rametindallas]

Is it too much too hope for that Mr.Yoobamrung will be caught in this net also? Quite how he is still a free man is mind-boggling.

Pol. Capt. Chalerm is one of the smartest men in Thailand and his cars and many homes are in the names of other people. They 'lend' him the cars and property for the 'favors' he does them. He will have used the services of some monk to carry his wealth out of the country. He will not be caught.

[BestBitterPhuket]

Wow! Finally! This is big news. This is just what the fight against corruption needs. This is promising!

[bigjules007]

Thats right most of you were wrong, but a few of us were right, disgusting hypocritical RTP, at it again

[JOC]

"We should not let small offences go unnoticed" Quote from Mr Pongpat. Remember he was the guy behind the idea of letting lower ranking officers wear a "Hello Kitty" armband, if they committed minor mistakes.

In line with his own philosophy, I think it would be only fair, if he was rolled in tar and feathers, and moved from marketplace to marketplace all over Thailand, so his victims could get a little payback!!

[Mark T]

Shades of Thaksin

[sandrew33]

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Noted.

It does get frustrating when others run with a "this is great, the good General is finally cracking down" narrative and a good chunk of the story can't actually be told.

Perhaps if you reminded the simple that there's always more to these stories than meets the eye, it might assist the rest of us from overstepping?

Cheers

Edited November 24, 2014 by sandrew33

[rametindallas]

Let's hope the "billions of baht" and assets are used to kick-start the welfare state Abhisit promised but "never got around to" doing anything about.

Why not start by building free housing for poor families and funding education initiatives for orphaned children.

How about vocational courses for single mothers to gain skills that will earn them more than 8k a month - Oh no, perhaps most TV members wouldn't want that because then women might start weighing up opportunities other than prostitution.

Time to start using this dirty money for those who need it most.

Why not start by building free housing for poor families

Dr. Thaksin tried to do that but all the contractors were corrupt and the housing was shoddily built with problem of leaking roofs, etc., etc.. It was pretty much a failed program.

According to the report, AEC Secretary-General Kaewsan Atibhothi said on Saturday that contractors who joined Baan Ua Arthorn (low-income houses) scheme, introduced by former Thaksin's government to provide low-price houses for the poor during 2005 and 2006, complained they had to pay 10,000 baht per unit as kickbacks for construction contracts. (totaled into the billions of Baht)

http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200610/29/eng20061029_316144.html

Ua Athorn housing

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/specials/corrubtion/showcase.php?id=11

[mikesanta]

Great job, keep it up. Unfortuneately, corruption is so enbedded in the police force/politics it would take decades to make a change. These arrests certainly are a giant step. Decentranization of the countries police force is a must and doing away with transferring corrupt individuals to inactive posts. Tranfer them to the iron bar hotel!!

[ozyjon]

I don't read french

[luckyman]

The word 'scapegoat' comes to mind...

[harleyclarkey]

So....to those that bang on about my negative and even hostile feelings towards Thailand......do you wonder why?

Thailand has become a cesspit.

I hope to heck the new boys can clean up the mess.

Cesspit? Still here? Left in disgust? Did you live in a location renowned for low moral standards? Idiotic post.

Maybe you could just possibly post something intelligent?

What exactly is idiotic about my post. Be specific....if you can which I doubt.

You seem to one of these apologists for Thailand who still believe it to be the land of bread and honey. Maybe it is more the honey you are interested in? Instead of the utter corruption, fraud, cheating, Mafia, thuggery, murders, etc, that is now coming out on a daily basis.

I won't excuse what is happening to this tragic country. It is a very far cry from the Thailand I knew nearly 30 years ago.

[DaffyDuck]

Thank you General. OK, all you assorted Doubting Thomas's, PTP/UDDsupporters & Yingluck enamored individuals . You (and we) know who you are!! Would Thailand have got this under Yingluck????? Really????? Thailand feels a happier safer place already. Unless you happen to be a bent copper. Quite a few nights sleep will be ruined tonight for some individuals, I imagine. Hurriedly digging the vegetable patch, packing suitcases, driving frantically into the forest or heading for the Cambodian and Myanmar border, among other activities. The next few days will be interesting.

You're entirely right - the hopeless Thaksin supporters are the ones gritting teeth right about now, as their continued 'predictions' of the evils of the Army Government continue to be proven wrong with each passing arrest and corruption elimination.

It's not a question if this would have happened under Yingluk - it didn't... and didn't happen under Somchai, or Samak, or Thaksin (nor under Abhisit either).

I sincerely hope the general doesn't make the mistake of calling in elections too soon. This needs to continue for at least another 2-3 years, before there is even a remote hope for genuine elections. A lot more than Thai democracy is at stake here - again, a topic not allowed to be discussed.

[Metapod]

this is a clean out, not a clean up.

the army is just removing thaksin's boys and any other political opponents.

same game, new players.

[pattayasnowman]

Lets hope this case is pursued properly and appropriate custodial sentences dished out.

Forget that - lets hope they take them 'round the back' and cap their Arse .

That might make an impression on the rest of the thieving mother<deleted>

[EyesWideOpen]

My favorite Thai story used to be the Blue Diamond affaire. But this story is now my new

favorite. 10 billion in cash laying around his houses ? The mind boggles..... :-) Guess he

was either too arrogant or too stupid for off shore banking. Will be curious as to who

this money will go to. Pretty sure it will not go into the general government fund.

Funny thing is, that the Blue Diamond case and this one have something in common!

dot dot dot connect connect connect

Am curious now, what is the connection ? Google did not turn anything up....

[DaffyDuck]

The Pm is doing some awesome job. However, I don't think he will ever get to the end of the line of millions of corrupt people in here.

He deserves credit for trying hard - so far, he is far more effective than the last 10 administrations put together.

Also, a convenient side effect is that by clearing out the corruptions, he's also clearing out all the political acolytes of Thaksin, who rose to the top via corruptions - so yes, removing corrupt officials serves both purposes, both of which benefit Thailand positively.

Mr Daffy!!

You clearly refuse to see, there are dirty cops with yellow affiliation.

For starters, may I suggest, you do a little research on the guy behind this crackdown: Somyot Pumpanmuang. Please report your findings back here!!

There are dirty cops on both sides of the political spectrum. So sadly IMO this is not a cleanup, but merely a redirecting of the cashflow!!

None so blind as those who will only see their own bias. Not even worth addressing.

[rametindallas]

Thank you General. OK, all you assorted Doubting Thomas's, PTP/UDDsupporters & Yingluck enamored individuals . You (and we) know who you are!! Would Thailand have got this under Yingluck????? Really????? Thailand feels a happier safer place already. Unless you happen to be a bent copper. Quite a few nights sleep will be ruined tonight for some individuals, I imagine. Hurriedly digging the vegetable patch, packing suitcases, driving frantically into the forest or heading for the Cambodian and Myanmar border, among other activities. The next few days will be interesting.

My naive friend, do you really think, it is good vs bad??

The truth is, that a gang of corrupt red cops are being replaced with a gang of just as corrupt yellow cops!!

People like you, believing in this cleanup story, are one of the reasons, that Thailand will remain stagnant for ever!!

Good vs bad. My backside!! They are all equally rotten!!

When will the country get away from the colour of your shirt?

When Thaksin is no longer involved in Thai politics!

[RTH10260]

>>Police are now investigating to determine how the commissioner had amassed the assets.

I'm going to take a wild guess and say that he earned this illicitly.

Come on mate we all know he got all this money from setting up road blocks.

but... but... but what about the inheritance of his uncle in America ???

[rametindallas]

The chief of police buy the positions. The more money, the better the area. 3 million baht for Phuket I was told at one time. So everybody knows what's going on, I did wonder who they were paying? It can only be upwards of the food chain...

That price sounds low. My friend the former Pol. Lt. Co., paid more than one million US dollars just to be promoted to general. The cheap bastard took three years longer than necessary because he didn't want to get off the money. Now that he is a general, he is too hi-so to mingle with us commoners now.

[Alwyn]

The chief of police buy the positions. The more money, the better the area. 3 million baht for Phuket I was told at one time. So everybody knows what's going on, I did wonder who they were paying? It can only be upwards of the food chain...

That price sounds low. My friend the former Pol. Lt. Co., paid more than one million US dollars just to be promoted to general. The cheap bastard took three years longer than necessary because he didn't want to get off the money. Now that he is a general, he is too hi-so to mingle with us commoners now.

You're absolutely right, I just had this conversation with a chap who knows the chief of police in Hua Hin. It must have been 30 million baht as the figure of a million $ is firmly in my head. My old next door neighbour in Phuket was chief of marine police and he's the only normal high ranked police person (or military come to that - my son is 2nd year into his navy college) barring an Indian Thai who is a Brigadier General in the RT airforce. Both of these chaps have become good friends, mind you I've never asked for anything and I guess that helps? Cheers!

[tingtongfarang]

How good would it be if all the corrupt thai's amassing huge wealth was caught stripped of all their assets and given hard labour, and the money used to help the poor.

And the best way to help the poor would be to use the money to increase police salaries to a more liveable level so they didn't need to supplement them through corruption.

That's a joke right ?????

Often stated, but a false and highly unbelievable solution......Doing that would just make them lazier..... they would get a higher salary and still perpetrate the corruption practices..... If you sincerely believe what you stated , you're around to many smokers

What is absolutely clear is that low police pay means that they need to supplement their income. Increasing their base pay is a necessary (but not sufficient) criterion for there to be change. So no, it's not a joke. The challenge is to identify and effect whatever else must change.

True...but they knew the pay rates before they bought the position, thats why i think the reforms that are often thrown on the table are a non starter,

By nature the system attracted the criminal elements, i imagine often beyond reform.

[Adeeos]

What's MOST disgusting?,,,,, is he wasn't just happy with say,,,, $100,000,000 Baht,,,, and dissapear off to some island somewhere,, to live out life as a MULTI-MILLIONAIR!,,,, NOOOOO ,,, I gotta collect a few more $2000 baht, "cig butt on the street" fines,,,, maybe a few more, $400 baht,, "not ride hard left side" fines from a farlang tourist,,,, HAHAHAHA,,,, SERVES HIS GREEDY A$$ RIGHT! getting caught,,,, Well,,, at least he's got the $$ to buy his way into an early retirement,, with the added bonus of,,, "auctioning off" his current position to an, "up and coming",,, underling,, jeez

[BKKdreaming]

Just another BS number pulled out of the sky

there is not enough time to sort all the money and count it ,

So see a number that another raid netted and 2x 4x 10x the number to make them look important.

would 500 million baht have not given them enough glory ?

Whatever the real number is this guy has been skimming money for a LONG time , if he is the top of this pyramid than keep going after the lower levels.

But the problem is there are so many money pyramids in LOS

[Tokay]

Like 99.999% of all other arrests of people in power, we'll never hear how it ends. But it won't be with him in jail. At best he will be moved to an inactive post.

All that is happening is the new gang is taking over and going after the old gang. A power shift. That's all.

That's how it works in countries like this.

[SteveFong]

Inactive post?

he was just given the public perp walk

these guys are all going down, and all the way down so they cannot be active opposition to the junta

things are different this time,

just think,

what if two years from now, the conditons are still not right for elections?

we understand the Thai's don't think about tomorrow, but is the blindness contagious?

[Tokay]

Inactive post?

he was just given the public perp walk

these guys are all going down, and all the way down so they cannot be active opposition to the junta

things are different this time,

just think,

what if two years from now, the conditons are still not right for elections?

we understand the Thai's don't think about tomorrow, but is the blindness contagious?

This is one of those times when I HOPE I'm wrong. But I don't think I will be. This will make headlines for a while then it will go away like all the others. Or perhaps he'll make bail and flee to Laos or Singapore, never to be seen again.

Bottom line, he isn't going to jail. Probably won't even be stripped of his duty or rank. But I do hope I'm wrong.