Yellowshirt leader Sondhi jailed 20 years for fraud

[LannaGuy]

1 hour ago, robblok said:

 

There we go a fine example of the red persecution complex  
 

There is a lot of sunshine if they ever convict YL and send her to jail, it would send a message to the corrupt that even the untouchables can be brought down. 

 

really?  the 'untouchables'?  don't think so and dangerous to even suggest it

[williamgeorgeallen]

1 hour ago, off road pat said:

you don't understand South East Asia and in particular Thailand ! you're first mistake is to confuse the yellow and the military !

And you're second mistake is not thinking there could be a internal fight in between the Yellow or any different color factions !!!

was an attempt at a joke where it seems there is a witch hunt for the opposing team after a change of power.

[sanukjim]

5 hours ago, bendejo said:

Does Thailand have country club prisons, like the US does?

 

 

What are the names of these"country club" prisons ? Where ?

[Anthony5]

5 hours ago, bendejo said:

Does Thailand have country club prisons, like the US does?

 

 

 

Don't know what country club prisons are, but Thailand has some kind of open prisons where the prisoners live as a community in the forests, without guards.

[Acharn]

5 hours ago, halloween said:

Why should it be even when the reds have more criminals?

 

Well, unfortunately, they don't.

[ChrisY1]

Good!

[sanukjim]

6 hours ago, bendejo said:

Does Thailand have country club prisons, like the US does?

 

 

Where are these "country club" prisons ? Names of said prisons ? 

[somchai jones]

6 hours ago, tukkytuktuk said:

You leave him alone, bully. He's my hero. If it wasn't for Sondhi we'd be up to our necks in Shinawatra's. No he's setting a good example as leader of the yellow shirts by doing some time. Time someone did some time from the red shirted clan. Any court cases coming up with a prominent red figure head soon? Ah, yes the Rice scandal with Yingluck. She should set an example too and do some time down the old prison route. Careful, take her socks away from her we don't want no accidents do we. Luck might be running out Ying.

 

My Dad's bigger than your Dad!   Time to leave the playground and get out more.........

Edited September 6, 2016 by somchai jones

[metisdead]

Off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

[tbthailand]

4 hours ago, halloween said:

And your blind refusal to admit what is obvious, that the red camp is rife with criminals, fits neatly with their mantra "We dun nuffink rong!" Being elected is not a free pass to commit crimes, even if you don't get prosecuted while your mates are in power.

Thailand is rife with criminals. Your blind refusal to understand that it has nothing to do with colors is laughable. 

[tbthailand]

in honor of putting Sondhi in jail, can they now please release at least one LM prisoner?

[salavan]

if he was in the UK he would get a golden hand shake and a seat on the board of director in a large company

[The Deerhunter]

7 hours ago, tukkytuktuk said:

You leave him alone, bully. He's my hero. If it wasn't for Sondhi we'd be up to our necks in Shinawatra's. No he's setting a good example as leader of the yellow shirts by doing some time. Time someone did some time from the red shirted clan. Any court cases coming up with a prominent red figure head soon? Ah, yes the Rice scandal with Yingluck. She should set an example too and do some time down the old prison route. Careful, take her socks away from her we don't want no accidents do we. Luck might be running out Ying.

It would be nice to Jatuporn & his partner in crime finally come to trial for the various offences they seem perpetually on bail for.

[Siripon]

He always said he wouldn't run away and to his credit he didn't, unlike Watana and Thaksin.

Having said that I knew personally some of his journalist staff who weren't paid for many months back in the crisis in 1997 whilst no doubt he was still living comfortably.

I down, plenty more to go. Expect a few border hoppers in the next few months.

 

[Denim]

6 hours ago, animatic said:

Of course Thaksin was getting rid of a potential satellite communications rival, when he left Sondhi swinging in the breeze on his joint investments, when then PM Chavalit said 'No baht devaluation' Thursday, with Thaksin standing behind his shoulder, and Monday devalued it to plumet to the bottom at end of day in 1997.

By Tuesday Asia in freefall. 

 

Actions that killed the Asian Tiger growth spurt, and caused a decade of SE Asian penury.

 

Thaksin got richer, and Sondhi took the hit that caused his huge cash crunch, that his later actions were hoping to repair.

 

That was one of the main reasons he was anti-Thaksin, and also why he screwed up and got this sentence.

He did the crime, so gets the time, but he was still sand-bagged in '97

 

If you think he was sand-bagged it might be worth considering that he himself filled those sandbags. He was not as smart as he thought and is paying a token price for his lack of foresight.

 

It is interesting to ponder why......if he was such a big player in bringing down Thaksin ....he and his close associates played almost no part in Sutheps protests .

 

Superficially....there are several reasons.

 

But anyone who watched his YouTube posts from America boasting of how exceedingly high people asked for his assistance in dealing with Thaksin will know that he is paying the price for shooting his mouth off about his untouchable connections. Icarus revisited.

 

Still ...... he is just a crumb fallen from the table. He has actually been given this sentence for non political crimes. His real political crimes will go unpunished.

[GOLDBUGGY]

Well at least they treat fraud seriously in Thailand and even if they don't serve their full sentence. I know of a few cased in the states where they defrauded investors and workers out of millions of dollar and got less than 5 years in prison. 

[performance]

Anything in yellow eventually gets a royal pardon. But please disappear.

[arrowsdawdle]

12 hours ago, Denim said:

Won't do 20 years though. Will get a pardon after a year or two. Still.......nice to see him where he belongs if only for a few years. Horrible little man.

 

After you are here for awhile you may find out that executives like this can pay a surrogate to serve the time for them.

[arrowsdawdle]

1 hour ago, GOLDBUGGY said:

Well at least they treat fraud seriously in Thailand and even if they don't serve their full sentence. I know of a few cased in the states where they defrauded investors and workers out of millions of dollar and got less than 5 years in prison. 

 

The only things taken seriously in LOS are where you put your feet, how you pick your teeth, and what you say about the big kahuna's dog.

[Torrens54]

12 hours ago, Denim said:

Won't do 20 years though. Will get a pardon after a year or two. Still.......nice to see him where he belongs if only for a few years. Horrible little man.

 

Is he?

I understand he speaks quite highly of you!

[webfact]

Top court sentences Sondhi to 20 years

THE NATION 

 

Sondhi Limthongkul waves to photographers before being taken to Bangkok Remand Prison yesterday to serve his 20-year jail |sentence for using forged documents.

 

BANGKOK: -- SONDHI LIMTHONGKUL, a former media magnate and controversial political activist, was sentenced by the Supreme Court to 20 years in jail for forging corporate documents to solicit a Bt1.07-billion loan from Krung Thai Bank back in 1997.

 

Tough sentences were also handed down to Yupin Chanthana and Saowaluk Thiranuchanyong, former directors and executives of Manager Media Group, while Suradej Mukayangkul, another former director, was given two years and six months in jail.

The Supreme Court said managers of listed companies must have good corporate governance and that the wrongdoing was serious - so there was no ground for a more lenient sentence or probation, given that the defendants had used forged documents to obtain bank loans six times, for a total of Bt1.07 billion over a period of one year. In this context, the defendants deserved to get a harsh sentence for multiple counts of wrongdoing.

Back in 1997, Sondhi and other former executives violated the Securities and Exchange Commission Act by forging a document, saying it was resolution of Manager Media Group's board of directors to guarantee the Bt1.07-billion bank loan. Judges said they had misled the listed company's shareholders and other investors in the Stock Exchange of Thailand.

The lower court sentenced Sondhi and Yupin each to 85 years in jail, while Saowaluck got a 65-year sentence for violating several articles of the SEC law. But confessions by the defendants led to a maximum jail term of 20 years each.

Sondhi was a prominent political activist prior to the 2006 coup that ousted the Thaksin Shinawatra government. 

In 2005, Sondhi joined forces with other activist groups to launch a campaign under the banner of the People's Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to destabilise the Thaksin government, while promoting opposition leader Abhisit Vejjajiva as an alternative national leader. 

The PAD had a big anti-Thaksin demonstration planned on Sept 20, 2006 and speculation was rife that there would be bloodshed - clashes between PAD "yellow shirts" and supporters of Thaksin.

However, the military led by Army commander General Sonthi Boonyaratglin staged a coup on the evening of September 19 to remove the Thaksin government while the PM was on an overseas trip. In 2009, Sondhi survived a dramatic gun attack while on his way to a morning TV programme. 

Later, in October 2009, Sondhi was chosen as leader of a political party, but he quit the following year to continue the PAD movement.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/national/Top-court-sentences-Sondhi-to-20-years-30294691.html

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2016-09-07

[cumgranosalum]

Those who think it was a simple case of this guy being "anti-Thaksin" need to think again......politically he was actually probably more aligned with that side of politics - he certainly was unpopular with fa ction withing the army and also monarchists - as a cynic I think there's plenty of history to suggest that like most "corruption" cases in Thailand there is also a large amount of politics and grudge involved.

[craigt3365]

I'm amazed he didn't do a runner considering how much money he has.

[Eric Loh]

1 hour ago, craigt3365 said:

I'm amazed he didn't do a runner considering how much money he has.

 

He thought all yellows are teflon coated and protected like all his buddies and no need to do a runner. He  miscalculated as his usefulness in the grand scheme of things had expired and he is dispensable now. Someone has to take one for the yellows to make it looks good and equitable for the master schemers.

[ozterix]

15 hours ago, mankondang said:

 

My fellow VISITOR to Thailand,

He and his type is Your hero?

Irrespective of the colour of shirt, be it yellow, red or green with purple dots, you need to reasses your choice of heros, inline with people such as nurses, aid workers, rescue team workers, etc. and not convicted criminals.

You anger jumps out of your post and suggests that your hero worship is based on finance rather than morals. Furthermore, you seem to suggest that this man volunteered to go to jail, rather than beiing found guilty by a court of law and sent there, and that in your eyes the game of "point scoring" is most important....."one red, one yellow, one red one yellow, etc, etc" and not seeing Thailand move forward into a democracy, for the Thai people who, unlike you and i, will be the ones who will be free to vote .

 

and what makes your point of view better than other, why can you advocate democracy believing your view is the only one valid. Forget finance where the guy derailed and now is paying the price, at least he is paying. Look at what guts he had driving the movement that kicked the clan out of Thailand. Yes nurses are laudable and so are other people helping at all levels, but few have his drive and his tenacity, and few have his charisma to lead the crowds as he did and few have his determination to risk all many times including his life. Yes he lost his finance and temporarily (hopefully) his freedom but not his dignity like the multiple turds who ran away, so yes, I respect him and found his accomplishments outstanding.

 

[craigt3365]

24 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

 

He thought all yellows are teflon coated and protected like all his buddies and no need to do a runner. He  miscalculated as his usefulness in the grand scheme of things had expired and he is dispensable now. Someone has to take one for the yellows to make it looks good and equitable for the master schemers.

We're not allowed to comment on it here, but his connections are the best.  Hard to get better.  That's why I'm a bit amazed.

[Eric Loh]

23 minutes ago, ozterix said:

Look at what guts he had driving the movement that kicked the clan out of Thailand

 

Not his guts but his vindictive personal vendetta and it was all about finance or rather business disputes with Thaksin. 

 

His business failures are well documented and he was bailed out by a forgiveness loan by Viroj of state owned Krung Thai Bank during Thaksin government. He was full of praise for Thaksin calling him the best ever PM.

 

When Viroj was dismissed due to large dodgy loans by Thaksin government, he turn 360 and attack Thaksin on his Channel 11/1 which subsequently was temporary closed down and that infuriated him and intensified the attacks at his weekly Lumpini Park rallies.

 

Thaksin political enemies seized the opportunity and rest was history.    

 

 

 

[pmh2009]

The real cause of this fracas was that when Thaksin was starting out in politics he asked Sondhi to manage his media and PR which Sondhi did as he was in media already! ... But of course there was going to be a "quid pro quo"  Later when Sondhi got into financial difficulties he asked Thaksin to return the favor by asking Thaksin to arrange a 2 Billion Baht loan from the Thai government central bank. Thaksin indirectly avoided Sondhi and did not give any help. So Sondhi got even by starting his TV show on Thaksin on the old Channel 11 0r 9 --- not sure. But that programme damaged Thaksin immensely which caused Thaksin huge political problems ... and from there Sondhi went onto the Yellow Flags....  as in all political cases it was all about money & power!!!!

Edited September 7, 2016 by pmh2009

[soalbundy]

14 hours ago, tbthailand said:

in honor of putting Sondhi in jail, can they now please release at least one LM prisoner?

you are cutting at the foundations of stability

[mankondang]

56 minutes ago, ozterix said:

 

and what makes your point of view better than other, why can you advocate democracy believing your view is the only one valid. Forget finance where the guled and now is paying the pric e, at least he is paying. Look at what guts he had driving the movement that kicked the clan out of Thailand. Yes nurses are laudable and so are other people helping at all levels, but few have his drive and his tenacity, and few have his charisma to lead the crowds as he did and few have his determination to risk all many times including his life. Yes he lost his finance and temporarily (hopefully) his freedom but not his dignity like the multiple turds who ran away, so yes, I respect him and found his accomplishments outstanding.

 

 

As visitors to Thailand, we should all respect our boundaries as such, and not be deluded into thinking that we are different on grounds of the type of visa we hold or how long we have visieted the country.  

He has been found guilty of conducting a crime, by a Thai court, and irrespective of the clan, you as a visitor follow, that is a fact. 

Enjoy the rest of your  stay in Thailand.