Detained in Thailand, Cannabis Coffeeshop Pioneer Asks Dutch King for Rescue

[SoFarAndNear]

13 hours ago, balo said:

There must be something more to this story . I have never heard of anyone being sentenced to 103 years in prison for money laundering. Even serial killers get less here.

 

 

Even they Ex Police Mafia Boss Pongpat Chayapan who earned billions in oil smuggling and also charged with les majeste "ONLY" got 35 years.

[Maggusoil]

On 25/10/2016 at 7:09 AM, kalbo123 said:

This guy did nothing wrong in Thailand accept spending his legally earned cannabis money in the Netherlands in Thailand.

Does this mean all foreign (legal) cannabis sellers are outlaws in Thailand?

What does this mean for other people who have a profession abroad, but forbidden in Thailand?

Dutch government should take action in getting this guy out of jail asap!

 

 

 

and as publicly as possible. How ludicrous, what will they think of next?

Be careful of what you say about Lese Majeste laws or those they protect when you go back home too.

[metisdead]

Another off topic post has been removed.  This topic is not about whether or not Thailand has been colonized. 

[KneeDeep]

On 25/10/2016 at 5:52 AM, geriatrickid said:

 

Ok.

And what of the tax evasion issue?

 

Why do you ask me?

 

I have no idea as to  whether there was tax evasion or not. Notwithstanding, that does not equate to an 20 year sentence in a Thai jail.

Tax evasion, tax avoidance.....patently ridiculous. We all know that many high profile figures use the system to their advantage. How much tax has Donald Trump paid over the years?

 

Either way, you can read the words of the man himself:

 

Quote

You've been convicted for money laundering. 
No money has been laundered. And even if everything the Dutch prosecutor suspects us of was true, my lawyer says I would be facing a year in a Dutch prison at the most. But most of what they accuse us of would have happened after I sold the company. I have nothing to do with any of that. And how could I have been laundering money if I was paying my taxes over it? If a crime has been committed in my case, then the Dutch tax authority is an accomplice. The Dutch Supreme Court has ruled that income earned from the exploitation of a coffee shop is legal, even if there is too much cannabis in stock. If you look at that jurisprudence, it's clear that this is definitely not a case of money laundering.

 

 

 

http://www.vice.com/en_uk/read/johan-van-laarhoven-interview-876

 

[jhonnie]

he must have seriously pissed some-one off, if they, the government really wanted him, i would have thought  they could have asked Interpol for assistance

[tomyummer]

Hmmm....it seems that the communication between the two countries was inefficient and lacking and led to a total misunderstanding. It probably boiled down to the overuse of Google Translate on both sides!

[farcanell]

12 minutes ago, tomyummer said:

Hmmm....it seems that the communication between the two countries was inefficient and lacking and led to a total misunderstanding. It probably boiled down to the overuse of Google Translate on both sides!

 

 

Twice in a row... your on a roll... lol

Edited October 26, 2016 by farcanell

[williamgeorgeallen]

On 10/25/2016 at 6:40 AM, kalbo123 said:

Of course what really happened is that Thai officials took the guy's money and property in Thailand and that money is long gone...

They are in too deep and don't want or can return his and his wife money.

 

another case of asset confiscation. quite a bit of that going on and more to come. this guy deserves help from his government back home, sounds like he would have paid plenty of taxes on his legal earnings there. how does thailand apply its laws to foreign countries? standard advice dont own anything here. he would be a free man if he follow that rule.

[free123]

On 25.10.2016 at 1:56 AM, sharecropper said:

When they want you, they'll get you. And nothing will stand in their way, unfortunately.

the man is a pusher made his cash with drugs.....in the eyes of the thais he is similair to escobar .....a big druglord.....and on that industrial level of business ( several billion of dollars every month ) u need good friends and good friends in thailand means the cops/politicans/ military want a cut of the cash...if he refuse they put him in the shithouse a couple of hundred years and throw away the key...the paper pushers burocrats all bla bla bla the guy is dead man walking....

thaksin was smarter paid his arab friends and all politicians whos countrys he crossed...was he ever caught...nobody knew anything all smiled and took the money ,looked the other way east west all the same....but mr netherlands did not understand that simple jungle  principle (w.money u can buy friends and protection ) ...on his level of operation there are no laws its only cash...he should have choosen central america or africa for refuge...with his thai wh....re he got in the shit....

[needforspeed]

On Tuesday, October 25, 2016 at 7:52 AM, Briggsy said:

"Money Laundering" includes "possessing the proceeds of crime".

 

It would appear a Thai court has deemed that Mr Van Laarhoven's wealth is the proceeds of crime.

 

I think in reality this is either because he has upset people here or the vast amounts of money he has brought here have been targetted by a gang involving police and other public officials or both.

Correct and his wealth been shared so gone.

No return possible as question going to be asked what happened with his wealth.

sad story

[needforspeed]

On Thursday, October 27, 2016 at 4:45 AM, williamgeorgeallen said:

another case of asset confiscation. quite a bit of that going on and more to come. this guy deserves help from his government back home, sounds like he would have paid plenty of taxes on his legal earnings there. how does thailand apply its laws to foreign countries? standard advice dont own anything here. he would be a free man if he follow that rule.

Yes, Duch government made a mistake by sending a wrongly made up letter to the Thai Authorities to get help by investigation about drug money laundry.

( owned money was legal and tax been paid, government only accused him but never got or still have any prove of money laundry)

Thai police took this with both hands and came into action few days after recieved the letter.

And the words DRUGS and MONEY where enough to get him in yeal for over 100 years.

[Briggsy]

Am I right in thinking he brought several million Euros to Thailand?

 

In hindsight, this appears to have been too much of a temptation for the corrupt authorities here.

 

If you have that kind of wealth or even a lot less, it is better i) to keep it outside Thailand and ii) diversify the sovereignties and jurisdictions under which it is held if you believe there is a chance it may be vulnerable in some way.

 

I hate to trot out the old cliche but, "Never bring to Thailand what you cannot afford to lose."

 

I think the best result for him would be deportation at this point. He can forget his money. Long gone. The authorities would then have to decide what to do about the Thai wife. So they will keep them both locked up. It is easier for the authorities.

[farcanell]

12 hours ago, free123 said:

the man is a pusher made his cash with drugs.....in the eyes of the thais he is similair to escobar .....a big druglord.....and on that industrial level of business ( several billion of dollars every month ) u need good friends and good friends in thailand means the cops/politicans/ military want a cut of the cash...if he refuse they put him in the shithouse a couple of hundred years and throw away the key...the paper pushers burocrats all bla bla bla the guy is dead man walking....

thaksin was smarter paid his arab friends and all politicians whos countrys he crossed...was he ever caught...nobody knew anything all smiled and took the money ,looked the other way east west all the same....but mr netherlands did not understand that simple jungle  principle (w.money u can buy friends and protection ) ...on his level of operation there are no laws its only cash...he should have choosen central america or africa for refuge...with his thai wh....re he got in the shit....

 

"The man is a pusher..."

 

this is is an ignorant and uneducated comment.

 

a pusher, by definition,  encourages people to take up illegal drugs, then makes money from selling those illegal drugs

 

this Dutchman did nothing illegal, according to Dutch investigators, hence no charges have been brought against him by his government, or the jurisdiction that he operated his LEGAL business in.

 

and... in holland, selling his legal coffee shop franchise, probably didn't make him Escobar rich.... just comfortable for his retirement, much like any other businessman selling a profitable and popular business.

 

nay Sayers need to get over the EVIL of weed... your angst would be better directed at banning alcohol, a known causation of anger

 

Sh@@t.... did I say that... I meant better directed at Donald trump.