Accused Canadian bank robber jailed for smuggling money into Kingdom

[webfact]

Accused Canadian bank robber jailed for smuggling money into Kingdom
By The Nation

 

BANGKOK: -- The Criminal Court jailed a Canadian man accused of robbing a bank in Singapore to 14 months in jail for smuggling S$30,450 (Bt738,000) into the Kingdom.

 

The court found David Roach, 28, guilty of violating the anti-money laundering law, the customs law and the money exchange law by smuggling the cash into the Kingdom.

 

The Singapore authorities informed Thai police that Roach allegedly robbed the Standard Chartered Bank of Holland Village branch on July 10, 2016 and fled to Thailand. 

 

Thai police arrested him on July 12, 2016 and found the cash at the Boxpackers Hostel.

 

The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge of bringing money into the Kingdom that was over the allowed amount. 

 

The court initially sentenced him to two years and four months in jail but commuted the sentence by half the time and seized the money.

 

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/breakingnews/30317344

 

-- © Copyright The Nation 2017-06-06

[Bluespunk]

4 minutes ago, webfact said:

The court initially sentenced him to two years and four months in jail but commuted the sentence by half the time and seized the money.

So a few questions:

 

Will he be extradited to Singapore after he has served his time?

 

He was arrested July 2016, so does the time he has spent in gaol since then [if he wasn't out on bail that is] count towards this sentence?

 

Has the money been returned to the bank in Singapore?

 

Boxpackers hostel?

Edited June 6, 2017 by Bluespunk

[richard_smith237]

I was aware of the limitation of taking money out of the country... but I wasn't aware of the 'bringing money in' (Import) rule...  

 

When traveling for work I carry 'emergency money'  which is usually more than the equivalent of THB 50,000 as backup incase my cards aren't accepted, are lost stollen, not working etc for whatever reason (I've found that many times in a new country only 'some' ATM machines work, it often takes trial and error to work out which), if you are in a hurry having a decent amount of cash on you can make life much easier. 

 

Currency rules

Currency Import regulations:

Local currency: up to THB 50,000.- per person or THB 100,000.- per family holding one passport.
Foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared to a Customs Officer upon arrival by all travelers. 

Currency Export regulations:

Local currency: up to THB 50,000.- per person or THB 100,000.- per family holding one passport.
Foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared to a Customs Officer upon departure by all travelers.

[Badbanker]

You are legally allowed to bring into and out of Thailand an amount of up to USD 10,000 without restrictions.

 

You may be asked to show where the money comes from!

[jvs]

So which one of the two answers above is right?

[richard_smith237]

27 minutes ago, jvs said:

So which one of the two answers above is right?

 

A few different websites have slightly different declarations - as is normal with Thai regulations there are often conflicting answers. 

 

IATA is what I quote in post 3 above:

http://www.iatatravelcentre.com/TH-Thailand-customs-currency-airport-tax-regulations-details.htm

 

AOT Suvarnabumi states:

http://www.suvarnabhumiairport.com/en/1002-customs-services

No limit on Thai currency brought into the country. In excess of US$20,000 or equivalent limit on foreign currency must be declared. 

 

Thai Embassy in Singapore states: 

https://www.thaiembassy.sg/visa-matters-/-consular/bringing-currency-in-or-out-of-thailand

Any person who brings or takes an aggregate amount of foreign currency exceeding USD$20,000 or its equivalent out of or into Thailand shall declare such amount of foreign currency to a Customs Officer.

 

 

Thus: based on information available It would seem to me that the limit is US$20,000 or currency equivalent of a foreign currency.

 

 

[YetAnother]

59 minutes ago, Badbanker said:

You may be asked to show where the money comes from!

just asked or have to prove ? proving overseas sources on the spot does not sound practical

[Prbkk]

Key fact: the money was seized. Good luck trying to prise that out of the dead hand of bureaucracy for return to the rightful owners.

[Lingba]

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

I was aware of the limitation of taking money out of the country... but I wasn't aware of the 'bringing money in' (Import) rule...  

 

When traveling for work I carry 'emergency money'  which is usually more than the equivalent of THB 50,000 as backup incase my cards aren't accepted, are lost stollen, not working etc for whatever reason (I've found that many times in a new country only 'some' ATM machines work, it often takes trial and error to work out which), if you are in a hurry having a decent amount of cash on you can make life much easier. 

 

Currency rules

Currency Import regulations:

Local currency: up to THB 50,000.- per person or THB 100,000.- per family holding one passport.
Foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared to a Customs Officer upon arrival by all travelers. 

Currency Export regulations:

Local currency: up to THB 50,000.- per person or THB 100,000.- per family holding one passport.
Foreign currencies: unlimited. However, amounts of foreign currency exceeding USD 20,000.- (or equivalent) must be declared to a Customs Officer upon departure by all travelers.

What exactly is the process of declaring mean?...are you taxed...??...is it just for record?...basically what happens upon declaration?

[laochef]

No limit on bringing THB into TH. Leaving TH max 50,000, unless going to a neighbouring country, then max 500,000. No limit bringing foreign currency into TH. If more than the equivivalent of US$ 20,000, you must declare, that's all.

[mikebell]

14 hours ago, Prbkk said:

Key fact: the money was seized. Good luck trying to prise that out of the dead hand of bureaucracy for return to the rightful owners.

Agreed.  How many times have I heard of Thais returning money? I can count them on the thumbs of one hand.

[topt]

1 hour ago, Horrible said:

My banker here told me I can transfer from an international bank to my bank here $50,000.00 USD / day... Fifty thousand USD per day.

You can transfer a lot more than that as I have done and many other posters have reported. For most banks though over 50k (used to be over 20k) you need to tell them what it is for. If you have not given them a heads up they will contact you to ask you - they accept something as simple as "Living Expenses".

[Raymonddiaz]

The court initially sentenced him to two years and four months in jail but commuted the sentence by half the time and seized the money.

waw stolen money taken by a court. Amazing Thailand!

[topt]

14 hours ago, Lingba said:

What exactly is the process of declaring mean?...are you taxed...??...is it just for record?...basically what happens upon declaration?

Yes it is just for the record.

[MyFriend You]

I was told by a Tourist Cop that there was a scam a few years back where if you declared a large amount of money at Swampy, a Customs guy would call an acquaintence to follow you (an Indian if I remember right)  your taxi would be stopped on the highway and you were robbed.   Never happened to me, but thought I'd just throw it out there.

[Jonmarleesco]

'Accused Canadian bank robber ...'

 

Presumably not a bank robber accused of being Canadian? So a Canadian accused of robbing a bank. 

[Jonmarleesco]

1 hour ago, laochef said:

No limit on bringing THB into TH. Leaving TH max 50,000, unless going to a neighbouring country, then max 500,000. No limit bringing foreign currency into TH. If more than the equivivalent of US$ 20,000, you must declare, that's all.

'If more than the equivivalent of US$ 20,000, you must declare ...' $10,000, I believe. Unless it's been increased.

Edited June 7, 2017 by Jonmarleesco

[wgdanson]

15 hours ago, Lingba said:

What exactly is the process of declaring mean?...are you taxed...??...is it just for record?...basically what happens upon declaration?

The Immigration Officer opens his hand.

[Ulic]

Seems to me they were just nit picking and looking for any reason to confiscate the money.

He was just a scooch over the 20k USD limit. Normally they just confiscate the overage

if you cannot prove the origin of the cash. Showing your bank account particulars with

the withdrawal, or even your banks stamp on the bands that bind the cash into 10k bundles

of hundred dollar bills. Having said this he was a bank robber so karma I guess.

[The Deerhunter]

21 hours ago, Bluespunk said:

So a few questions:

 

Will he be extradited to Singapore after he has served his time?

 

He was arrested July 2016, so does the time he has spent in gaol since then [if he wasn't out on bail that is] count towards this sentence?

 

Has the money been returned to the bank in Singapore?

 

Boxpackers hostel?

Has the money been returned to the bank in Singapore?   Very good question but TIT!!!!!

[Mickmouse1]

Most countries if not all ALLOW ONLY $10,000.00USD to be brought in & if above that travellers must declare that amount to custom .You will be allowed in but they will ask for verification etc.?never 20,000 USD..TRAP?

[Mickmouse1]

Most likely he will be extradited to Singapore to continue the process n face a further time in Shangi?

[silent]

21 hours ago, Prbkk said:

Key fact: the money was seized. Good luck trying to prise that out of the dead hand of bureaucracy for return to the rightful owners.

Possession is 9/10ths and finders keepers

[nasanews]

On 6/6/2017 at 2:35 PM, webfact said:

The court initially sentenced him to two years and four months in jail but commuted the sentence by half the time and seized the money.

 

[sanemax]

4 minutes ago, nasanews said:

 

They would hardly let him keep the stolen money, now would they ?

[nasanews]

1 minute ago, sanemax said:

They would hardly let him keep the stolen money, now would they ?

Well if they are serving justice they should return that money to the bank, now would they ?

[sanemax]

21 hours ago, Lingba said:

What exactly is the process of declaring mean?...are you taxed...??...is it just for record?...basically what happens upon declaration?

Probably the usual .

You tell customs you are in possession of something and they decided what to do .

Doubt it would have been taxed , as it wasnt earned in Thailand

[sanemax]

Just now, nasanews said:

Well if they are serving justice they should return that money to the bank, now would they ?

I do expect that the stolen money will be returned to its rightful owner .