Thailand airport authorities leap to defence of Leicester City's owners King Power

[webfact]

Thailand airport authorities leap to defence of Leicester City's owners King Power

By Sky Sports News

 

Leicester City's owners have been backed by Thailand airport authorities as they face a corruption claim in their homeland.

 

The Thai Airport Authority, which is majority state-owned, says King Power has done nothing illegal, in the way it handles its duty free shops.

 

King Power was awarded its airport monopoly in 2006 under former president Thakshin Shinawatra.

 

A Thai anti-corruption official said last week he was filing four separate lawsuits against King Power, for what he said was the company's failure to pay just under £400m due to the Thai Government.

 

Full story: http://www.skysports.com/football/news/11712/10954374/thailand-airport-authorities-leap-to-defence-of-leicester-citys-owners-king-power

 

-- sky sports 2017-07-19

[Somtamnication]

Why am I not surprised.?

[tracker1]

Why would airport authorities defend a retail store ? It's not as if the people go shopping there then decide to book a flight or go inside an airport just to shop at King Power ! One thing comes to mind but the PM has stopped that

[Familyaffairs]

Collusion ? Perish the thought ! .square face himself had a monopoly on the mobile phone network for many years featuring sky high rates, presumably also no collusion. He then awarded a monopoly to KP, no collusion of course. In the opaque history of duty frees, mayhaps for window dressing purposes, only one foreign operator was ever awarded the concession to operate duty free stores in Thailand, but was terminated before the contract term ended (less than a year if I remember correctly) followed by the reinstatement as KP. Perhaps not enough palms were greased, who knows ?

[trainman34014]

All the Crooks closing ranks in Thailand, nothing unusual here then !

[biggles45]

KP were found to have greatly exceeded the allowable amount of retail space under their contract, but nothing was done about it. Says it all about the AOT management doesn't it, no wonder they are in support of KP once again. 

[Dave67]

How can a 400m million GBP tax debt be "Groundless" Did a tax inspector wake up one morning and think <deleted> it I'm going after KP

[SOUTHERNSTAR]

1 hour ago, Dave67 said:

How can a 400m million GBP tax debt be "Groundless" Did a tax inspector wake up one morning and think F it I'm going after KP

No but the junta did. This is not about corruption by KP it is about getting KP out and putting a junta sponsor in their place. All important government positions, all judges and all tenders have been granted to their supporters and sponsors. In return the junta have secured massive future wealth and power. But their white wash law is in place so nobody can touch them. 

[seajae]

you scratch my back I'll scratch yours, really have to wonder who is getting a share of the cream here, not surprising though as this is how it is done in Thailand. Corruption is too well entrenched, as long as money changes hands it just keeps going no matter what evidence there is, those getting their share will defend the indefensible.

[Puccini]

5 hours ago, Somtamnication said:

Why am I not surprised.?

 

I don't know why you are not surprised. Why are you asking me?

[mike324]

37 minutes ago, SOUTHERNSTAR said:

No but the junta did. This is not about corruption by KP it is about getting KP out and putting a junta sponsor in their place. All important government positions, all judges and all tenders have been granted to their supporters and sponsors. In return the junta have secured massive future wealth and power. But their white wash law is in place so nobody can touch them. 

Its not about putting a junta sponsor in place. There have been lobbying from many other duty free shops (Lotte Duty Free from Korea) which want to open up shop in Thailand. KP has had a monopoly for decades, hence the owner is in thailands top 10 richest. There was unfair competition in regards to the process of awarding contract.  

[wirat69]

7 minutes ago, Puccini said:

 

I don't know why you are not surprised. Why are you asking me?

Maybe you could surprise us all!!!

[cracker1]

It's time for some competition at the airport duty free areas and with three independent operators the traveling customers will get a much better deal.

Perhaps the "Brown Envelopes" may be a little smaller, but the customers smiles will be bigger !

[madmitch]

How .can any other duty free provider get a look in under the current situation where KP lasso control the rental space? This double monopoly was always wrong but allowed and endorsed by AOT. I wonder why?

Other Asian country airports have different concessions for different products. Not Thailand, where the new international terminal at Phuket is almost a glorified KP shopping mall!

[Grumpy Duck]

I am totally lost here isn't Leichester in GB? Why are Thai authorities involved?

must be early onset senility

[ratcatcher]

11 minutes ago, Grumpy Duck said:

I am totally lost here isn't Leichester in GB? Why are Thai authorities involved?

must be early onset senility

".......isn't Leichester in GB? "

Sort of. . Lei chester is the American version of Leicester (Less ter)

[ratcatcher]

4 hours ago, Father Fintan Stack said:

Correct.

 

What is unusual in this case is that the Srivaddhanaprabha family have been very careful playing the political game, and like a dropped piece of toast in an alternate universe, have always tended to land butter side up. They also have a list of Royal awards as long as your arm. Grand Poobah of the Shiny Elephant etc, etc. You don't get that rich without making a lot of friends (or jealous enemies) on the way up.

 

"under former president Thakshin Shinawatra"

 

Zero research gone into penning that article I see. 

 

 

"under former president Thakshin Shinawatra"  Poor reporting, but forgivable, and either an unfulfilled dream of TS, or a portent of things to come.

[observer90210]

Since the past trap-scams at KP in Suvarnabhumi Airport directed against unsuspecting tourists, I just flee these stores like the plague. I rather do my duty free shopping in Dubai, much safer....

 

 

The authorities should rather devote more energy and manpower to clean up the taxi crooks at Suvarna Airport, who scam tourists daily in refusing to turn on the meter or on cheating on toll fares.

[YetAnother]

"A Thai anti-corruption official said last week he was filing four separate lawsuits against King Power, for what he said was the company's failure to pay just under £400m due to the Thai Government."

What is the problem?  they are just being one hundred percent good thais

[scorecard]

4 hours ago, madmitch said:

How .can any other duty free provider get a look in under the current situation where KP lasso control the rental space? This double monopoly was always wrong but allowed and endorsed by AOT. I wonder why?

 

Did you ever consider that AOT just followed orders?

[madmitch]

5 hours ago, scorecard said:

 

Did you ever consider that AOT just followed orders?

My last question was rhetorical!

[baboon]

7 hours ago, observer90210 said:

Since the past trap-scams at KP in Suvarnabhumi Airport directed against unsuspecting tourists, I just flee these stores like the plague. I rather do my duty free shopping in Dubai, much safer....

 

It isn't just a question of safety, it is also that there is shag all worth buying. Especially in comparison with Dubai...

[Grumpy Duck]

I dunno, I avoid "duty free" shops like the flu. 

(Yea, there are times when a person can't avoid it)