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A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand
- Thread starter Leongsam
- Start date
dear all,
what is your view about repairing / polishing expensive shoes in Bangkok?
can I bring my shoes there to repair while shopping and massaging in Bangkok? my shoes are very expensive.
are they skillful? it is very expensive to repair shoes in singapore
what is your view about repairing / polishing expensive shoes in Bangkok?
can I bring my shoes there to repair while shopping and massaging in Bangkok? my shoes are very expensive.
are they skillful? it is very expensive to repair shoes in singapore
Bring to JB can already. Price about 1/3 of sg's mr minit.
Bkk no idea but Thais are known to be good craftsman.
Afraid I have no knowledge on this as I normally throw away my shoes when old as they are mostly cheap shoes. My lady staff told me its inexpensive when done in the mall but then there are Sukhumvit malls and suburb malls prices big difference they told be over lunch.
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
[h=3]Celebrating Year of the Monkey[/h]Thais of Chinese descent in Bangkok take part in various activities to mark the Lunar New Year. Some pray for good fortune, while others burn paper copies, which will be used by their dead relatives in the afterlife. This year's Chinese Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival, falls on Feb 8, the first day of the Year of the Monkey. (Bangkok Post photos)
[h=3]Celebrating Year of the Monkey[/h]Thais of Chinese descent in Bangkok take part in various activities to mark the Lunar New Year. Some pray for good fortune, while others burn paper copies, which will be used by their dead relatives in the afterlife. This year's Chinese Lunar New Year, also called Spring Festival, falls on Feb 8, the first day of the Year of the Monkey. (Bangkok Post photos)
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Satirical piece on latest fancy plans to boost tourism :p
[h=1]Plan to boost tourism |makes titillating reading[/h]Nation February 16, 2016 1:00 am
[h=2]The newly announced 11-point strategic plan to boost tourism is stimulating, while an initiative to promote “Thai storytelling” is a particular incentive to visit. Offering Thailand as a major shopping paradise is another cute new idea.[/h]The prospect of installing lighting for canals is imaginative and romantic (will they be cleaned first?) and the addition of "night-time activities" at market and food venues is immensely titillating.
Tax incentives and improved refund procedures will enable the more naive tourist to recoup money already lost in relentless rip-offs or unnecessarily handed over to the police for a variety of non-existent breaches of the law. A zero tax on imported wine is a lip-smackingly tasteful suggestion, as long as restaurants, bars and hotels are offered substantial avarice counselling. The reforming of laws (are there any?) and beefing up of safety (is there any?) are intriguing prospects, to say the least.
Offering certain guarantees to tourist is also worth considering. For example, a promise not to arrest foreigners travelling with more than 120 playing cards would do the trick. An assurance that people who comment on Thailand's total lack of sustainability will not be automatically accused of defamation would be a good green initiative. And a pledge that tourists will not be blacklisted from the country after pointing out the existence of illegal luxury hotels would maintain current visitor numbers.
The future is looking very bright indeed.
Satirical piece on latest fancy plans to boost tourism :p
[h=1]Plan to boost tourism |makes titillating reading[/h]Nation February 16, 2016 1:00 am
[h=2]The newly announced 11-point strategic plan to boost tourism is stimulating, while an initiative to promote “Thai storytelling” is a particular incentive to visit. Offering Thailand as a major shopping paradise is another cute new idea.[/h]The prospect of installing lighting for canals is imaginative and romantic (will they be cleaned first?) and the addition of "night-time activities" at market and food venues is immensely titillating.
Tax incentives and improved refund procedures will enable the more naive tourist to recoup money already lost in relentless rip-offs or unnecessarily handed over to the police for a variety of non-existent breaches of the law. A zero tax on imported wine is a lip-smackingly tasteful suggestion, as long as restaurants, bars and hotels are offered substantial avarice counselling. The reforming of laws (are there any?) and beefing up of safety (is there any?) are intriguing prospects, to say the least.
Offering certain guarantees to tourist is also worth considering. For example, a promise not to arrest foreigners travelling with more than 120 playing cards would do the trick. An assurance that people who comment on Thailand's total lack of sustainability will not be automatically accused of defamation would be a good green initiative. And a pledge that tourists will not be blacklisted from the country after pointing out the existence of illegal luxury hotels would maintain current visitor numbers.
The future is looking very bright indeed.
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Stalled in water
ECONOMY
GDP growth just misses target
NESDB cuts forecast for 2016 amid risks
The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) reported on Monday the fourth-quarter expansion of 2.8% year-on-year, down from 2.9% in the third quarter. After seasonal adjustment, the economy in the fourth quarter expanded by 0.8% quarter-on-quarter.
Secretary-general Porametee Vimolsiri said government expenditure in the fourth quarter helped to support the full-year growth figure.
However, he noted the disbursement of stimulus measures worth 5 million baht to each tambon was delayed, affecting economic growth in late 2015. The NESDB revised up its growth forecast last November to 2.9% from a range of 2.7% to 3.2% forecast in August. It also predicted the economy would grow by 3-4% in 2016, citing a spate of government stimulus measures introduced late last year.
With the global economy still fragile, oil prices still falling and exports yet to recover, the NESDB Monday cut its growth forecast for this year to between 2.8% and 3.8%. It also cut its estimate for 2016 exports to 1.2% growth from its previous forecast of 3% following a 5.6% contraction in 2015.
Mr Porametee said global risks had increased this year, with economic problems expanding to oil-producing countries such as Venezuela and Mexico. The NESDB revised down its forecast for global economic growth to 3.3% this year from 3.4%.
Thailand's growth this year will be driven largely by the acceleration of government expenditure and public investment, stimulus measures, depreciation of the baht and expansion of the tourism sector, but low oil prices will accommodate the recovery, Mr Porametee said.
"The government's spending on new investment and infrastructure projects is expected to be sufficient to support economic growth this year, while the government may not need any new measures to stimulate the economy," he said.
Roong Mallikamas, the Bank of Thailand's senior director for macroeconomic and monetary policy, said the NESDB's GDP growth announcement for last year was in line with the assessment of the central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Feb 3. The MPC assessed that economic recovery momentum would continue thanks partly to public expenditure, particularly the greater flow of public investment moving into the economic system, she said.
"However, the outlook for spending by the private sector has to be monitored further, while exports remain at risk from external factors such as the economic slowdown in the Chinese and other Asian economies and volatility in global financial markets," Mrs Roong said.
Central bank governor Veerathai Santiprabhob last Thursday said the economy remained on the recovery path this year, but uneven growth was expected, as certain export manufacturers had been experiencing structural problems associated with a shift in demand for technological products, a hike in the minimum wage and a shortage of skilled labour.
Low commodity prices and the drought have also dampened economic momentum among farm households, he said. (Continued after the graphic)
But multiplier effects derived from the government's infrastructure projects should stimulate the economy and enhance development of rural areas and public utilities, Mr Veerathai added.
JPMorgan Chase Bank economist Benjamin Shatil said while the economy had been bolstered by fiscal stimulus, the pace of government spending could soften through mid-year.
Budget disbursement last year rose significantly, but further increases look increasingly difficult, given capacity and institutional constraints.
Mr Shatil said a deceleration in fiscal stimulus could translate into a material drag on demand, particularly given underlying weakness in the agricultural, manufacturing and export sectors. Renewed deceleration or the baht's rise could bring another interest rate cut, most likely in the second quarter, he said
Stalled in water
ECONOMY
GDP growth just misses target
NESDB cuts forecast for 2016 amid risks
- Bangkok Post Published: 16/02/2016 at 03:58 AM
The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) reported on Monday the fourth-quarter expansion of 2.8% year-on-year, down from 2.9% in the third quarter. After seasonal adjustment, the economy in the fourth quarter expanded by 0.8% quarter-on-quarter.
Secretary-general Porametee Vimolsiri said government expenditure in the fourth quarter helped to support the full-year growth figure.
However, he noted the disbursement of stimulus measures worth 5 million baht to each tambon was delayed, affecting economic growth in late 2015. The NESDB revised up its growth forecast last November to 2.9% from a range of 2.7% to 3.2% forecast in August. It also predicted the economy would grow by 3-4% in 2016, citing a spate of government stimulus measures introduced late last year.
With the global economy still fragile, oil prices still falling and exports yet to recover, the NESDB Monday cut its growth forecast for this year to between 2.8% and 3.8%. It also cut its estimate for 2016 exports to 1.2% growth from its previous forecast of 3% following a 5.6% contraction in 2015.
Mr Porametee said global risks had increased this year, with economic problems expanding to oil-producing countries such as Venezuela and Mexico. The NESDB revised down its forecast for global economic growth to 3.3% this year from 3.4%.
Thailand's growth this year will be driven largely by the acceleration of government expenditure and public investment, stimulus measures, depreciation of the baht and expansion of the tourism sector, but low oil prices will accommodate the recovery, Mr Porametee said.
"The government's spending on new investment and infrastructure projects is expected to be sufficient to support economic growth this year, while the government may not need any new measures to stimulate the economy," he said.
Roong Mallikamas, the Bank of Thailand's senior director for macroeconomic and monetary policy, said the NESDB's GDP growth announcement for last year was in line with the assessment of the central bank's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) on Feb 3. The MPC assessed that economic recovery momentum would continue thanks partly to public expenditure, particularly the greater flow of public investment moving into the economic system, she said.
"However, the outlook for spending by the private sector has to be monitored further, while exports remain at risk from external factors such as the economic slowdown in the Chinese and other Asian economies and volatility in global financial markets," Mrs Roong said.
Central bank governor Veerathai Santiprabhob last Thursday said the economy remained on the recovery path this year, but uneven growth was expected, as certain export manufacturers had been experiencing structural problems associated with a shift in demand for technological products, a hike in the minimum wage and a shortage of skilled labour.
Low commodity prices and the drought have also dampened economic momentum among farm households, he said. (Continued after the graphic)
But multiplier effects derived from the government's infrastructure projects should stimulate the economy and enhance development of rural areas and public utilities, Mr Veerathai added.
JPMorgan Chase Bank economist Benjamin Shatil said while the economy had been bolstered by fiscal stimulus, the pace of government spending could soften through mid-year.
Budget disbursement last year rose significantly, but further increases look increasingly difficult, given capacity and institutional constraints.
Mr Shatil said a deceleration in fiscal stimulus could translate into a material drag on demand, particularly given underlying weakness in the agricultural, manufacturing and export sectors. Renewed deceleration or the baht's rise could bring another interest rate cut, most likely in the second quarter, he said
Last edited:
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Gruesome up north
CHIANG MAI
Man admits cutting up girlfriend
THE NATION February 16, 2016 1:00 am
A THAI man has confessed to killing and dismembering his girlfriend
He was allegedly jealous that she attracted interest from many men.
Suspect Pipat Kanthima, 41, was nabbed at a local monastery for the murder of Suree Onsanit, 46. Six partly burnt and decomposed parts of her body were found on a burnt mattress along with two knives on Sunday. Police also retrieved Pipat's bloodstained clothes from the monastery.
Pipat claimed he dismembered Suree - as he had watched some films about cutting up bodies - and initially wanted to throw the parts into a river to conceal the crime.
He claimed he had been with Suree for years, and during that time he had travelled back and forth to Turkey for a construction job. He claimed Suree had invested all his money - about Bt1 million, which he had sent her for the massage business and other items.
Pipat claimed he saw Suree's Line chat with another man on February 4 and became angry, which resulted in an argument. He claimed the fight got physical and that she pulled a knife on him and he sustained cut left hand. He said he struggled with her for the sharp weapon and accidentally stabbed her to death. So, he |dismembered her body to conceal the crime.
Chiang Mai police forensic scientist Pol Lt Col Thanandon Wittayawutthikul said his team would inspect the scene again for more evidence, such as fingerprints and drag marks. Police initially believed the suspect killed and dismembered Suree and put the parts in plastic bags for disposal, Thanandon said, then he changed his mind and placed the parts on a mattress and tried to burn them by lighting a fire in the house. But the fire failed to spread due to poor ventilation.
The police investigation initially mulled the motive of jealousy over romantic relations, as the victim reportedly had been involved with at least three men.
They were a foreign ex-husband with whom she had two children abroad and who had just wired Bt2 million to her bank account last week, Pipat and an another unnamed foreign man.
Gruesome up north
CHIANG MAI
Man admits cutting up girlfriend
THE NATION February 16, 2016 1:00 am
A THAI man has confessed to killing and dismembering his girlfriend
He was allegedly jealous that she attracted interest from many men.
Suspect Pipat Kanthima, 41, was nabbed at a local monastery for the murder of Suree Onsanit, 46. Six partly burnt and decomposed parts of her body were found on a burnt mattress along with two knives on Sunday. Police also retrieved Pipat's bloodstained clothes from the monastery.
Pipat claimed he dismembered Suree - as he had watched some films about cutting up bodies - and initially wanted to throw the parts into a river to conceal the crime.
He claimed he had been with Suree for years, and during that time he had travelled back and forth to Turkey for a construction job. He claimed Suree had invested all his money - about Bt1 million, which he had sent her for the massage business and other items.
Pipat claimed he saw Suree's Line chat with another man on February 4 and became angry, which resulted in an argument. He claimed the fight got physical and that she pulled a knife on him and he sustained cut left hand. He said he struggled with her for the sharp weapon and accidentally stabbed her to death. So, he |dismembered her body to conceal the crime.
Chiang Mai police forensic scientist Pol Lt Col Thanandon Wittayawutthikul said his team would inspect the scene again for more evidence, such as fingerprints and drag marks. Police initially believed the suspect killed and dismembered Suree and put the parts in plastic bags for disposal, Thanandon said, then he changed his mind and placed the parts on a mattress and tried to burn them by lighting a fire in the house. But the fire failed to spread due to poor ventilation.
The police investigation initially mulled the motive of jealousy over romantic relations, as the victim reportedly had been involved with at least three men.
They were a foreign ex-husband with whom she had two children abroad and who had just wired Bt2 million to her bank account last week, Pipat and an another unnamed foreign man.
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
:p
Not to be morbid, you done her (as press said foreign bf)?
:p
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Chocs or sex for teens on Valentine's day? Interesting piece on lame efforts to address raging hormones in LOS :p
VENUS’ VISION
The heart is Cupid’s target, but his aim is often low
Veena Thoopkrajae
The Nation February 13, 2016 1:00 am
It’s expected these days that every Valentine’s Day will prompt urgent talk about teenage mothers. When I was growing up, the day was all about chocolates and flowers, but nowadays we can’t enjoy our sweets without dire warnings of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
There's a good reason, of course. The rate at which Thai teenagers and unmarried young women are becoming pregnant is alarming, certainly cancelling out idle talk about teens not being sexually active anymore.
The truth is that each year 19 per cent of our teens and young women become pregnant prematurely, a figure far above the global norm. In fact we have girls getting pregnant as young as nine. Eighty per cent of the teenagers didn't intend to get pregnant.
So we can set aside the notion that Thai teens are no longer keen on sex. We can also dispense with the thought that at least most are having safe sex now, because the number of kids contracting venereal diseases has doubled in the past five years.
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey and found that 8.5 per cent of teens expected to have sex on Valentine's Day. That number is blessedly way below the percentage hoping to receive flowers from a loved one (66.2) or some other form of gift (54.3), but there's still cause for worry. For starters, the volume of premature pregnancies is unlikely to shrink.
"If you want to have sex, you need to protect yourself, because if you get pregnant or get a disease, it will destroy you," one teen mum told her peers at a recent seminar on the topic. She'd learned her lesson at a high cost, but it's wonderful that she's out there advising others to avoid making the same mistake.
The inherent problem in Thailand's efforts to turn these trends around is that they're seasonal. We wait for Valentine's Day to talk about sex in the same way we don't panic about drunk driving until New Year's Eve. These prevention campaigns should be run - loudly - all year round. The issue of unwanted teen pregnancies is perennial in fact, not seasonal. It deserves more than an annual "mention" when Cupid's stringing his bow.
If there's a silver lining to the yearly discussion, it's that Thais in general no longer regard sex as a taboo subject. And most agree that schools have to improve their sex-education programmes.
We can't control the behaviour of young people, but we can supply them with sufficient protection. Teenagers tend to view their parents as virus-addled zombies and avoid them, but that doesn't absolve parents of the duty to instil in the kids a little wisdom and a lot of common sense. You have to be open about discussing sex with your offspring. Get the daughter on the pill and tell the son to carry a condom - just in case, of course. You're not encouraging them to have sex. You're underlining the risks involved.
In contrast, all a parent has to say to a youngster is, "Sex is bad", and that kid will be off in search of libidinal ecstasy. Like drugs, it will be pursued in secret - and probably with a bravado that shuns protection.
Society, led by the schools, has to make a greater effort to sort through the hormonal mess inside teenage brains enough to keep them on the right track. An obvious first step is to promote condom use, preferably by installing vending machines in schools, at least at the secondary schools and vocational colleges.
This will of course involve overcoming the mindset (shared by many educators) that condoms encourage sex. They should be shown - probably not for the first time - those statistics from the Public Health Ministry. Eighty per cent of teen mums don't intend to get pregnant. Thirty per cent of pregnant teens resort to abortion, while 10 per cent have the baby and then leave it at the hospital.
The ministry's Department of Health advises condom vending machines in educational institutes. Why isn't it happening?
Our current teen-pregnancy campaigns form an orchestra without a conductor, with all the musicians playing different notes. We have, for example, organisations accepting that teen sex is inevitable while the Cultural Surveillance Bureau holds out hope that religion will teach the kids the folly of their lusty ways.
Teenagers can't be faulted for tuning out the racket. If we want to revise the statistics, it won't happen through attempts to change the kids, but rather through everyone offering them the same calm, rational guidance. Then, hopefully, they'll have children of their own (when they're good and ready) and that generation won't grow up fretting about Valentine's Day, apart from a love of chocolate putting on a few kilograms.
Chocs or sex for teens on Valentine's day? Interesting piece on lame efforts to address raging hormones in LOS :p
VENUS’ VISION
The heart is Cupid’s target, but his aim is often low
Veena Thoopkrajae
The Nation February 13, 2016 1:00 am
It’s expected these days that every Valentine’s Day will prompt urgent talk about teenage mothers. When I was growing up, the day was all about chocolates and flowers, but nowadays we can’t enjoy our sweets without dire warnings of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases.
There's a good reason, of course. The rate at which Thai teenagers and unmarried young women are becoming pregnant is alarming, certainly cancelling out idle talk about teens not being sexually active anymore.
The truth is that each year 19 per cent of our teens and young women become pregnant prematurely, a figure far above the global norm. In fact we have girls getting pregnant as young as nine. Eighty per cent of the teenagers didn't intend to get pregnant.
So we can set aside the notion that Thai teens are no longer keen on sex. We can also dispense with the thought that at least most are having safe sex now, because the number of kids contracting venereal diseases has doubled in the past five years.
The University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce conducted a survey and found that 8.5 per cent of teens expected to have sex on Valentine's Day. That number is blessedly way below the percentage hoping to receive flowers from a loved one (66.2) or some other form of gift (54.3), but there's still cause for worry. For starters, the volume of premature pregnancies is unlikely to shrink.
"If you want to have sex, you need to protect yourself, because if you get pregnant or get a disease, it will destroy you," one teen mum told her peers at a recent seminar on the topic. She'd learned her lesson at a high cost, but it's wonderful that she's out there advising others to avoid making the same mistake.
The inherent problem in Thailand's efforts to turn these trends around is that they're seasonal. We wait for Valentine's Day to talk about sex in the same way we don't panic about drunk driving until New Year's Eve. These prevention campaigns should be run - loudly - all year round. The issue of unwanted teen pregnancies is perennial in fact, not seasonal. It deserves more than an annual "mention" when Cupid's stringing his bow.
If there's a silver lining to the yearly discussion, it's that Thais in general no longer regard sex as a taboo subject. And most agree that schools have to improve their sex-education programmes.
We can't control the behaviour of young people, but we can supply them with sufficient protection. Teenagers tend to view their parents as virus-addled zombies and avoid them, but that doesn't absolve parents of the duty to instil in the kids a little wisdom and a lot of common sense. You have to be open about discussing sex with your offspring. Get the daughter on the pill and tell the son to carry a condom - just in case, of course. You're not encouraging them to have sex. You're underlining the risks involved.
In contrast, all a parent has to say to a youngster is, "Sex is bad", and that kid will be off in search of libidinal ecstasy. Like drugs, it will be pursued in secret - and probably with a bravado that shuns protection.
Society, led by the schools, has to make a greater effort to sort through the hormonal mess inside teenage brains enough to keep them on the right track. An obvious first step is to promote condom use, preferably by installing vending machines in schools, at least at the secondary schools and vocational colleges.
This will of course involve overcoming the mindset (shared by many educators) that condoms encourage sex. They should be shown - probably not for the first time - those statistics from the Public Health Ministry. Eighty per cent of teen mums don't intend to get pregnant. Thirty per cent of pregnant teens resort to abortion, while 10 per cent have the baby and then leave it at the hospital.
The ministry's Department of Health advises condom vending machines in educational institutes. Why isn't it happening?
Our current teen-pregnancy campaigns form an orchestra without a conductor, with all the musicians playing different notes. We have, for example, organisations accepting that teen sex is inevitable while the Cultural Surveillance Bureau holds out hope that religion will teach the kids the folly of their lusty ways.
Teenagers can't be faulted for tuning out the racket. If we want to revise the statistics, it won't happen through attempts to change the kids, but rather through everyone offering them the same calm, rational guidance. Then, hopefully, they'll have children of their own (when they're good and ready) and that generation won't grow up fretting about Valentine's Day, apart from a love of chocolate putting on a few kilograms.
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Top monk nominee's rare Benz totally illegal
"It is a classic Mercedes-Benz of the 300B series manufactured in Germany in 1953. It is about 60 years old and only 100 units of the model were produced. So it is categorised as a beautiful and classic collectible. Its price is evaluated at 10-20 million baht," DSI director-general Paisit Wongmuang told a media briefing in Bangkok.
The controversial vintage car is owned by Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, the 90-year-old supreme patriarch nominee, abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, and chairman of the Sangha Supreme Council presently acting in the position of supreme patriarch.
Pol Col Paisit said the vehicle's engine and body had been declared as being imported separately from the United States on Sept 17 and 19, 2010. Other parts including the boot lid, bonnet, lamps, doors and bumpers were declared as being bought from a bogus "Saichol Motor" partnership.
The DSI viewed that as an attempt to evade import duty levied by the Customs Department, he said.
Phra Maha Sasanamunee, assistant abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen and secretary to Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, then ordered the "assembly" of the Benz, which was quoted at 4 million baht by two operators: Odd 89 Enterprise partnership and a Wicharn garage.
Odd 89 Enterprise claimed to be the importer of the engine and the body. Neither of the two were authorised to assemble a vehicle.
Then a document was forged to show that NP Garage sought to pay excise tax on the Benz. The signature of the NP Garage owner was forged on the document, and it actually was a car-painting garage incapable of assembling a classic car, the DSI chief said.
A broker was then hired to present a document showing the excise tax payment and register the Benz with the Land Transport Department. The registration application also contained false information stating that Kanjana Makmuean, the owner of NP Garage, sold the car to the senior monk and a fake receipt was made to support the sale claim.
In the process of the registration application, another false document was produced claiming that STY partnership had assembled the car at a price of one million baht. The signature of Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, also known as Somdet Chuang, appeared in a document presented for the registration in July 2011. The DSI would find out if the signature was genuine and conclude in a few months whether or how the supreme patriarch nominee would be held responsible, Pol Col Paisit said.
The secretary to Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn had already told the DSI that he had bought the car for Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, and the DSI would find out the purpose of the purchase, the director-general said.
Korrawat Panprapakorn, DSI's director of technology and cyber crime, said there was a team providing such "reassembled" cars, most of which were expensive. People involved with the case involving the vintage vehicle were liable to be charged with at least 10 offences including tax evasion, possession of a vehicle dodging tax, false declaration, unauthorised production and document forgery, he said.
The vintage Mercedes-Benz 300B at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen (photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)
Top monk nominee's rare Benz totally illegal
- Bangkok Post Published: 18/02/2016 at 02:00 PM
"It is a classic Mercedes-Benz of the 300B series manufactured in Germany in 1953. It is about 60 years old and only 100 units of the model were produced. So it is categorised as a beautiful and classic collectible. Its price is evaluated at 10-20 million baht," DSI director-general Paisit Wongmuang told a media briefing in Bangkok.
The controversial vintage car is owned by Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, the 90-year-old supreme patriarch nominee, abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, and chairman of the Sangha Supreme Council presently acting in the position of supreme patriarch.
Pol Col Paisit said the vehicle's engine and body had been declared as being imported separately from the United States on Sept 17 and 19, 2010. Other parts including the boot lid, bonnet, lamps, doors and bumpers were declared as being bought from a bogus "Saichol Motor" partnership.
The DSI viewed that as an attempt to evade import duty levied by the Customs Department, he said.
Phra Maha Sasanamunee, assistant abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen and secretary to Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, then ordered the "assembly" of the Benz, which was quoted at 4 million baht by two operators: Odd 89 Enterprise partnership and a Wicharn garage.
Odd 89 Enterprise claimed to be the importer of the engine and the body. Neither of the two were authorised to assemble a vehicle.
Then a document was forged to show that NP Garage sought to pay excise tax on the Benz. The signature of the NP Garage owner was forged on the document, and it actually was a car-painting garage incapable of assembling a classic car, the DSI chief said.
A broker was then hired to present a document showing the excise tax payment and register the Benz with the Land Transport Department. The registration application also contained false information stating that Kanjana Makmuean, the owner of NP Garage, sold the car to the senior monk and a fake receipt was made to support the sale claim.
In the process of the registration application, another false document was produced claiming that STY partnership had assembled the car at a price of one million baht. The signature of Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, also known as Somdet Chuang, appeared in a document presented for the registration in July 2011. The DSI would find out if the signature was genuine and conclude in a few months whether or how the supreme patriarch nominee would be held responsible, Pol Col Paisit said.
The secretary to Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn had already told the DSI that he had bought the car for Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, and the DSI would find out the purpose of the purchase, the director-general said.
Korrawat Panprapakorn, DSI's director of technology and cyber crime, said there was a team providing such "reassembled" cars, most of which were expensive. People involved with the case involving the vintage vehicle were liable to be charged with at least 10 offences including tax evasion, possession of a vehicle dodging tax, false declaration, unauthorised production and document forgery, he said.
The vintage Mercedes-Benz 300B at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen (photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)
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Cabbie with heart of gold
[video]http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/thailand/869280/cabbie-with-heart-of-gold[/video]
Meet Diew, a big-hearted taxi driver who serves passengers, both rich and poor, in need of medical aid without charge. His premium-but-free service gives you goosebumps, as one of his passengers says. (Video by Chumporn Sangvilert)
[video]http://www.bangkokpost.com/vdo/thailand/869280/cabbie-with-heart-of-gold[/video]
Meet Diew, a big-hearted taxi driver who serves passengers, both rich and poor, in need of medical aid without charge. His premium-but-free service gives you goosebumps, as one of his passengers says. (Video by Chumporn Sangvilert)
Attachments
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Aviation blues
ATA warns BKK airport a safety risk
NOPHAKHUN LIMSAMARNPHUN
THE NATION February 19, 2016 1:00 am
CHIEF TYLER SEEKS IMMEDIATE SOLUTION TO PROBLEM OF ‘SOFT SPOTS’ AT SUVARNABHUMI
THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA), which groups together more than 400 airlines worldwide, has warned that Suvarnabhumi Airport is a safety risk due to unresolved "soft spots".
In an interview in Bangkok yesterday following his earlier visit to Singapore's Airshow and Aviation Leadership Summit, Tony Tyler, director-general and chief executive officer of IATA, said Suvarnabhumi has a major role to play regionally and globally because it handles more than 52 million passengers annually.
However, he said Thailand's biggest international airport now has significant safety issues.
"The terminal capacity needs urgent expansion. It was designed to handle 45 million passengers annually, but it exceeds that today and traffic is still growing at an annual 10 per cent rate."
"Overcrowding is a serious issue that will become critical quickly," Tyler warned. "There are also safety concerns on the airport's tarmac, taxiways and apron area because of soft spots. Aircraft get stuck in the soft surface due to substandard materials," he said.
Tyler, who met Transport Minister Arkom Termpitayapaisit on Wednesday, suggested that Thai authorities should quickly resolve the "soft spots" issue permanently by using concrete instead of temporary asphalt patchwork.
"Frankly, that's not good enough … the runway and gate downtime that results from constantly fixing and re-fixing the soft spots is unacceptable. Literally, nothing less than a concrete solution will do. Extraordinary power that aircraft need to use around soft spots and extra-towing expose ground personnel, equipment and aircraft to safety risks," he explained.
The IATA chief also said that Thailand needs to quickly start construction work on the second phase of Suvarnabhumi's expansion, which has been delayed for years as the government has focused on reviving theDon Mueang airport and expanding the U-Tapao facility.
Regarding the runway at Suvarnabhumi, Tyler said immediate increase in capacity can be achieved by addressing the soft spots but the airport would eventually need a third runway.
In addition, the country needs a long-term master plan for airports, after consultations with all stakeholders.
Tyler said Suvarnabhumi should be improved first, as it is Thailand's major gateway.
Citing inefficiency and connectivity issues, he also expressed concern about plans to disperse air traffic amongDon Mueang and U-Tapao airports.
Meanwhile, Tyler also urged the government to make all Thai-registered airlines to undergo the IATA's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). At present, only Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion and Orient Thai go through such an audit.
According to Tyler, mandating IOSA for all Thai carriers would send a strong message to the international community that the country is serious about its commitment to international safety standards.
Thai aviation authorities have been busy upgrading the country's regulatory capacity for airlines following last year's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)'s red flag.
Later, the US Federal Aviation Administration also downgraded Thailand's status to Category 2 in its international aviation safety assessment, putting more pressure on the country to overhaul its regulatory system for airlines following decades of rapid growth in the aviation and tourism sectors.
Aviation blues
ATA warns BKK airport a safety risk
NOPHAKHUN LIMSAMARNPHUN
THE NATION February 19, 2016 1:00 am
File Photo
THE INTERNATIONAL Air Transport Association (IATA), which groups together more than 400 airlines worldwide, has warned that Suvarnabhumi Airport is a safety risk due to unresolved "soft spots".
In an interview in Bangkok yesterday following his earlier visit to Singapore's Airshow and Aviation Leadership Summit, Tony Tyler, director-general and chief executive officer of IATA, said Suvarnabhumi has a major role to play regionally and globally because it handles more than 52 million passengers annually.
However, he said Thailand's biggest international airport now has significant safety issues.
"The terminal capacity needs urgent expansion. It was designed to handle 45 million passengers annually, but it exceeds that today and traffic is still growing at an annual 10 per cent rate."
Tyler, who met Transport Minister Arkom Termpitayapaisit on Wednesday, suggested that Thai authorities should quickly resolve the "soft spots" issue permanently by using concrete instead of temporary asphalt patchwork.
"Frankly, that's not good enough … the runway and gate downtime that results from constantly fixing and re-fixing the soft spots is unacceptable. Literally, nothing less than a concrete solution will do. Extraordinary power that aircraft need to use around soft spots and extra-towing expose ground personnel, equipment and aircraft to safety risks," he explained.
The IATA chief also said that Thailand needs to quickly start construction work on the second phase of Suvarnabhumi's expansion, which has been delayed for years as the government has focused on reviving theDon Mueang airport and expanding the U-Tapao facility.
Regarding the runway at Suvarnabhumi, Tyler said immediate increase in capacity can be achieved by addressing the soft spots but the airport would eventually need a third runway.
In addition, the country needs a long-term master plan for airports, after consultations with all stakeholders.
Tyler said Suvarnabhumi should be improved first, as it is Thailand's major gateway.
Citing inefficiency and connectivity issues, he also expressed concern about plans to disperse air traffic amongDon Mueang and U-Tapao airports.
Meanwhile, Tyler also urged the government to make all Thai-registered airlines to undergo the IATA's Operational Safety Audit (IOSA). At present, only Thai Airways International, Bangkok Airways, Thai Lion and Orient Thai go through such an audit.
According to Tyler, mandating IOSA for all Thai carriers would send a strong message to the international community that the country is serious about its commitment to international safety standards.
Thai aviation authorities have been busy upgrading the country's regulatory capacity for airlines following last year's International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO)'s red flag.
Later, the US Federal Aviation Administration also downgraded Thailand's status to Category 2 in its international aviation safety assessment, putting more pressure on the country to overhaul its regulatory system for airlines following decades of rapid growth in the aviation and tourism sectors.
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
what does a monk need a vintage car for?????
Top monk nominee's rare Benz totally illegal
The supreme patriarch nominee's vintage Mercedes-Benz is a limited edition classic with only 100 ever built, and was imported and registered illegally, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) stated on Thursday.
- Bangkok Post Published: 18/02/2016 at 02:00 PM
"It is a classic Mercedes-Benz of the 300B series manufactured in Germany in 1953. It is about 60 years old and only 100 units of the model were produced. So it is categorised as a beautiful and classic collectible. Its price is evaluated at 10-20 million baht," DSI director-general Paisit Wongmuang told a media briefing in Bangkok.
The controversial vintage car is owned by Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, the 90-year-old supreme patriarch nominee, abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen, and chairman of the Sangha Supreme Council presently acting in the position of supreme patriarch.
Pol Col Paisit said the vehicle's engine and body had been declared as being imported separately from the United States on Sept 17 and 19, 2010. Other parts including the boot lid, bonnet, lamps, doors and bumpers were declared as being bought from a bogus "Saichol Motor" partnership.
The DSI viewed that as an attempt to evade import duty levied by the Customs Department, he said.
Phra Maha Sasanamunee, assistant abbot of Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen and secretary to Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, then ordered the "assembly" of the Benz, which was quoted at 4 million baht by two operators: Odd 89 Enterprise partnership and a Wicharn garage.
Odd 89 Enterprise claimed to be the importer of the engine and the body. Neither of the two were authorised to assemble a vehicle.
Then a document was forged to show that NP Garage sought to pay excise tax on the Benz. The signature of the NP Garage owner was forged on the document, and it actually was a car-painting garage incapable of assembling a classic car, the DSI chief said.
A broker was then hired to present a document showing the excise tax payment and register the Benz with the Land Transport Department. The registration application also contained false information stating that Kanjana Makmuean, the owner of NP Garage, sold the car to the senior monk and a fake receipt was made to support the sale claim.
In the process of the registration application, another false document was produced claiming that STY partnership had assembled the car at a price of one million baht. The signature of Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, also known as Somdet Chuang, appeared in a document presented for the registration in July 2011. The DSI would find out if the signature was genuine and conclude in a few months whether or how the supreme patriarch nominee would be held responsible, Pol Col Paisit said.
The secretary to Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn had already told the DSI that he had bought the car for Somdet Phra Maha Ratchamangalacharn, and the DSI would find out the purpose of the purchase, the director-general said.
Korrawat Panprapakorn, DSI's director of technology and cyber crime, said there was a team providing such "reassembled" cars, most of which were expensive. People involved with the case involving the vintage vehicle were liable to be charged with at least 10 offences including tax evasion, possession of a vehicle dodging tax, false declaration, unauthorised production and document forgery, he said.
The vintage Mercedes-Benz 300B at Wat Paknam Phasi Charoen (photo by Pawat Laopaisarntaksin)
what does a monk need a vintage car for?????
Re: A Singaporean's guide to living in Thailand ? Feasible?
Religion and greed fueled by daft believers
Religion and greed fueled by daft believers
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