Riches to rags! Former Bangkok millionaire finally arrested after fleeing bank debts of 20 million in 1997

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Riches to rags! Former Bangkok millionaire finally arrested after fleeing bank debts of 20 million in 1997

 

Picture: Daily News

 

A former millionaire who fell on hard times after the financial crisis of 1997 was finally arrested yesterday.

 

He had fled to Isaan after he owed a bank 20 million baht when the Thai currency collapsed. 

 

It was just a few months before time ran out on fraud and falsification of documents charges but crime suppression police finally nabbed Annop Benjarote, 64, at a market in Ang Thong yesterday.

 

Daily News said his story read like something that was more than a Thai soap opera. 

 

He had been a millionaire businessman and company owner doing deals for electrical goods from Japan worth millions of US dollars. He was also part owner of the Kenwood car audio firm. 

 

But the crash of 1997 changed all that as the baht fell from 25 to a US dollar to 56.

 

He fled to the north east of Thailand owing a bank 20 million baht. He said he had 2 baht in his pocket. 

 

He slept at temples and begged for food to stay alive before he got some second hand clothes and shoes and managed to scrape a new living. 

 

But yesterday - just months before a Thonburi warrant was due to expire - he was arrested at the Wat Nang Nai market in Ang Thong and taken back to Bangkok. 

 

Annop's home address was given as Lat Prao Soi 94 in Bangkok.

 

Source: Daily News

 

-- © Copyright Thai Visa News 2018-11-28

[jerojero]

Just before a 20 year warrant expired? What a stroke of luck for RTP! Truly amaizing. Right.

[PatOngo]

5 minutes ago, jerojero said:

Just before a 20 year warrant expired? What a stroke of luck for RTP! Truly amaizing. Right.

Meticulous planning and timing!...…......no mention of Big Joke?

[johng]

Suspicious minds might think the authorities knew where he was all along  just waiting for the right moment ????

[ThreeEyedRaven]

Oh Yeah, Marvellous work. I don't see what good it is going to do anyone though. He hasn't got the money now, and he wouldn't have had it if they had nicked him when the market first crashed. Lots of people lost stupid amounts of money back then. Dragging someone to jail for a fraction of it 20 years after the event achieves what exactly? I hope the court has at least some leniency for this guy who seems to have tried his best to get on with it since.

[sammieuk1]

Should have fled to the UK not the north east????

[happy chappie]

So before the crash of 97 he only owed the bank half the 20 million.hes had 19years 300 days to make up a story and it still sounds like a load of Thai bs.

[Nip]

5 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Meticulous planning and timing!...…......no mention of Big Joke?

Big Yoke is busy writing his memoirs .. 

[PatOngo]

42 minutes ago, Nip said:

Big Yoke is busy writing his memoirs .. 

Writing or still creating his memoirs?

[marko kok prong]

what are they gonna do fine him?

[Burma Bill]

Let us hope such diligence and persistence will bring the "Red Bull" killer to justice.

[Thingamabob]

Story brings back awful memories of the 1997 crash organized by George Soros.

[TallGuyJohninBKK]

If the guy's got warrants out for falsification of documents and fraud, then there's more going on with his 20-year-old case than just the drop in currency value at the time.

 

[tumama]

8 hours ago, jerojero said:

Just before a 20 year warrant expired? What a stroke of luck for RTP! Truly amaizing. Right.

 

Maybe the cops stepped up their efforts to catch him precisely because the statute of limitation was running out. 

[Rod the Sod]

9 hours ago, ThreeEyedRaven said:

Oh Yeah, Marvellous work. I don't see what good it is going to do anyone though. He hasn't got the money now, and he wouldn't have had it if they had nicked him when the market first crashed. Lots of people lost stupid amounts of money back then. Dragging someone to jail for a fraction of it 20 years after the event achieves what exactly? I hope the court has at least some leniency for this guy who seems to have tried his best to get on with it since.

Clear to tell you were not the one to lend him TB20mio! You may see it all a bit differently if it had been you

[zzaa09]

4 hours ago, PatOngo said:

Writing or still creating his memoirs?

The highly imaginative fabrications are the most stimulating......

[observer90210]

How did he loose all his money ? He spent an entire weekend shopping at IconSiam or what ?

[chama]

How old will Boss be 21 years after hitting that cop?

[PerkinsCuthbert]

5 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Story brings back awful memories of the 1997 crash organized by George Soros.

Seek help urgently.

[fforest1]

6 hours ago, Thingamabob said:

Story brings back awful memories of the 1997 crash organized by George Soros.

Awful? 56 baht to the dollar 90 baht to the pound....Sounds great..

[fforest1]

4 hours ago, Rod the Sod said:

Clear to tell you were not the one to lend him TB20mio! You may see it all a bit differently if it had been you

Every one lost money then....Time to let it go.....

[Juan B Tong]

Hmm.

Seems like Annop solved his food problem.

[LomSak27]

I thought lost of people back then post 97 had their debts forgiven ... a la Sondhi ??

 

Obviously this poor sod is not a PooYai, so no debt forgiveness, and yep we can arrest him  

[cmsally]

Maybe he should have hopped over to Loei for the weekend, then he could have received all his money back with a bunch of flowers thrown in for free!