Jump to content

Phuket mayor denies five more taxi mafia charges


Lite Beer

Recommended Posts

Phuket mayor denies five more taxi mafia charges
Tanyaluk Sakoot

PHUKET: Karon Mayor Thawee Thongcham today (July 15) surrendered yet again at Phuket City Police Station to answer to five more charges relating to his involvement with mafia taxi activity.

1405427327_1-org.jpg
Mayor Thawee (left) at the police station today with his lawyer.

PHUKET: -- The latest charges come after the investigators found that Thawee was involved in illegally supporting five taxi stands in Kata-Karon area that were occupying public land. These were in front of Club Med, Avista Phuket Resort & Spa, Peach Hill Resort, Casa Del Sol Hotel and Baumanburi Phuket Resort.

Investigations revealed that each of these illegal stands had to pay “rent” every month.

Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin, who is heading the crackdown on mafia taxi activities and the associated criminal activities such as money laundering, told The Phuket News today, “We will also think about charging other officials – deputy mayors Itthipon Sangkeaw and Sompong Dapphet, town clerk (palad) Veerasak Anek-wongsawat, and the town’s engineering and planning department chief Wanchai Saetan – in connection with these latest discoveries.

“Thawee surrendered today to answer all five charges. He has denied all of them.”

Gen Paween said that he also expects to bring further charges against Thawee under Section 309 of the Criminal Law Code.

Section 309 of the Code states, “Whoever compels the other person to do or not to do any act, or to suffer any thing by putting him in fear of injury to life, body, liberty, reputation or property of him or another person, or commits violence so that he does or does not do such act, or suffers such thing, shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding three years or fined not exceeding six thousand Baht, or both.

“If the offence according to the first paragraph be committed by making use of arms or by five persons upwards participating, or it be committed in order that the compelled person shall execute, revoke, damage or destroy any document or right, the offender shall be punished with imprisonment not exceeding five years or fined not exceeding ten thousand Baht, or both.”

Gen Paween declined to give details, on the record, of why this charge will be brought against Thawee.

“We have almost completed compiling our cases covering [Kata-Karon] for handing over to the Phuket Provincial Prosecutor. We will be focusing our investigation on other areas of Phuket soon.”

Source: http://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-mayor-denies-five-more-taxi-mafia-charges-47361.php

tpn.jpg
-- Phuket News 2014-07-15

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Does this mean, if he is found guilty, that he will have to give up as Mayor....?

How long are you in Thailand?

The Mayor will pay 6,000 Baht and go home as if nothing happened.

As it is his first offense, he will not have to go to jail.

Case cleared.

Next case.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I once attended a grand opening of a new luxury car outlet in Phuket, with the "big shots" of Phuket attending of course... and during the ceremony they proudly announced that one of the big shots just "bought" a Bentley.... and drove home with it.... (pure speculation, not that I would know the details, but I would be surprised if that Bentley would have cost the big shot more than a beer......)

Not that "the facts" were any surprise, but I was just gobsmacked how brazenly and "stupidly proud" that was "announced" publicly, with TV running, they OBVIOUSLY did not fear a thing can happen to them...

Edited by TTom911
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait till they get to the ex mayor of patong! .....

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yes, rather puzzling that they go for the mayor of Karon, but, not of Patong, Surin and other west coast beaches.

Let's wait an see. Karon mayor was an easy target, I assume the army are collecting evidence about Pian and his son.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait till they get to the ex mayor of patong! .....

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yes, rather puzzling that they go for the mayor of Karon, but, not of Patong, Surin and other west coast beaches.

Let's wait an see. Karon mayor was an easy target, I assume the army are collecting evidence about Pian and his son.

I think so as well. Once they started digging they came up with more and more. Once they start digging in Patong they'll come up with lots of things as well.

They really are serious, who would have thought this would ever happen only a few months ago?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Many officials are involved in crimes in this country but they don't have to fear anything: the fine is that small compare to the money they make with their crimes they can laugh on that....and nobody is pushed to step down from his function!

As this is not changeing the same procedure will go on and the work of NCPO (i adore what these military guys are doing) is running into a dead end!

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wait till they get to the ex mayor of patong! .....

Sent from my iPhone using Thaivisa Connect Thailand mobile app

Yes, rather puzzling that they go for the mayor of Karon, but, not of Patong, Surin and other west coast beaches.

Let's wait an see. Karon mayor was an easy target, I assume the army are collecting evidence about Pian and his son.

Pian and his son are master criminals. They have covered their tracks very well. They were always in the shadows. It will be very hard for the Army to find any evidence implicating them to any crime. cheesy.gif

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pian and his son are master criminals. They have covered their tracks very well. They were always in the shadows. It will be very hard for the Army to find any evidence implicating them to any crime. cheesy.gif

Any evidence you have to support your claim that 'They have covered their tracks vey well' ?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pian and his son are master criminals. They have covered their tracks very well. They were always in the shadows. It will be very hard for the Army to find any evidence implicating them to any crime. cheesy.gif

Any evidence you have to support your claim that 'They have covered their tracks vey well' ?

Maybe he knows where and how the money flows?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pian and his son are master criminals. They have covered their tracks very well. They were always in the shadows. It will be very hard for the Army to find any evidence implicating them to any crime. cheesy.gif

Any evidence you have to support your claim that 'They have covered their tracks vey well' ?

Just being sarcastic.

Just look at The Chiang Pool Club for example. Open Buddha Days. Open when the Bangkok Police come to Phuket and shut everything at 2am, but not The Chiang Club, allowed to stay open pretty much 24/7.

Nothing clandestine about that. smile.png

The son is at the top of the taxis and tuk-tuks association. Look at the untold damage transport has done to the tourism industry on Phuket through monopoly, collusion and violence that he reigns over.

They have operated in full public view and with impunity for years, and in Pian's case, for decades.

It shouldn't be too hard to gather evidence on criminals that thought they were above the law.

Edited by NamKangMan
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.




×
×
  • Create New...