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All Phuket Businesses With Expat Shareholders Under Scrutiny
Chutima Sidasathian
Saturday, January 5, 2013

PHUKET: All 2900 businesses on Phuket with foreign shareholders are being examined in a thorough review now being undertaken by the Department of Business Development, Phuketwan has learned.

As much information as the department's Phuket office can make available is being readied this month for presentation to officials from Bangkok from February onward.

The full re-examination of all companies with foreign shareholders on Phuket is expected to run through February and March.

It's not clear whether Bangkok officials will remain on Phuket the whole time. The reason for the review has also yet to be made public.

Nimid Kangkajid, Direct of Business Development on Phuket, revealed the large-scale review was about to begin when Phuketwan made inquiries about the growing interest of Russian-based companies in Phuket.

The Labor Office revealed that Russians had quickly risen to hold second place after Britons in the issuing of work permits for Phuket.

Britons sit at the top of the list with 1121 work permits current for Phuket. However, the number of Russians working on Phuket is increasing rapidly.

A total of 566 work permits were being used by Russians on Phuket in November. This rose substantially to 602 in December, the Labor Office records show.

Most work as managers in tourism-related businesses.

Russian investment on Phuket has been thrust into sharp focus following the blockade by taxi and tuk-tuk drivers this week. They protested outside Karon Police Station at what they claim is loss of business to Russian enterprises.

A meeting yesterday disclosed widespread Russian involvement in other enterprises. Russians owned 20 of the Kata-Karon region's Thai massage salons, the meeting heard.

Earlier in the week, Phuket Provincial Hall officials heard of a Russian attempt to set up a taxi rank in the five-star district of Cherng Talay. Earlier in the year, it was a jet-ski operation at Bang Tao.

Khun Nimid explained yesterday that when Russians registered businesses on Phuket, the difference was that Russian businesses usually included a ''complete cycle'' of all types of operations and outlets within tourism.

No other national group displayed this characteristic of business activities, Khun Nimid said.

A follow-up meeting is to be held on Tuesday so Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak can hear the results of an investigation by a committee into the extent of Russian business operations in the Kata-Karon district.

phuketwan.com

__________________
"Keeping quiet while monks and other peaceful protesters are murdered and jailed is not evidence of constructive engagement." - Arvind Ganesan, Human Rights Watch.

"I think...I think it's in my basement. Let me go upstairs and check" - M.C. Escher

Necron99

Khun Nimid explained yesterday that when Russians registered businesses on Phuket, the difference was that Russian businesses usually included a ''complete cycle'' of all types of operations and outlets within tourism.

No other national group displayed this characteristic of business activities, Khun Nimid said.


Sooo,they're doing it better and it's not fair...

Butterfly

it's time for the Russians to show by example to the silly Thai mafia how business is run in Russia

bretby

The Russian Mafia tried it with the Thai Mafia in Pattaya in the 90`s and got their asses well and truly kicked.

Butterfly

indeed, but only because they were insufficient in numbers and not well prepared

they had years of practice since and were a bit smarter this time

The Thai mafia are fucked,

Kurgen

Hey you lot in Phuket, get ya tea money ready!

ChrisM

Russian mafia take out the big boys. Senior Phuket officials should be worried. There will be no mincing about complaining to consuls of unfair treatment, instead just a few burst of semi-automatic gun fire - business or personal dispute as the police like to say.

Chairman Mao

Was it around 6 months ago that Yingluck was at a Western conference promoting Thailand as a brilliant place for foreign businesses?

Rocksteady

It just requires the Russian Mafia to take the lift and throw a few of the locals off the roof of one of their condos to let the message sink in!

quimbian corholla

Since a lot of companies are set up just to buy houses I wonder if this will affect property prices?

It would be interesting to see how the local owners react if land values suddenly started dropping.

KevyChase

Honestly I don't think Russian Mafia can't do shit. The Thai mafia is too powerful here. They got the police and the politicians on their side.

I can't stand those fuckin russians. With their stupid mullets, speedos and 6'3 slutty/sloppy blondes gfs.

StrontiumDog

Probe into Phuket?s ?foreign? firms begins

Probe into Phuket’s ‘foreign’ firms begins

PHUKET: Dozens of government officials will be involved in tracking down illegally formed or run companies with foreign shareholders, following a meeting yesterday (February 18) at Phuket Provincial Hall.

Tanyaluk Sakoot
Tuesday 19 February 2013, 07:27PM


Gov Maitree: ‘A good way to address local people’s complaints about their business rights being damaged.’

The meeting was chaired by Phuket Governor Maitree Intusut, and included Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkhaosutthirak, Provincial Employment Office chief Yaowapa Pibulpol, Business Development Office chief Nimit Mungkajit and many others.

The meeting heard that orders have been received from the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Business Development to check all businesses with foreign shareholders in tourism provinces, including Chonburi, Prachuap Khiri Khan, Surat Thani, Krabi and Phuket, to see whether Thai shareholders are illegal nominees.

Mr Nimit said, “We have already discovered cases involving a total of 82 companies, where multiple businesses were registered at the same addresses – the addresses of a number of law companies.

“Between today (February 18) and Wednesday the team will check basic information on these businesses, such as accounts, company history and location.”

There are about 3,000 tourism- and property-related businesses in Phuket, he said, and officials will initially concentrate on these. “If the officers find that a company is formed illegally, legal action will be taken. But first a thorough check of all information must be carried out.”

Gov Maitree said, “Checking individual businesses is a good way to address local people’s complaints about their business rights being damaged. All relevant officers must work to solve this problem.

“Each of the three districts [Muang, Kathu and Thalang] will have a team that will include the district officer, a vice governor, Tourism Association representatives, and officials from the Tour Guides Association and the Excise Department,” he said.

__________________
"Slavery is the daughter of darkness; an ignorant people is the blind instrument of its own destruction; ambition and intrigue take advantage of the credulity and inexperience of men who have no political, economic or civil knowledge. They mistake pure illusion for reality, license for freedom, treason for patriotism, vengeance for justice."-Simón Bolívar