Wikileaks : US plays up Russian gangs in Thailand

US plays up Russian gangs in Thailand
By Richard Ehrlich

BANGKOK - America's Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Department of Homeland Security and other agencies were investigating "Russian organized crime networks" who were murdering and stealing in Thailand's most popular tourist beach resorts, according to a US Embassy cable released by WikiLeaks.

Thailand, a modernizing, Buddhist-majority Southeast Asian nation, has attracted criminals from all over the world who exploit its friendly ambiance, low-cost workers, often corrupt officials and sophisticated forgery and sex industry networks.

The "confidential" US cable was headlined: "RUSSIA LOOKS TO REINVIGORATE BILATERAL RELATIONS WITH THAILAND, AGAIN," dated December 4, 2009, and classified by the embassy's deputy chief of mission, James Entwistle. It was also signed off by ambassador Eric John, who noted "this cable was coordinated with [the US] Embassy [in] Moscow".

At the time, the US Embassy was also concerned about the ongoing extradition trial of alleged Russian weapons smuggler Viktor Bout - who was sent from Bangkok nearly one year after the cable was written to stand trial in New York for allegedly trying to sell weapons to be used to kill Americans in Colombia. A previous leaked document by WikiLeaks revealed the US Embassy had created a "Bout team" of diplomats to ensure his extradition.

"Thailand enjoys a rapid expansion of Russian tourists visiting Thailand, but has to deal with an unwanted side effect - the presence of Russian organized crime networks around the popular beach destinations of Pattaya and Phuket," warned the cable, focusing the hedonistic destinations that appear in tourist brochures and advertisements throughout the world.

"Russian organized crime circles established a presence in Thailand in the 1990s after the collapse of the Soviet Union," the US Embassy said.

"A number of US law-enforcement agencies are involved in investigating or monitoring cases involving Russian organized crime in Thailand, in cooperation with Thai partners, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Department of Homeland Security's Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

"These law-enforcement agencies report that criminal networks composed of mostly Russian nationals operating in Pattaya and Phuket are responsible for the commission of numerous crimes, including extortion, money laundering, narcotics trafficking, real estate fraud, financial fraud, human smuggling, pandering, counterfeiting, document fraud, cybercrime, and illegal importation of cars" and killings.

"While much of the Russian organized criminal activity in Thailand has occurred quietly, three specific cases generated public awareness of the phenomenon. In April 1998, Russian restaurant owner Konstantine Povoltski was found shot dead in a car near one of his two restaurants in southern Pattaya.

"In August 2003, police apprehended three Russian bank robbers when their speedboat ran out of fuel, after they held up the Bank of Ayudhya in South Pattaya, stole 2.4 million baht [US$80,000] and killed a Thai police officer in the process. Rinat Koudaiarov was sentenced to death for the shooting.

"In February 2007, two Russian women were found murdered on the beach of Jomtien 10 km [six miles] from Pattaya, amidst speculation that it had been a Russian OC [organized crime] ordered hit."

The US Embassy cable also scrutinized Moscow's influence on Bangkok's economy, diplomacy and culture.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov "highlighted Russia's eastern territories as holding natural resources - such as oil, gas and coal - that could become the means to further engage with countries like Thailand," during Lavrov's July 2009 visit to Bangkok, the cable said.

"Lavrov announced Russia's interest in developing a regional facility in Thailand for storing, processing and trading Russian oil and gas," the US Embassy said.

During Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Sobyanin's November 2009 visit to Bangkok where he met with Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva, "Sobyanin looked to increase trade and investment, signaled Russia's willingness to cooperate with Thailand in research and development in the oil and natural gas sector, and underscored Russia's desire to cooperate with Thailand on security and culture issues."

United States diplomats questioned prominent Thais to find out how Moscow's intentions, strengths and motives fit with Bangkok's needs. The cable reveals who Washington considers its trusted contacts on Russo-Thai ties.

An official from Thailand's Foreign Affairs Department of European Affairs, Wacharin Vongvivatachaya, told the US Embassy "trade and tourism were the most important elements to the Thai-Russia bilateral relationship. For Russia, Thailand was its number one trading partner in Southeast Asia with trade accounting for over $1 billion annually," compared to US-Thai trade which exceeds $30 billion a year.

"Wacharin stated that Russia's main exports to Thailand were rolled steel, scrap metal, fertilizers, unprocessed minerals, synthetic rubber, diamonds, pulp, and paper. Thailand's main exports to Russia were sugar, rice, gems, clothes, shoes, canned food, and furniture.

"Thailand's premier multinational, the CP Group, had invested in Russia by establishing an animal food producing factory in Moscow's suburbs, Wacharin added, though there has been little Russian investment in Thailand, mainly in small businesses," it said.

"The opinions of non-official Thais we talked to about the Russian diplomatic push was in general rather dismissive. Professor Rom Phiramontri, Director for the Center of Russian Studies at Chulalongkorn University, commented that in general Russia has had very little influence in Asia, particularly in Thailand.

"In his opinion, Russia was attempting to gain more influence with Thailand, geographically in the center of ASEAN, in an attempt to expand influence throughout the region, especially economically," the cable said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations that includes Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei and Indonesia.

Professor Kantassa Thunjitt from Thammasat University's Russian Studies Program "told us that Russia was trying to play a larger role in Southeast Asia, noting it has attempted to raise its status in the region by offering itself as an alternative to the US and China".

Thailand's US-trained military staged a coup in September 2006 and toppled a popularly elected prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, who had ruled for five years and is currently in self-exile dodging a two-year prison sentence for corruption.

"Bangkok Post Senior Reporter Achara Ashayagachat told us recently that Thaksin had looked to Russia to expand market opportunities. Achara also believed that Thaksin sought to balance Thailand's relationships with both the US and China through engaging Russia, while simultaneously looking at ways to maximize profits."

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