A THAI BUSINESSMAN who was defrauded of 3.6 million baht by a Chinese company after a product he ordered was not delivered petitioned the Chinese embassy for help before reporting the swindle to Technology Crime Suppression Division police, Siam Rath newspaper said today (Oct. 15).
Mr. Somchai Saengwichaipat, 55, director of Amadeus Piano Company Limited, was accompanied by his lawyer Mr. Kriengsak Pinthusornsri and Mr. Pornthep Hensirisakul, the president of the Heng Family Association, in filing the complaint with Pol. Lt. Col. Wuttichai Thapthawee, head of investigation at this division.
Somchai said last July he was contacted by an American company to buy vacuum sealer packing machine from China and then resell it to them as it works out to be cheaper to get this product from Thailand with a lower tax rate applying. The profit margin was upto 20% profit.
He then contacted a company in China to buy this product with this being the first time doing business with them. The agreed price was 3.6 million baht divided into two transfers, with 2.7 million baht being sent on July 23 and 900,000 baht on August 11.
However the Chinese company then asked for an additional 2 million baht to be transferred because they wanted to change the shipping container from 20 feet to 40 feet as this would save money.
Somchai said this sounded strange to him and he was certain he had been defrauded.
On September 20 he took the transaction papers and reported the swindle to Wang Thonglang police station but no progress had been made.
That same afternoon he was accompanied by Pornthep and Kriengsak to petition the People’s Republic of China embassy for help.
The embassy staff had promised to help with the investigation and get a refund of the money transferred to the Chinese company but asked for the Thai police to send documentary evidence before they could proceed.
CAPTION:
Somchai talking to Pol. Lt. Col. Wutthichai about the swindle. Photo: Siam Rath
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