Executive Arrested for Tax Evasion While Sleeping on Train

A senior executive of an importing firm on the lam for a 175 million baht tax evasion case has been arrested on an express train heading to Chiang Mai.

The 65-year-old executive was traveling on Special Express Train from Bangkok to Chiang Mai on Monday night. The police arrested him at the Ayutthaya railway station when the train stopped to pick up passengers.

The suspect, identified only as Mr. Sujit is an executive of a firm that imports chemicals for the production of plastic products. He was initially arrested on a warrant issued by the Bangkok South Criminal in April 2019. Because he was wanted for alleged tax evasion in violation of Section 27 of the customs law.

Furthermore, Mr. Sujit fought the tax evasion case and won in the lower court and the Appeals Court. Public prosecutors appealed to the Supreme Court, which convicted and sentenced him to one year in prison and a 175.65 million baht fine.

Still, on bail, he fled and a new arrest warrant was issued by the Supreme Court, according to a police spokesperson.

The Thai Government in 2017 established new punishment for tax evaders and fraudulent taxpayers. Lawmakers enacting the Revenue Code Amendment Act (No.45) B.E. 2560. Accordingly, any person who commits tax evasion and/or tax fraud shall be regarded as committing a serious offense.