We're Grounding Your Friggin' Jet Plane...Don't Know When You'll Get it Back Again

**crew** · 24th July 2011 11:48

Thais refuse German deal on X's jet

(Link withheld)

Thailand has ruled out paying Germany a bank bond of 20m euros ($28m; £17m) to secure the release of a plane seized from X.

The Boeing 737 was impounded at Munich airport last week in a bid to force payment of a 30m-euro debt owed by the Thai government to a German firm.
Thai officials say the jet belongs to X, not the government.

But judges ruled that documentation was inconclusive, and said the jet would be released only when a payment was made.

Speaking on his return from Germany, Thai Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya expressed confidence that the issue of ownership would be resolved at the next court hearing in the second week of August.

"We are preparing solid evidence and witnesses to prove our case that would make the 20m-euro deposit unnecessary," he told reporters.

A court in Bavaria set the 20m euro bond on Wednesday, saying that was the estimated value of the Boeing 737 aeroplane.

The commercial dispute goes back more than 20 years, to when a German construction company was part of a consortium that helped to build a toll road between Bangkok city and Don Muang airport, formerly Bangkok's main international airport.

German administrators say Thailand still owes the firm for the work they carried out, but the Thais say a court decision is still pending on the debt.
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I certainly don't wish to put myself at risk of breaking any of Thailand's laws, so I've omitted the name of the party in question and withheld a link. Also, I'd say on the surface, Germany is going to lose some face on this one. Not sure though...

**jonny danger** · 24th July 2011 11:53

Originally Posted by crew

20m euro bond

I had no idea a plane that old would be worth 20m Euros. Aren't they from the mid 60s?

**crew** · 24th July 2011 11:57

Originally Posted by jonny danger

Aren't they from the mid 60s?

Boeing 737 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

looks like production began in 1968 but i'm not sure how old the (aero)plane in question is.

**Cthulhu** · 24th July 2011 12:05

The plane in question dates back to 1985, as far as I know.

**dave123** · 24th July 2011 12:14

Originally Posted by crew

"We are preparing solid evidence and witnesses to prove our case that would make the 20m-euro deposit unnecessary,"

So they are rounding up khoa san road pedestrians as witnesses and printing receipts for the sale of the plane.
Do they really think that they can just shout and every one listens. How can a dept still be, being dealt with in court for 20 years?

**panhunger** · 24th July 2011 12:39

They should put the whole process on Thai time...

**jonny danger** · 24th July 2011 12:44

Lufthansa became the launch customer on 19 February 1965, with an order for 22 ....

Jeez, how long do they stay in service till they're grounded? I guess it depends on the country. Costa Rica flies DC3s. Maybe this isn't such a bad deal for the Thais.

**THX 1133** · 24th July 2011 12:51

1995 and present value is about $5-6,000,000 USD. But the bill due the German firm is 20 mil Euros.

**jonny danger** · 24th July 2011 12:54

A down payment.

**Cthulhu** · 24th July 2011 13:24

Plus, note how Kasit flew there on a Thai Airways flight -- because any other official Thai government plane would be likewise impounded. :-)

Their only hope, however remote, would be to claim that the Royal plane, being of Royal usage, could be 'diplomatic' - albeit, sadly, there was no diplomatic purpose to the plane's occupants' visit.

The argument that it belongs to the Crown Prince doesn't fly - the plane is registered to, and maintained by, the Royal Thai Air Force, which is an extension of the government. Who the plane is exclusively provided to does not matter.

A smart gov't action would simply be to pay the € 20 million, and take it out of the balance of the money confiscated from Thaksin (since it was Thaksin who altered the contract that resulted in this lawsuit), and be done with it.

---Update---

Originally Posted by jonny danger

Jeez, how long do they stay in service till they're grounded?

On average, 25-35 years, though lifespan is measured in pressurization cycles.

The more take-off/landings, the lesser lifespan, the less of them, the longer the plane will live. (This is assuming proper handling and maintenance).

**crew** · 24th July 2011 13:52

Originally Posted by Cthulhu

the plane is registered to, and maintained by, the Royal Thai Air Force, which is an extension of the government.

if this holds true, i suppose germany has a much stronger case.

**Cthulhu** · 24th July 2011 14:13

Originally Posted by crew

if this holds true

This is all public information - there is no "if" here, unless the Crown Prince, or the CPB, can produce a bill of sale *and* regular payments for maintenance and supplies.

Regardless, the plane is still registered to the Thai government, and I doubt very much that the CPB will care about being embroiled into this chicken fight.

Royal Thai Air Force - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Crown Prince's Boeing 737-800 is part of RTAF's Wing 6 Squadron.

Of interesting note in the link above (albeit a tangent) is to note the history of crashed aircraft...)

**daneel** · 24th July 2011 14:18

Update to the news above. They flew in a second plane and the Germans are thinking about impounding this one as well. This is not a Joke, was reported by Sued Deutsche Zeitung two days ago.