Thai official arrested in Japan after taking 3 paintings from hotel

Probably thought he was back home. As a high-up official there he is entitled to whatever he likes. He could use the "cultural difference" defence, which always has a plausible ring to it to Japanese. Or just say he was drunk at the time.

The hotel could have just added the paintings to the ministers hotel bill. Instead of causing an international incident. Where is the common sense in that. This is just like arresting old people for theft The candy bar or whatever knick knack can be written off. Instead the old senile person is put through the wringer. and jailed.... Yes the minister was wrong and he will have to pay.....

He forgot to get omiyage for his coworkers

The hotel could have just added the paintings to the ministers hotel bill. Instead of causing an international incident. Where is the common sense in that.

This IS Japan ya' know?

However, I disagree, the international incident was caused by the official here, don't blame the hotel.

Police can detain him until Thursday before handing him over to prosecutors, who have 21 more days to decide whether to press formal charges against him

What's the bet it takes the full 21 days before they decide?

Suphat, deputy director general of the Department of Intellectual Property

steels paintings in a Japanese hotel. Kinda charming news in the morning.

He will be happy with suspended sentence ...

15,000 yen paintings? 5000 each. Couldn't he have just bought these or ask the hotel where they got the painting so he could them for himself. What a petty little bastard

I guess this was his first time staying in a hotel? Just about every hotel has hallway surveillance especially 4-5 star hotels which this guy probably stays at. Kleptomaniac pure and simple, never thinks about the what-ifs.

The hotel could have just added the paintings to the ministers hotel bill. Instead of causing an international incident. Where is the common sense in that.

Yes.. yes it was the hotels fault. There is no possible way it could have been the rodent's fault for taking hotel property from the walls and putting it in his luggage. If you ever wonder about the lack of accountability in today's society, and the large number of people who refuse to take responsibility for their actions, just re-read this post.

Wouldn't he have diplomatic immunity?

The hotel could have just added the paintings to the ministers hotel bill.

Your suggestion of an "international incident " being reason enough to avoid reporting the man feeds into the horrific idea that elected officials are somehow above the rest of us, and therefore held to different rules. Not so. Theft is still theft

This is just like arresting old people for theft The candy bar or whatever knick knack can be written off. Instead the old senile person is put through the wringer. and jailed....

When the article used the phrase "senior official," it wasn't to suggest the man was elderly. He's a "senior" official as in "high ranking." And therefor most certainly under greater scrutiny than a person shoplifting a candy bar. Besides, I don't know of any 15,000 yen candy bars.

As for simply "writing off" the theft, you don't own a business, nor have you ever managed one, have you? The cost of theft inevitably gets passed on to consumers in the form of higher prices. I'm not okay with that.

Yes the minister was wrong and he will have to pay.....

Just as he should with a criminal conviction. He's not special, nor should he be treated as such for such a flagrant and brazen act of theft.

Wouldn't he have diplomatic immunity?

Probably not. Despite what alot of people think, diplomats can still be arrested for crimes that are completely unconnected with their diplomatic duties. They can't just go around robbing and murdering people. If this guy were to steal a painting while visiting a Japanese govt office then diplomatic immunity might apply, but if he is stealing from a private hotel which he voluntarily chose to stay at then probably not. It's seems like a bit of a grey area since it happens so rarely. There will undoubtedly be alot of unofficial pressure to drop the case.

Useless news. The three paintings were worth 15,000 yen - huh. At flea market you will get better deals.

I find it quite amusing that the deputy director general of the Thai Department of Intellectual Property shows such little regard for other people's property. What a role model.

At flea market you will get better deals.

Maybe he thought he could take them home and fleece some poor sucker into thinking they were worth a hell of a lot more!

Art Lover

Are you kidding me? And this guy is a diplomat? Charge the moron, the world is better off

And this guy is a diplomat?

He's not exactly a diplomat. As the article points out, he's the deputy director general of the Department of Intellectual Property in Thailand.

deputy director general of the Department of Intellectual Property

wanted to copy the nondescript landscapes, then

Ohhh, he bad mannn

diplomatic immunity

You have to say this like the guy in Lethal Weapon 2.

Utrack,

The hotel could have just added the paintings to the ministers hotel bill. Instead of causing an international incident. Where is the common sense in that. This is just like arresting old people for theft The candy bar or whatever knick knack can be written off. Instead the old senile person is put through the wringer. and jailed.... Yes the minister was wrong and he will have to pay.....

Are you for real? If you don't want to cause an international incident then don't steal then think it's the hotel's fault. If he wanted them so badly why not ask the manager or staff where the hotel got it from. Nah, I m just going to put them in my bag because I am a high ranking official. Thieving toerag!

taking stuff for sale in your room is clearly different from taking it off the walls. he should be charged.

He forgot to get omiyage for his coworkers

Otoriage.

Some hotels have pricey art. If it was the Chinzan-sou they might have been worth something.

"senior Thailand official arrested in Japan for allegedly stealing three paintings from a hotel’s hallways."

Allegedly In his mind, It was thailand official business.....Lum di lum di lie

seriously whos stupid enough to checkout stolen goods in their luggage.

This clown makes me feel relatively intelligent lol

Not classified diplomat and stealing is not same as spying. Gov't cannot defend foreigner thieves. Hotel have to prevent copycat thieves.

Are we to infer such a thing as Intellectual Property exists in Thailand.

Very interesting.. the guy got his bachelor and master degrees from Japan and his wife is a Japanese. Probably he stole lot of Thai government properties too.

Wow! They're going to drag him in so much mud!

Hey. Don't blame the guy. When he came to Japan, he asked his friends if they wanted anything.

They told him to just take a lot of pictures.

After 21 days and he steps out of the clinker, they arrest him again for 21 days until he confesses.

It's called 'theft' and is illegal in every country in the world (unless there is something called 'legal theft').

Stealing is stealing mean nothing else, he's to respect for the consequence he has done with no excuses.

Like many Thai people, I feel deeply sorry for such an embarrassing behaviour of that shameless officcer. We widely discuss that he must be ultimately punished. Unfortunately, the law indicates that stealing things is only a minor guilt, he is therefore put on probation. By the way, Thai people do not agree with it at all and widely criticise on social networks. Trust me, we do feel very sorry for that and never blame the hotel.

Many Japanese probably feel so bad as well as the Thais. The man went to a well known high school in Tokyo, bachelor and master degrees and married to a Japanese wife. Worked in Japan and many other countries for many years. I have sympathy for him but no excuse for his guilt. What I hate the most is that many important Thai government officials came out and mentioned "no big deal"!

UtrackJan. 26, 2017 - 07:20AM JST --- stupid comment ever. The guy commit a crime. Stealing from others. They were not soft drinks, snacks to be added to the bill. They belong to the hotel. He was a thief. Thief is thief doesn't matter if he's an elderly. He should be charged. He stole them while on work trip i.e. was there as a representative of Thailand yet stole from the host. What an inter (national) disgrace.