Department Director Benja
Louischaroen officially launches the 60-foot speedboat at Pattaya’s
Ocean Marina.
Manoon Makpol
Thailand’s Excise Department has added a third
high-speed patrol boat to its Pattaya fleet, improving its odds for
arresting smugglers and catching tax evaders.
Department Director Benja Louischaroen and chief
investigator Jaturong Suwannoi launched the 60-foot speedboat at
Pattaya’s Ocean Marina April 27. The boat joins two 37-foot Ratchawat
already in use.
The new craft is 15 feet wide and powered by two
593-horsepower engines. The boat holds 15 crewmembers who will stay at
sea for at least 50 hours per shift. It’s equipped with radar and
ultra-wide wireless Internet receivers.
In the past seven months, the Excise Department
nationwide made 27,481 arrests and collected 265 million baht in fines.
