Warrants issued for Dr. Boon Vanasin and 8 associates on fraud charges

Warrants for the arrests of Dr. Boon Vanasin, founder and chairman of Thonburi Healthcare Group, his ex-wife, daughter and six other individuals, on charges of defrauding the public and money laundering, have been issued by the Criminal Court.

Boon and Charuwan are reported to have divorced.

According to the Metropolitan Police, six of the nine suspects have already been taken into custody. They are Chidapha Poomput (53), Sivimon Jadmuang (38), Atchima Panichkriangkrai (49), Park Wattanaporn (36), Patranit Na-Songkhla (55) and Thanapoom Chonpresert (36).

86-year-old Boon is believed to have fled the country, but his ex-wife Charuwan and daughter Nalin reported to the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) in person today, to deny all the charges against them.

The lawyer for the two suspects, Chamnan Chadit, told the media that they told the police that their signatures, which appear on the loan and guarantee agreements, were falsified while they were abroad and that the case regarding the forgeries is being contested in Civil Court. Both claimed that they have no idea who falsified their signatures, according to Chamnan.

The lawyer also said that Charuwan will take further legal action against her former husband and anyone else involved in the falsifications.

According to the police report, Boon posted an advertisement on social media on February 2, 3 and 4 last year, announcing that his Thonburi Healthcare Group has plans for five expansion projects in Thailand, Laos and Vietnam.

These include:

· A cancer centre in the Pinklao area of Bangkok, worth about four billion baht

· An elderly wellness centre in Bangkok’s Rama 3 area, estimated to cost about five billion baht

· Three hospitals in Laos, with two in Vientiane and one in Champasak

· A joint venture project to build a hospital in Vietnam, at an estimated cost of five billion baht

· A medical intelligence facility, at an estimated cost of 100 million baht

The police report alleges that many businessmen and medical practitioners had fallen for the publicity and had invested in the projects by ending him money, with individual contracts with signed Boon, accompanied by letters of guarantee. Advance cheques plus interest were issued to each investor, to ensure that they will be refunded (plus interest).

Several investors discovered, however, that their cheques bounced, prompting them to file complaints with Huai Khwang police.

Their combined losses are estimated at about 7.5 billion baht, as of this October.

Police say that Boon left Bangkok for China on September 29th on a Cathay Pacific flight.