BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON

UNCLAS BANGKOK 000803 SIPDIS SIPDIS PM/DTCC FOR BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ETTC KOMC TH SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON LICENSE 05-050082129 REF: STATE 13086 ¶1. (U) According to the Thai Ministry of Commerce, Manittyont Ltd. was registered as follows: Registration No. 0103499000805 Registered Date: May 10 1956 Status: Limited Partnership Name: Manittyont Ltd, Part. Capital Registration: 3,000,000 baht Business partners: Kritsana Chittangwong, Sanit Chittangwong, and Sitthiphon Chittangwong. Each with an investment of 1,000,000 baht Managers: Kritsana and Sanit Chittangwong without limitation of authority. Location: 187 Phetkasem Rd., Wat Thaphra Sub-District, Bangkok Yai District, Bangkok. The business has submitted annual financial reports during 1999-2006. Purpose of Company: Wholesale and retail sale of guns and ammunition. ¶2. (U) Manittyont Ltd., Part. is listed in the directory under the same address and telephone number as stated in reftel and in the commercial registration. ¶3. (U) POL FSN made an unannounced visit to the company at the address listed in the cable and met Kritsana Chittangwong, one of the shop's partners. The company is located in an older, two-story building. The building was not typical of gun shops in Bangkok. No gun were displayed. Kritsana declined to answer specific questions about the business and suggested that POL FSN direct inquiries to Sanit Chittangwong, who supervises the business. POL FSN met with Sanit separately. ¶4. (U) Additional questions per Reftel: How long has your company been in the business of importing and selling defense articles in Thailand? Answer: About thirty to forty years. Originally, the business was a gas station and garage run by Sanit's parents; the business later transformed to gun sales. Sanit confirmed the purchase and the import of this lot of guns. Guns were stored at that house inside a large iron safe What services and products are sold by your company? Answer: Aside from guns, the shop also sells gun accessories and ammunition. It also repairs and maintains guns. Who are your regular customers? Where do they reside? Answer: The general public and law enforcement personnel who reside throughout Thailand. Civil servants in Bangkok are allowed to buy guns via the Ministry of Interior's (MOI) Department of Provincial Administration and civil servants residing outside Bangkok are allowed to buy through the Ministry of Interior's District Office. Buyers must be Thai citizens. A non-Thai cannot purchase a gun unless granted a permit by the MOI. Most customers know the shop through other customers. Customers must make an appointment in advance to buy guns. For the twelve pistols in reftel, ten will be sold to the public and two would be imported on behalf of two cadets at the police academy. Sanit said police cadets are permitted to import guns for their own use. Annual total imports under this program was approximately two hundred pistols. Manittyont received orders to import fifty pistols in 2006 and seventeen pistols in 2007 on behalf of cadets. What were your total firearms sales in 2007? Answer: Manittyont possesses five gun licenses. Each license, per Thai regulations, allows the importation of fifty rifles and thirty pistols per year. The licenses are under the names of Manittyont, Issara, Or. Charoen, So. Kritsanaphon, and Kritsana Chittangwong. The primary business, Manittyont, purchases and imports guns on behalf of the other four licensees. Total sales in 2007 for all licensees was approximately 5 million baht, or $160,000 in current excange rate. Sales for Manittyont were approximately 1 - 2 million baht. Are you familiar with the regulations governing the import of US-origin defense articles, including restrictions on re-transfer or re-export? Answer: Sanit said that he knows US regulations. He said that this is compulsory knowledge for all gun shops since Thai laws requires this as well. ¶5. (U) Sanit provided copies of: 1) Permits for gun imports issued to Manittyont. -- Import Permit No. PK 972, dated 09/18/2007, dated 2550 not 2500 as stated reftel, allowing Manittyont to import 10 STI pistols. -- Import Permit No. 137, dated 11/16/2007, dated 2550 not 2500, as stated reftel, allowing Manittyont to import 1 STI pistol on behalf of Police Cadet Atsadawut Khwangmuang. -- Import Permit No. 138, dated 11/16/2007, dated 2550 not 2500, as stated reftel, allowing Manittyont to import 1 STI pistol on behalf of Police Cadet Ekkaphop Tangwattanakan. 2) Purchase Order No. 50105, dated 12/04/2007, from Manittyont, to the STI International, Inc., to buy 12 STI pistols. JOHN