Expensive release (updated)

A German court has ordered the release of the Thai Crown Prince's 737 jet seized at Munich airport but at a price so high that it now looks like it won't be paid. AFP photo

The impounded 737 plane seized at Munich airport in a commercial dispute will be released if it is clearly established that it belongs to the Crown Prince. Peter Kneffel, AFP

Evening update

The story of the the Crown Prince’s impounded jet has taken on a new twist.

Kasit: No guarantee deposit for the release of royal jet

Thailand will not hand over the 20 million euros (846 million baht ) bank guarantee for the release of the Crown Prince's impounded jet and will fight the case to the end, Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya said on Thursday.

Mr Kasit said foreign ministry officials, the director of the Department of Civil Aviation, representatives of the Royal Thai Air Force and legal experts will travel to Germany to fight the case.

They will insist  that the plane is the private property of His Royal Highness Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, not the Thai government.

Thailand had already provided necessary evidence and documents to the German court and there was no need for Thai authorities to deposit the bank guarantee for the release of the Boeing 737 jet plane, Mr Kasit said.

Mr Kasit said he will meet public prosecutors tomorrow to discuss what steps should be taken to press for the plane's release.

Air force chief ACM Itthaporn Subhawong confirmed that the air force handed over ownership of the plane to the Crown Prince in 2007, with the issuing of registration documents by the Department of Civil Aviation. The plane no longer belongs to the Thai air force, ACM Itthaporn said.

impounded – taken away or taken control of by the police or by another authority  ยึดไว้เป็นของกลาง
twist – an unexpected change or development in a story or situation การเปลี่ยนแปลงที่ไม่คาดคิด
guarantee deposit – a sum of money that is paid by somebody when they rent or claim something and that is returned to them no damage has been done or the claim is proven correct  เงินประกัน,  เงินมัดจำ
release – allowing someone/something to go free การปล่อย
legal – relating to the law or lawyers เกี่ยวกับกฎหมาย
insist – to keep saying very firmly that something is true ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
private property – property owned by an individual, company, organisation, etc. which is not part of the government ทรัพย์สินส่วนบุคคล
evidence – facts statements or objects that help to prove whether or not something is true หลักฐาน
document – a piece of paper or a set of papers containing official information เอกสาร
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
prosecutor – a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty อัยการ
issue – to officially give out  ออก
registration – the process of recording names or information on an official list การขึ้นทะเบียน, การลงทะเบียน
aviation – the flying of aircraft การบิน
civil aviation – non-military aviation การบินพลเรือน

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Court wants B846m to release royal jet

Bangkok Post and Agencies

MUNICH: A German court has ordered the release of the Crown Prince's impounded jet upon receipt of a hefty bank guarantee, ending an awkward episode that threatened to upset ties.

HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn's Boeing 737 was seized at Munich airport in southern Germany last Tuesday in a long-running commercial dispute between Thailand and a now-insolvent German construction firm.

But a court in nearby Landshut said it had received an assurance under oath from the Thai Department of Civil Aviation's director that the plane belonged to the Crown Prince, not the Thai state, as well as a 2007 registration certificate.

The vice-president of the court, Christoph Fellner, said however that since these documents provided only a "presumption of ownership", 20 million euros (846 million baht) had to be deposited via a bank guarantee.

"No guarantee means no take-off," he said. "If everything goes well for the prince and we establish that the aircraft really belongs to him, then he will get his bank guarantee back." The guarantee was set at that level because that was estimated to be the value of the plane, the court said.

The seizure of the aircraft prompted a visit by caretaker Foreign Minister Kasit Piromya last Friday to Berlin. He called the incident a "huge mistake" and met a German Foreign Ministry official to press for the plane's release.

"If this takes too long it might affect the feelings of the Thai people towards German people and the country because this is related to the monarchy," Mr Kasit had warned, saying the dispute had "nothing to do" with the royal family.

The German government had said it regretted the incident but stressed that it was powerless to act, insisting it was a matter for the courts.

The dispute goes back more than 20 years to the involvement of DYWIDAG, which merged with construction firm Walter Bau in 2001, in building a motorway link between Bangkok and Don Mueang airport.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Jesda Katavetin and permanent secretary for transport Supoj Saplom Wednesday said Thai authorities were studying the German court's ruling.

impounded – taken away or taken control of by the police or by another authority  ยึดไว้เป็นของกลาง
seize – to take something using official power ยึด
commercial – for business purposes เกี่ยวกับการค้า
dispute – a serious disagreement  ข้อโต้แย้ง
release – to set someone or something free ปล่อย
establish – to discover, prove, or decide that something is true พิสูจน์, แสดงให้เห็น
receipt – the act of receiving something การได้รับ
hefty – large; expensive หนัก,ใหญ่, แพง
guarantee – a promise that something will be done or will happen คำรับรอง, การประกัน
awkward – difficult to deal with; causing problems  กระอักกระอ่วน
episode – an event or set of events that forms part of a longer series but is considered separately กรณี, ตอน,ฉาก
threaten – to be likely to harm or destroy something เป็นลางร้าย
upset – to change the usual or expected state or order of something, especially in a way which stops it from happening or working ทำให้ไม่ปกติ
ties – relations; connections ความสัมพันธ์
insolvent – not having enough money to pay what you owe ซึ่งล้มละลาย
construction – the work of building or making something, especially buildings, bridges, etc. การก่อสร้าง
firm – a business or company บริษัม
assurance – a promise; a guarantee  การรับประกัน, การรับรอง
oath – a formal promise, usually, but not always, in a court of law, to tell the truth การกล่าวปฏิญาณตน
aviation – the flying of aircraft การบิน
civil aviation – non-military aviation การบินพลเรือน
state – government รัฐบาล
registration – the process of recording names or information on an official list การขึ้นทะเบียน, การลงทะเบียน
certificate – an official document or record stating that particular facts are true  ประกาศนียบัตร เกียรติบัตร
presumption – the act of supposing that something is true, although it has not yet been proved or is not certain การสันนิษฐาน, ข้อสันนิษฐาน
deposit – to put money into a bank account ฝากเงิน (ทางการธนาคาร)
via – through  ผ่าน
estimated – thought to be a particular amount, size, etc. based on a guess or the best information available ประมาณการ
prompt – to cause someone to take action กระตุ้น
caretaker – in charge for a short time, until a new leader or government is chosen รักษาการ
incident – something that happens, usually something bad เหตุการณ์
monarchy – a type of government in which a country is ruled by a king or queen  การปกครองที่มีพระมหากษัตริย์เป็นประมุข
regret – a feeling of sadness about something sad or wrong or about a mistake that you have made, and a wish that it could have been different and better ความโทมนัส,ความเสียใจ,ความเศร้าโศก
stress – to emphasise something such as an idea, fact or detail; to explain why something is important เน้น
insist – to keep saying very firmly that something is true ยืนกราน ยืนยัน
involvement – the act or process of taking part in something การเกี่ยวข้อง
merge – (of two or more groups) to join together to become one การรวมกัน
link – a connection การเชื่อมต่อ
permanent secretary – a government official, not a political appointee, in charge of a ministry ปลัดกระทรวง
authorities – people who have the power to make decisions or enforce the law เจ้าหน้าที่ผู้มีอำนาจ
ruling – a decision by a court of law คำตัดสิน คำชี้ขาด
insolvent – not having enough money to pay what you owe ซึ่งล้มละลาย