Thailawforum’s Interview with Jake Needham

Thailawforum recently spoke with famed, Asia crime novelist, JakeNeedham, in a video this past week. The interview, which was conducted at the luxurious Bangkok JW Marriot, was filled with anecdotes, past memories, and comments regarding living in Asia as an expatriate.

Thailand Criminal Attorneys Chaninat & Leeds provide advice on Thai criminal law and international cases and issues

Needham, a former lawyer and screenwriter in Hollywood, gives insight into how he crafts his novels by paying attention to headlines in Asia. Having spent most of his time living in Asia, mostly Thailand, Singapore and Hong Kong, most of his novels, characters and setting are based in these locations. He recounts that people use to always ask him if his characters were based on real people because his descriptions are often so well done, but he shrugs it off as coincidental, “I make this stuff up,” he says referring to his popular Thailand based novel, King of Macao, which featured a familiar Thailand Prime Minister character that was ousted by a coup.

See full video here:

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Foreign Investigators: Crime Fiction in Thai Settings

Americans Renouncing their Citizenship up 221%

Forbes reported that more Americans are renouncing their citizenship in the year 2013 with a whopping 221% increase from the year before, according to the article; Americans Renouncing their Citizenship up 221%. Most would wonder what is causing this upward trend. Although the reasons that Americans are renouncing their citizenship could be for a variety of things, like family obligations, or conveniences, spome experts believe that  the primary reason could be US income tax laws. 

America is one the few countries in the world that requires their citizens to pay income tax on global income sources or sources outside of America. Some prominent and wealthy Americans, such as one of the Facebook co-founder, Eduardo Saverin, have given up American citizenship to reside elsewhere, taking along their wealth. Recently, the Foreign Account Tax Compliant Act (FACTA) has also required assets disclosure by expatriates.According to Thailand law firm Chaninat & Leeds requests to assist with renouncing US citizenship are rare. In contrast Chaninat & Leeds points out persons seeking to immigrate to the US are much more frequent.  

Related Documents:

The Income Tax Treaty Between the United States and Thailand: An Overview and Analysis

Foreign Investigators: Crime Fiction in a Thai Setting

Thailand based crime and mystery novels have evolved into a specilaized  genre of fiction, with a loyal fan base.  Some examples of this fiction genre include Will Berthold’s City of Angels, and Christopher G. Moore’s popular novels inlcuding Paying Back Jack.  The article, Foreign Investigators: Crime Fiction in a Thai Setting. examines some of the background and evolution of this unique fiction genre.

Chaninat and Leeds  provides investigation in Thailand as part of their full service legal practice 

In addition to Thailand crime novels, real life stories of foreign investigators can also make for interesting reading. Nicole from thailawforum interviewed author and former investigator working in Thailand about some of his real life experiences in the following video:

Scalia: Internment Camps Will Return

The Washington Times has reported that US Supreme Court Justice Scalia, during a recent visit to the University of Hawaii’s Law School,, “You are kidding yourself if you think the same thing will not happen again,” referring to the 1944 US Supreme Court case, Korematsu v. US, that upheld the law oordering the internment of Japanese-American citizens during the World War 2.

Thailand Lawyer

Chaninat & Leeds provides advice concerning Thailand Criminal Law, and International Arrest Warrants 

           

Justice Scalia mentioned that he thought the ruling on Korematsu v. US 1944 was wrong.  However, he did not elaborate on why he thought the US government will resort to interning groups of people again if war were to break out. Some people, who believe that the US is becoming more of an authoritarian state, have interpreted Justice Scalia’s remark as a warning of things to come.  ALtenrtaive journalist Matt Drudge has also issued a cryptic warning on his Twitter “Have an exit plan…” . 

To read the full story click here

Interview with Christopher Moore, Bangkok Based Author

Christopher Moore is a well-liked and admired Thailand based author who has written thirty books, both fact and fiction about Thailand.

 

Fear and Loathing in Bangkok, is he latest book and is a collection of essays about all things Thai related offering a real and interesting insight into life in Bangkok in the present day.

 

Thailand Lawyer 

Chaninat & Leeds specialize in Thai and international law 

Chris wrote his first book in 1985 which was based in Canada where he used to practice law, but he moved to Thailand in 1985 and has been writing about the Land of Smiles ever since.

Watch the interview here:

Scalia: Internment Camps will return

In times of war, countries are apt to defend themselves and sometimes due process and constitutional rights gets thrown out. The Washington Time reports that United States Supreme Court Justice Scalia had made an interesting statement at the University of Hawaii’s Law School, defending a nation’s rights to intern American citizens if war breaks out. Scalia said, “You are kidding yourself if you think the same thing will not happen again,” referring to a 1944 US Supreme Court case, Korematsu v. US, that upheld the law on interning Japanese-American citizens during the World War 2, when United States troops were battling the Japanese abroad.

Thailand Attorney

Chaninat & Leeds providesadvice concerning Thailand Criminal Law, and International Arrest Warrants.

Although, Justice Scalia did mention that he thought the ruling on Korematsu v. US 1944 was wrong, it seemed rather irresponsible for Justice Scalia to make this statement while the US has been waging a war on terrorist since the September 11^th attack, and using national security as a grounds for action, the rights of many groups of Americans have been infringed upon. For example, some Muslim Americans with certain names are added to “no fly” lists with the TSA (Transportation Security Advisors), and are often harassed at the airports even though they are not affiliated with any terrorist groups.

To try and clarify the statement the Dean of the University of Hawaii’s law school issued a statement saying that he thinks that Justice Scalia meant that, “people always have to be vigilant and the law can’t be trusted to provide protection”.

To read the full story click here

Divorce Lawyer Gets 2 Years in Tax Evasion, Eavesdropping

Making headlines in California, a Federal judge has sentenced a female divorce attorney to two years in prison for tax evasion and illegal wiretaps.

The female divorce attorney, name Mary Nolan, is a veteran attorney with many decades of experience. She was accused of setting up her client’s spouses with fake DUIs with the help of a private investigator.

In the scheme to win more financial settlement for her clients, Nolan paid an investigator to plant illegal listening devices in her client’s spouse’s cars. The investigator would then pay beautiful women to buy the spouses drinks in bars and restaurants and when they get into their cars to drive home, they would get pulled over by tipped off law enforcement officials. 

This scheme was allegedly intended to discredit the spouses by hurting their characters in court.

Character evidence and evidence of bad conduct is often prescribed in divorce cases according to Chaninat and Leeds divorce attorney, Jiraporn Thongphong, especially during child custody cases. Investigators are often employed to uncover evidence about the opposing spouses, and used to discredit them in courts, however creating contrite evidence about an opposing spouse is often times not needed because backgrounds and histories will usually suffice.

Read the full story here

Millionaire asked ex-wife to stay on as maid

A UK ex-wife of a millionaire was asked to stay on as a maid in the home she shares with her ex-husband for over twenty years after their divorce, reports TheTelegraph. Since the ex-husband is moving in his new partner, he had thought the arrangement would be ideal for all. Understandably, the ex-wife was upset as she found the request insulting. The unnamed couple, who was married in the 70’s, but divorce later continued to live together as “usual” in the marital home for over twenty years. A high court judge in the UK has determined that she was entitled to half of her husband’s total net worth.

This is a perculiar case since the couple continued to live together for so long after a divorce was already granted. The main issue that most attorneys reading this would struggle with, in cases arising over 20 years prior to origination is the statute of limitations, or the prescription period is the length of time that had passed. In Thailand, similar to mother other nations, the prescription period for various cases could be found in the Thailand Civil and Commercial Code. According to Thai Attorneys, a case like this, concerning statutes of limitations, would generally be difficult to litigate, after such a long period of time. 

For the full story, click here

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