2500 Tonnen Gold in in Thailand entdeckt ?? - 500 Beiträge pro Seite

[Siam2]

@die goldinteressierten Leser dieses Boardes


Diese Meldung ist kein Witz und auch keine Ente, wenigstens noch nicht, aber lest doch bitte selber.



Falls die Story über die von den Japanern auf ihrer Flucht aus Thailand zum Ende des 2. Weltkrieges, vergrabenen Goldschatzes stimmen sollte, oder auch nicht, dürfte wieder einmal mehr über Gold weltweit geredet werden. Die Zeitungen werden sich sicherlich auf diese Story einschiessen, wie auch immer sie auch ausgehen wird!

Zudem kommen die Amerikaner bei den angeblich gefundenen Goldbonds, etwas in Erklärungsnotstand!

Die Thäiländer könnten übrigens mit dem Fund ihre Auslandsschulden begleichen, und hätten auf einen Schlag ihre Finanziellen Probleme gelöst.

Falls der Goldschatz im angeblichen Wert von umgerechnet ca. 14 Miliarden DM, wirklich existieren sollte?, ist anzunehmen, dass neben den Thailändern, vielleicht auch die Engländer, oder die Amerikaner, wenn nicht sogar die Japaner, ihre Ansprüche darauf geltend machen werden.

Ganz interessant scheint mir auch die Bekanngabe, dass sich beim Goldschatz auch noch 250 U.S. Federal Reserve Gold Bullion Bonds mit einem totalen Papierwert von $25 billion befinden solle.


N.B. Amerikanische Billionen entsprechen unseren deutschen Miliarden!


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++


Quelle: Yahoo Finance News



Monday, April 16 2:22 PM SGT

Thailand Starts Official Treasure Hunt For WWII Booty
BANGKOK (AP)--Armed with rock breaking equipment, Thai officials and workers set out into a labyrinthine jungle cave Monday to start an official treasure hunt for a World War II era booty believed to be hidden inside.
The 60-member team, comprising army troops and experts from forestry, fine arts and mineral resources department, will drill through blocked portions of the cave for seven days, Forestry Department chief Plodprasop Suraswadi told reporters outside the cave.

More than 400 policemen and forestry officials were deployed around the area to keep at bay hundreds of people who gathered outside the Lichea Cave in Karnchaburi province, 110 kilometers west of Bangkok.

The gold rush started after a controversial senator Chaovarin Lathasaksiri announced last week that he has discovered evidence of the treasure after a five-year search.

He said the treasure, left behind by retreating Japanese soldiers during the World War II in 1945, was worth billions of dollars, which could easily wipe out Thailand`s national debt of 280 billion baht ($1=THB45.615) national debt.

He had made similar unproved claims in the past, and his latest assertion was taken with a pinch of salt by the Thai media. But Chaovarin gained credibility when Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra flew to the area Friday and said Chaovarin may be telling the truth.

Chaovarin has claimed that the treasure includes 250 U.S. Federal Reserve gold bullion bonds with a total paper value of $25 billion. The bonds, issued in 1934, have a maturity period of 30 years and are payable with an annual interest rate of 4%, he said.

Monday`s Thai Rath newspaper quoted Chaovarin as saying that the bonds guarantee that the money would be paid to any one who holds them.

It said the treasure also contains 2,500 tons of gold.

Chaovarin said that the booty, if found, would be handed over to Thailand`s king Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Siam2

[Siam2]

Hier noch eine Fotografie von der Titelseite der grössten thailändischen Tageszeitung Thai Rath, die in ihrer heutigen Ausgabe ausführlich, leider nur für der thailändischen Sprache mächtigen unter Euch, über den Goldfund berichtet.



Hier der Link zur Thai Rath Tageszeitung!

http://www.thairath.co.th/

Weitere Zeitungen, englische und deutsche, werden mit Sicherheit morgen folgen.

Siam2

[John_Law]

Na, von "entdeckt" kann ja wohl noch keine Rede sein. Da steht, daß sie nach dem Schatz suchen, sonst nichts.
Das wäre allerdings ein tolles Ding, wenn die den Schatz tatsächlich finden. :-)
(aber vermutlich mal wieder ein Schlag für den Goldpreis. Immerhin bestände ja die Gefahr, daß die 2500 Tonnen zusätzlich auf den Markt kommen!)

So richtig glauben kann ich allerdings nicht an einen Schatz dieser Größenordnung. Warum hätten die Japaner so ein Vermögen mitten im Krieg irgendwo in Thailand lagern sollen statt in relativer Sicherheit auf ihren eigenen Inseln?

[Siam2]

Hier noch ein Artikel aus der grössten englischsprachigen Tageszeitung Bangkok Post von heute.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Forestry team to explore cave


THE Royal Forestry Department will conduct its own survey of a cave in Kanchanaburi believed to contain a vast hoard of treasure hidden by retreating Japanese troops during World War II, RFD director-general Plodprasop Suraswadee said yesterday.

He said the survey would begin today or tomorrow and would take about seven days.

The survey team would try to remove large rocks that block what is believed to be the cave`s mouth, Plodprasop said after inspecting the site near the Lijia cave in Kanchanaburi`s Sangkhla Buri district.

Separately, Suwat Yomchinda, leader of the Progressive Party, claimed yesterday there are four more places where "Japanese treasure" was hidden - two in Kanchanaburi, and one each in Surat Thani and Chumphon.

He said a member of his party, whom he identified as Somwang Ongsombat, had discovered a similar treasure as that purportedly found by controversial Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri in Lijia cave.

The RFD director-general has signed an order to set up a five-member committee to open up the Kanchanaburi cave, a source said yesterday.

Plodprasop is one of the committee members.

No explosives would be used and only excavation would be allowed. The excavation would stop if the obstacles were found to be natural, not man-made, the source said.

The survey will cost no more than Bt500,000, according to the source.

Plodprasop said yesterday the RFD survey was not aimed at hunting for any treasure and that the objective was merely to study the cave.

He said the department was allowed by forestry law to conduct such a survey in a national park.

Meanwhile, Avuth Ngernchuklin, director-general of the Department of Fine Arts, said that if the treasure really had been discovered, the next step would be to register the find as objects of archaeological significance. Then the department would assess the value of the items, he said.

According to law, anyone who discovers such objects is entitled to a financial reward worth about one third of the value, Avuth said.

Chaowarin claimed last week that his treasure hunt team had found tonnes of precious items inside the cave.

He said he would talk about the alleged discovery in detail after having an audience with His Majesty the King, possibly tomorrow.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday he would seek help from his friends in the United States for the use of a satellite to determine whether there was anything hidden in the Lijia cave. He said the satellite, fitted out with "remote sensing" technology, is used for exploring natural resources as deep as one kilometre under the ground.

Thaksin said information about the exact location of the cave would be sent to his friends in San Francisco tomorrow for the exploration.

He said the service would be free of charge.

"The satellite passes Thailand once every 15 days," he added.

The prime minister took Chaowarin`s story seriously enough to fly to the cave by helicopter last Friday to meet the senator.

Thaksin said that although he had not seen the treasure, he had no reason to disbelieve Chaowarin`s claims.

Chaowarin maintained yesterday that he has evidence to prove the existence of the treasure.

He said his team had found 250 bond certificates issued by the US government, with a face value of US$100 million (Bt4.5 billion) each, 250 bond certificates for gold bullion worth $100 million each, and 13 other bonds.

The find was worth an estimated $55 billion, he said.

"I will present His Majesty the real find, not just photos," the senator said yesterday.


--------------------------


Most Believe Treasure Claims - Survey

RESULTS of an Abac poll indicate that most people believe that there is treasure at the Lijia cave and support the idea that it should be used to help solve the country`s economic crisis.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Siam2

[TFischer]

..........und nächstens berichten auch noch die Araber, dass die Suche nach Ali Baba`s Schatzhöhle mit zig tausend Tonnen Gold darin kurz vor dem Erfolg stehe. Zudem berichten sie dann auch noch, dass sie das Zauberwort zum Öffnen der Höhle nach zeitraubendem, nächtelangem Literaturstudium endlich letzhin herausgefunden hätten.

TFischer

[fiesje]

......das ziel solcher berichte dürfte völlig klar sein.Jemand will billig gold kaufen!!!!!! Ich glaube mich erinnern zu können das vor jahren mal ein japanischer katalysatoren hersteller bekantgab das das er ein katalysator entwickelt hätte der mit einem bruchteil des ( platin oder palladium)auskommt als bisher.Als darauf hinne die preise nachgaben konnte man sich billig eindecken für die laufende produktion und später bekanntgeben das diese technologie wenn überhaut erst in jahren auf den markt kommt.

[keepitshort]

Es gibt tatsächlich wahre Schatzgräbergeschichten:
wo Goldschätze noch zu heben sind.

Buchtitel: Hinter den Bergen das Gold
Autor: Kurt Lütgen im Arena-Verlag

Das Geheimnis der Kokosinsel da liegt wirklich ein Goldschatz den muss man nur finden.
Die Insel der einsamen Eiche: da haben schon Leute gesucht
Die Oak-Island-Inseln: da haben schon Leute gesucht
Die Beute des Schwarzbarts

Die beste story
Der Goldschatz auf der Insel Trinidad

Der Sohn rüstete 1880 eine Expedition aus und fuhr nach der Insel, um den Schatz zu heben.
Die Karte die ihm der Vater aus dem Gedächtnis gezeichnet hatte,
erwies sich als richtig.
Aber die Schlucht am Südwestzipfel der Insel war nicht mehr vorhanden.
Eine riesige Gesteinslawine hatte sie zugeschüttet.
Die Schatzgräber versuchten durch Sprengungen an die Höhle heranzukommen.
Das misslang jedoch, denn die Detonationen lösten aufs neue Lawinen aus, die weitere riesige Mengen des brüchigen vulkanischen Gesteins über den versteckten Schatz schütteten.
So stehen meines Wissens die Dinge heute.
Vermutlich wird man zu dem Hort nur vordringen können, wenn man den Gesteinsschutt vorsichtig mit Hand und Schaufel abträgt.

Das könnte mit Arbeiterkolonnen geschehen, die monate, wenn nicht jahrelang tägig sind.
Null Problem mit den zwangsrekrutierten arbeitslosen Arbeiterkolonnen die Herr Schröder
Dir kostenlos zu Verfügung stellt.
Ich melde mich freiwillig für 3 Wochen Trinidad schon mal beim Arbeitsamt an
Hoffentlich zahlt der Schröder die Fahrtkosten für den Arbeitseinsatz.
Jedenfalls würden die Arbeiter auf Trinidad aus der deutschen Arbeitslosenstatistik verschwinden. Und sowas ist für Politiker nicht mit Gold aufzuwiegen

[xnickel]

Goldfinger hat den Inhalt von Fort Knox gleich nebenan versteckt.
8000 Tonnen.
Bleibt aber geheim.
Die wollen das leere Fort Knox nicht eingestehen.

[Sep]

ist eigentlich der Schatz der Nibelungen inzwischen gefunden ? Da brauchen wir nicht so weit zu fahren.



SEP

[Siam2]

Mit der neuesten Ausgabe der englisch sprachigen Tages Zeitung -Nation- vom 17. April 2001, geht die Goldfund Story weiter, und es werden schon einige Fragen gestellt die auf einen Scam hindeuten. Auf jeden Fall bleibts spannend.

Hier der Artikel der Nation vom 17.4.01



THAILAND`S INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS & INFORMATION SERVICE
April 17, 2001



Thaksin`s treasure or fool`s gold?


HEAVY rock-breaking equipment was moved to a Kanchanaburi cave yesterday, but Thai authorities, though excited by the prospects of unearthing enormous World War II treasure, now also have to "dig" into the possibility of a national scam.

Many questions have arisen concerning claims that US government bonds valued at $25 billion are among the treasures claimed to be buried in the Lijia cave. But the biggest one is why the 250 bond certificates are said to be worth $100 million each, as America has never printed a bond larger in value than $10 million.

Leading the excavation is Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri, being hailed as a national hero after facing years of contempt for his unwavering belief that a huge hoard of gold and other priceless items had been hidden inside the cave. He has never shown anybody the bonds, and it remains unclear if he has already discovered them all or just parts of them.

Sommai Pasi, deputy permanent secretary for finance, simply laughed off the proclaimed bonds yesterday, saying historical and economic facts alone could easily tell whether they were genuine or not.

The "bonds" were supposedly issued in 1934 and marked to mature three decades later. This has a lot of loopholes, according to Sommai. Even

the United States was not financially strong back then to issue bonds of this gigantic values, and the maturing period is unrealistically long, not to mention the question of who, during an economic depression, would want to make this kind of long-term investment. And it`s amazing that nobody - individuals or governments - has reported the loss of bonds of such huge val

ues.

"At that time no country had reserves strong enough to back up issuance of $25-billion-worth of bonds," said Sommai. "And at that time pounds or gold interested investors much more than US government bonds."

After fuelling the World War treasure frenzy with enthusiastic, if not careless, high-level comments, the Thaksin Cabinet seemed to back off a little yesterday. Deputy Finance Minister Suchart Jaovisidha told reporters he did not think the bonds were authentic.

"The prime minister is a knowledgeable person and I don`t believe that he`s taking this seriously," Suchart said.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra flew to the site on Friday, adding credibility to Chaowarin`s much-vaunted personal quest. The Thai leader went as far as suggesting that there was enough treasure inside the cave to free the country of national debts and lift it out of the economic crisis.

A recent Time magazine report on a World War II bond scam in the Philippines has raised the question of whether something similar is happening here. There are some glaring similarities such as the type of bonds, the year they were issued and the maturing period. In the Philippines` case, the so-called "Trillion Dollar Gang" cashed in by selling fake bonds to gullible treasure-crazed victims after spreading word about their discovery inside the wreckage of an American B-17 bomber.

That a bomber was carrying US treasury bonds worth trillions of dollars during a bombing mission is as puzzling as how, where and when Japanese soldiers ever got their hands on $25-billion-worth of bonds and why they decided to leave them in a Thai cave.

Amid growing doubts, Thaksin was more cautious yesterday, saying Chaowarin had only shown him photos, not real bonds, and that anything uncovered inside the cave needed to undergo a scrutiny process to determine authenticity.

"Everything remains highly uncertain. First, we need to know whether such bonds exist and then we will have to determine whether they are genuine," the prime minister said. "I haven`t seen the real thing yet so please don`t ask me `what if` questions."

Deputy Finance Minister Warathep Rattanakorn also echoed rising scepticism, saying the United States would be consulted on the authenticity of the proclaimed bonds.

The Thai government has yet to address the question of whether World War loot, if it is uncovered, must be returned to the rightful owners. Thaksin raised many an eyebrow when he indicated that the government would take charge of the so-called treasure inside the Lijia cave and use it to pay off national debts.

Chaowarin went ahead with his mission yesterday. After praying early in the morning to the spirits of Japanese soldiers who allegedly committed hara-kiri at the cave, he and his team determined that the most auspicious time to begin digging was 10.29am yesterday. They said that after the ceremony, the spirits of the Japanese soldiers were free to return to Japan.

The former deputy education minister had never mentioned the existence of US bonds in his numerous past interviews about his ambitious treasure hunt. It was generally known that he expected to find a large hoard of gold in the cave.

After Thaksin gave his strong support, the Forestry Department, which had been all but contemptuous about Chaowarin`s claims, gave permission for

earth-moving equipment to be brought in and closed off the site to the public.

Armed with the heavy equipment, a 60-member team comprising army troops and experts from forestry, fine arts and mineral resources departments, planned to drill through blocked portions of the cave for seven days, Forestry Department chief Plodprasop Suraswadi told reporters outside the cave.

More than 400 policemen and forestry officials were deployed around the area to keep at bay hundreds of people who had gathered outside the cave. The dig was halted in the afternoon for fear the cave might collapse. Whether and how the work will go on now depends on the opinion of experts.

Plodprasop said no explosives would be used during the exploration.

-----------------------

Cave `gold` similar to huge Filipino scam

IT may be premature for Thais to celebrate the purported "discovery" of Japanese treasure in a remote Kanchanaburi cave, particularly in light of a massive scam uncovered recently in the Philippines.

Earlier this year many Filipinos turned treasure-mad after news broke that US$2.15 trillion (Bt97.93 trillion) in US Federal Reserve notes in various denominations had been found in the mountainous jungles of Mindanao, according to Time magazine, in a report dated March 5.

But in a twist to the Thai story, the Philippine "treasure chest" was found in the wreck of a US wartime B-17 bomber, discovered in the jungle by a Mindanao mountain tribe.

The scam was blown by a joint US Secret Service and Philippines police operation on February 18 this year, when they arrested one Mindanao ex-security guard. They are hunting at least six other suspects including several foreign nationals, according to the magazine.

Each of the hustlers told his victims the bonds were being pulled from circulation in a matter of weeks and that he needed some cash to pay his expenses to Washington, where he would redeem the notes before they expired. In exchange he offered to pay back 1 per cent, being $1 million to $5 million, on every note cashed in.

The counterfeiters` tale struck a chord with many treasure-mad Filipinos. Newspaper classifieds routinely advertise the services of psychic fortune-hunters, and the four governments since Ferdinand Marcos` regime have embarked on searches for Japanese war loot, reportedly worth billions of dollars in gold and jewels, allegedly buried somewhere in the archipelago when General Yamashita Tomoyuki`s forces retreated before the Allied invasion in 1945, according to Time.

Their victims did not know that the U.S. government had never printed a bond with in value greater than $10 million, Time said. Nor did it matter that the fake dollar bills copied onto the bonds were "sloppy blurs in which Benjamin Franklin looks like a blob from Mars". They were taken in by the tantalisingly credible story.

All the fake bonds were dated 1934 and marked to "mature" 30 years later, exactly the same year and same conditions as the bonds that Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri claims to have found in Lijia Cave.

The first clues to the Trillion Dollar Gang were detected not in Mindanao but in Los Angeles. In early 1998, customs officials found fake Treasury notes hidden in the suitcase of a Filipino Jesuit priest.

Investigators eventually traced the fake bonds to a shanty town on the edge of Cagayan de Oro. There, in the home of a security guard named Archie Mingoc, police found a box containing $1.38 trillion in fake bonds and stacks of counterfeit Japanese, Malaysian and Argentinian currency.

A raid on the home of his brother-in-law, Renato Waban, yielded an additional $773 billion in bonds. Mingoc swears Waban, who has since disappeared, asked him to stash the box. Police believe Waban, who flew from Cagayan de Oro to Manila twice a week, may have acted as go-between for the Mindanao forgers and the ringleaders, some of whom may be Japanese, Americans and Europeans.

According to Time, US Secret Service Agent David Popp, now stationed in Manila to protect US monetary instruments, for one, is not too upset that only one arrest has been made.

It is enough, he says, that the publicity surrounding the bust has alerted Asian countries to look out for the fake US notes. They`re the ones with all the zeros.

--------------------

Hopes rise, but still no treasure

IN the wave of euphoria that has gripped the country following controversial Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri`s claim to have found hidden treasure left by retreating Japanese soldiers during World War II, some important facts appear to have been ignored.

No actual treasure has been shown to the mass media, not to mention the public. Only faint photos of items claimed to be part of the discovery, including US government bond certificates and gold coins, have been produced.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra may have added more weight to Chaowarin`s claim after showing up outside the Lijia cave in Kanchanaburi, where the treasure is said to be buried.

Thaksin was shown photos of the alleged discovery. He said later that although he had not seen the treasure itself he had no reason to disbelieve the senator`s claims.

A source close to Chaowarin said the senator showed Thaksin photos of the purported treasure and photocopies of supposed US government bonds, similar to ones later published in newspapers.

If it turned out to be a false alarm, the premier said, the site could at least be turned into a tourist attraction. He has since warned people not to get their hopes up.

But it appears the public has not heeded the PM`s advice, amid rising hopes the treasure would provide a quick fix for the country`s economic woes.

A recent public opinion poll conducted by Assumption University showed that 64 per cent of Bangkok residents believed Chaowarin`s claim. Nearly three-quarters of those surveyed said the treasure should be used to revive the country`s sagging economy, the poll found.

Chaowarin himself reportedly conceded he has not actually seen the booty.

The maverick senator, a veteran politician and former deputy education minister announced last week that after more than five years of hunting, his team had found the Japanese treasure inside the remote cave.

He claimed the treasure, sealed in 50 chests, included 2,500 tonnes of gold worth almost US$23 billion (about Bt1 trillion), and US government bonds with a total face value of $55 billion. A Thai-language newspaper quoted Chaowarin as saying the bonds guaranteed they could be redeemed by any one who holds them.

He said the gold was loaded into railway cars surrounded by skeletons of Japanese soldiers who had committed hara-kiri.

A source said Chaowarin, who is a PhD candidate at Ramkhamhaeng University, recently told his classmates that his treasure-hunting team had discovered gold and a large amount of precious items inside the cave.

In recent years, Chaowarin has made several outlandish claims to have tracked down the alleged hoard, but each time he has failed to come up with any proof. Nevertheless, he was elected as a senator last year and organised a petition signed by several thousand people supporting the excavation of the cave.

Gold diggers have made frequent attempts to explore the cave in the past, spurred by a story of a monk who claimed to have stumbled across a hidden hoard of 50 chests of gold, a steam locomotive and the skeletons of Japanese soldiers who had committed hara-kiri.

Six treasure hunters suffocated in the cave last year while trying to squeeze through one of the cave`s narrow passageways.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2000 Nation Multimedia Group
44 Moo 10 Bang Na-Trat KM 4.5, Bang Na district, Bangkok 10260 Thailand
Tel [phone] and 66-2-316-5900; Fax [phone]
Contact us: [e-mail]

Siam2

[nippon]

@siam

...und deswegen steigt Gold jetzt stark an? Vielleicht glaubt das Märchen ja Deine Großmutter.

nippon

[Siam2]

Die Goldfund Story geht munter weiter!

Doch jetzt mehren sich die Berichte, die die gefundenen USA Bonds als Fälschungen Bezeichnen. Der obige Fotolink vom 16.4.01, zeigt übrigens diese gefundenen, angeblichen US Bonds mit einem Facevalue von 55 Mia. US $.

Die Pressemeldungen:

Quelle: Yahoo Asien Finance, 17. April 2001

Finance - News Asian Markets

Tuesday, April 17 1:03 PM SGT

Thai Senator Says He Never Saw Supposed WWII Booty
BANGKOK (AP)--The senator who put Thailand on tenterhooks with claims he discovered billions of dollars in treasure hidden in a cave by Japanese troops during World War II conceded Tuesday he had never seen the booty.
"Up to now I`ve never got into the cave and I`ve never known what objects are being stored in there," Sen. Chaovarin Lathasaksiri told reporters in Bangkok.

Chaovarin had been expected to brief a weekly Cabinet meeting Tuesday but was pulled from the schedule, as the government distanced itself from his claims that there was enough hidden wealth to pay off the national debt.

Last Friday, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra visited the Lichea Cave in Kanchanaburi province, 110 kilometers west of Bangkok, triggering a media frenzy.

On Monday, an official search by a 60-member team wielding rock-breaking equipment began at the cave, which is located near the famous River Kwai Bridge fictionalized in the 1957 Academy Award winning film about Allied prisoners during World War II.

(MORE) Dow Jones Newswires 17-04-01

0503GMT

Backtracks On Earlier Claims

Chaovarin had claimed to have located a hoard including tons of gold and 250 U.S. Federal Reserve gold bullion bonds dated 1934 with a total face value of $25 billion.

Warathep Ratanakorn, deputy finance minister, told The Associated Press Tuesday that the U.S. bonds allegedly found in the cave were fake.

"The public should note that at that time (1934), no country had such huge amounts of reserves and no country had enough money to buy such bonds in such huge amounts," Somai Pasi, deputy permanent secretary of finance, told reporters.

Photos on the front pages of Thai national newspapers showed bonds in a denomination - $100 million - higher than was ever issued.

On Tuesday, Chaovarin blamed the media for playing up the story and backtracked on his claims, saying he had never said for sure that the bonds were genuine.

"Last week, my team happened to discover these documents printed in English and found later they were U.S. bonds, but I never said they were real or fake," Chaovarin said.

In the past five years, the controversial senator has repeatedly claimed to have found treasure stashed by Japanese occupying forces in Thailand at the end of the war, but has always failed to produce any evidence.

The treasure is reputedly hidden in a railway carriage in the cave with the remains of Japanese soldiers who committed suicide there.

Six Thai treasure hunters died of suffocation in the cave last July. Authorities opened the cave to Chaovarin`s team in February in a bid to end speculation about a gold hoard and to prevent future treasure hunters.

Thaksin told reporters Tuesday he would allow the official excavation at the cave to go ahead, and if anything of archaeological value was found, it could be opened as a tourist attraction.

Police would investigate if the alleged bonds were found to be fake, he said.

In February in the Philippines, more than $2 trillion in similar fake U.S. bonds was seized.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Quelle: The Nation Tages Update vom 17. April 2001




THAILAND`S INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS & INFORMATION SERVICE
Apr 17, 2001


Chaowarin wavers over authenticity of wartime US treasury bonds

Filed at 12 : 04 pm (THLD time)


BANGKOK, April 17 (The Nation) -- Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri, who heads an expedition searching for World War II treasure in a Kanchanaburi cave, appeared to have wavered between hope of a valuable find and fear of embarrassment after several prominent government officials and academics cautioned that the much-publicised treasure-hunting may turn out to be a hoax.

Chaowarin, speaking to reporters at Government House after meeting with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, said this morning he would postpone indefinitely an audience with His Majesty the King scheduled for today. The audience was sought by Chaowarin who intended to brief the monarch about the latest developments in the excavation at Lijia Cave.

"We need time to examine and verify the authenticity of the US treasury bonds after several government officials and academics suggested that they may be counterfeits," he said.

Among doubters were Deputy Permanent Secretary for Finance Sommai Pasi who said no country in the world, not even the United States, had reserves strong enough to back up the staggering US$25 billion`s worth of bonds supposedly issued in 1934.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Today`s Latest News
- Songkran casualties: 641 killed, 50,310 injured
- Chaowarin wavers over authenticity of wartime US treasury bonds
- Arrival figures augur well for tourism


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
© 2000 Nation Multimedia Group
44 Moo 10 Bang Na-Trat KM 4.5, Bang Na district, Bangkok 10260 Thailand
Tel [phone] and 66-2-316-5900; Fax [phone], Contact us: [e-mail]

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Quelle: Bangkok Post vom 17. April 2001

Premier has not seen `the real thing yet`
TREASURE HUNT -- Chaowarin upset by growing scepticism
Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday said he has not seen the World War II bonds supposedly abandoned by the Japanese imperial army.

Mr Thaksin said he only saw photographs of the bonds and if any existed, their authenticity must first be verified.

Even if they were real, it must be established whether they were still redeemable.

Pictures of the bonds were shown to Mr Thaksin last week by Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri during the premier`s visit to Lijia cave in Sangkhla district of Kanchanaburi.

The Ratchaburi senator, who has spent over a decade searching for the treasure, claims American bonds worth $55 billion and 2,500 tonnes of gold were among 13 items hidden inside Lijia cave.

Scepticism has continued to grow about Mr Chaowarin`s claims. Varathep Rattanakorn, the deputy finance minister, said most bonds matured in 30 years, and those supposedly in the cave would be at least 60 years old. He said people should not raise their expectations hastily.

His view was supported by Suchart Jaovisidha, also a deputy finance minister. As a veteran in the financial sector, Mr Suchart said he did not want to say much about the bonds. He said usually bonds issued by any country had specific maturity and refunding periods.

"I believe that the bonds in question, if genuine, must have expired more than 20 years ago and may no longer be used to redeem money from the US," Capt Suchart said.

Drilling work authorised by the Forestry Department began yesterday to open the cave in Khao Laem National Park.

Basic satellite mapping information has been sent to San Francisco to facilitate a remote-sensing process which would show whether anything of value, historical or monetary, existed in the cave.

Concerned agencies would also discuss necessary steps to be taken if any treasure is located.

Mr Varathep said the US authorities which supposedly issued the bonds, each valued at US$100 million, would be contacted to help with the verification. The date of issuance and conditions attached would have to be ascertained.

It was earlier reported the US government has denied it ever issued a bond worth as much as $100 million. The highest value of a single bond it issued was $100,000.

In November last year, a man was reportedly arrested in New Jersey for trying to redeem a counterfeit $100 million Federal Reserve bond. The man said he obtained the note from a Philippine general through an intermediary, and thought it was genuine. In February 2000, Philippine and US officials reportedly seized more than $2 trillion in counterfeit US Federal Reserve bonds in southern Philippines. The bonds were in denominations ranging from $10,000 to $500 million.

Mr Varathep said the government has instructed the Bank of Thailand to handle the bonds, if found. The Finance Ministry would only look into any gold discovered.

He said news of the treasure should not be played up until the process of proof is completed, as this could damage the country`s image if the story turned out to be a hoax.

Mr Varathep said he personally did not agree with any attempts to sell treasures to offset the economic burden, as national problems should be rectified through government policies.

Mr Chaowarin told reporters in Kanchanaburi yesterday that Mr Thaksin had a close relationship with US President George W Bush and the issue could be discussed between them.

He said he had heard from a close aide of Mr Thaksin that the government would not redeem all the money from the US in one lot. "I agree with the prime minister`s idea that we take the bonds out for a road show to increase their value before putting them up for auction. This way we will get more money than their face value," Mr Chaowarin said.

The senator became upset when asked what if the bonds turned out to be fake. He said a lot of people believed he was mad for having spent years searching for the treasure. "My determination is pure and I`m working in the interests of the country."

Mr Chaowarin also said earlier that the Japanese soldiers kept the treasure in a titanium chest. Titanium was first produced for commercial purposes by Du Pont Co in 1948, he said.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Die feierliche Uebergabe des angeblichen Goldschatzes an den König von Thailand, hat der oben besagte Schatzfinder, Senator Chaowarin, vorläufig verschoben.

Das wichtigste an dieser Story ist und bleibt aber, dass man über Gold redet, und das Gold wieder mehr in das Bewusstsein der Leute gelangt, mit dem Zusammenhang von Begriffen wie: Wertvoll, Schatz, Vermögen, und der Möglichkeit, dass eben ein solcher Goldschatz in der Lage wäre, die ganzen finanziellen Probleme Thailands auf einen Schlag zu lösen.

Nachdem Jahrelang die verantwortlichen Banken und Finanzjongleure dieser Welt, dem Gold die Prädikate, unnütz, tote Materie, nicht mehr zeitgemäss, etc. anhaften wollen, ist die Thailand Gold Story m.E. ein Beweiss dafür, dass die Welt eben doch noch sehr stark an den Wert von Gold glaubt.

Ob sich die Gold-Story schlussendlich bewahrheitet, oder sich nur als Witz erweisen wird, was nach den neuesten Meldungen sehr naheliegen könnte, und wovon ja auch die Kommentatoren dieses Threades, alle überzeugt sind, ist dabei unwichtig.

Wichtig scheint mir zu sein, dass sehr wohl Gold eine grosse Rolle spielen kann, auch ohne die in anderen Threads so viel diskutierte Nachrichtenagentur Reuters.

Die Thais, bei denen Gold einen viel höheren Stellenwert im täglichen Leben besitzt, als bei den Europäern, oder Amis, kaufen gerade jetzt wieder vermehrt physisches Gold, das ist auch ein Verdienst dieser Gold-Story.

Das Interesse an diesem Thread zeigte sich gestern mit 544 Zugriffen an einem Tag!


Siam2

[jeffery2]

Sach ich doch, Geschichten braucht die Welt, dann schreibt die Presse auch darüber und wenn es eine solche Räuberpistole ist. Wie wären doch unsere ex EMTV Aktionäre froh, so was langweiliges wie gold im Depot zu haben.
J2

[kwegusi]

Vieleicht findet Greenspan das Gold, so kann er den
Verleihzettel in Fort Knox wieder durch echtes Gold
ersetzen.
Da wäre noch die Frage nach dem Nazischatz und dem
Inka-Gold.
Ich werde mal bei den Abenteuer-Reiseveranstaltern
nachfragen, ob sie einen älteren US-Menschen mit
junger Frau, Glatze und Hornbrille gesehen haben.

[alterhaase]

ob war oder nicht,
2500 Tonnen entspricht 25 Dampflokomotiven aus massivem Gold,
in den Kriegswirren unbemerkt wie transportiert, vergraben usw. ???

vergeßt mir das Bernsteinzimmer nicht !

[xnickel]

alterhaase,
Du hast den Tip für den modernen Goldsucher gefunden.
Die haben Dampfloks, oder nur Teile, aus Gold gegossen, schwarz angestrichen und irgendwo abgestellt.
Vielleicht fährt eine als Museumsbahn?
Kratze ab sofort an allen schwarzgestrichenen Teilen.

[Khampan]

Bei Thairath neue Nachricht heute 15.00 Uhr

Die Regierung gibt bekannt, daß die Bohrungen in der Lidjia-Höhle aus Gründen der Sicherheit, der Umwelt und der großen Aufregung in der Bevölkerung vorübergehend eingestellt werden. Man will erst einmal Untersuchungen aus Amerika abwarten, wobei für mich unklar ist, ob sich das auf die eventuell gefälschten Bonds bezieht (kein Wunder, wenn man bedenkt was in Asien sonst noch alles gefälscht wird) oder ob die Amerikaner bei der Schatzsuche ihre Hilfe angeboten haben.

Nicht vergessen: die Thais waren schon immer Meister darin, die Begehrlichkeiten anderer Nationen zu ihren Gunsten auszunutzen. Andere übers Ohr zu hauen gilt als ausgesprochen schick, solange man es elegant genug anstellt.

Chook dii na krap,
Khampan

[Siam2]

Hier noch eine Meldung die auch belegt, dass Gold nicht tot ist. Im Gegenteil lässt diese Meldung Hoffnung aufkommen, dass der Goldpreis auch nicht mehr lange durch weitere Shortverkäufe gewisser Goldhandelhäuser, und Verkäufe von einigen grossen und kleineren National-Banken unterdrückt werden kann.

Wartet mal auf die Zahlen, 1. Halbjahr 2001, der Goldverkäufe in Thailand, nach dieser Goldfund Hysterie die gerade jetzt die ganze Presse, und das Fernsehen Thailands, auf ihren Titelseiten und in den Hauptnachrichten verbreiten. Von der Angst der Leute hier in Thailand vor einer Wiederholung der Finanzkriese von 1997-98, und der damit verbundenen möglichen neuen Geldentwertung, und des Zusammenbruchs des hiesigen Aktienmarktes auf ein Rekordtief, ganz zu schweigen.


+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Quelle: Yahoo

Finance - News Asian Markets


Tuesday, April 17 5:50 PM SGT

Thai 2000 Gold Demand At 67.5 MT, Up 41% On Yr
BANGKOK (AP)--Demand for gold increased sharply in Thailand last year, totaling 67.5 metric tons, or 41% more than in 1999, the World Gold Council said.
The increase was caused by an 81% increase in consumption by the Thai jewelry trade, which consumed 59.4 tons in 2000, the trade body said in a news release Tuesday.

However, investment demand for the precious metal in Thailand in 2000 totaled only 8.1 tons, 46% down from 1999. Investment demand was strongest in the fourth quarter of 2000 at 3.5 tons, but this was still 13% lower than the fourth quarter of 1999, when fears of a banking sector collapse spurred sales.

In Southeast Asia overall, gold demand in 2000 rose 1% to 267.3 tons. Large gains in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Vietnam - which reached a record high - were offset by a fall in Indonesia, the region`s most populous country. Gold demand for jewelry rose 3% to 199.3 tons, while investment demand slipped 7% to 68 tons.



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Siam2

[Siam2]

Hier ein weiterer Artikel zum Goldfund? in Thailand, aus der Nation von Morgen dem 18. April 2001.

Der Artikel ist wohl eher etwas ironisch ausgelegt.


THAILAND`S INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS & INFORMATION SERVICE
April 18, 2001

Indiana Chaowarin and The Temple of Gloom


In the belated spirit of April Fools` Day, Thanong Khanthong goes behind the scenes to report how people in high places reacted to the treasure of the century.

It was April Fools` Day. Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri woke up in high spirits, apparently believing that he was Indiana Jones. In a matter of days, he would go down in history as the immortal hero who unearthed long-lost wartime booty and saved Thailand from doom. Songkran had never been so joyful.

It became a defining moment not only for Chaowarin but also for the Thaksin government. In recent months, Chaowarin had abandoned all of his trivial Senate duties to concentrate on digging up the treasure. The hoard, left over by Japanese soldiers in the Lijia Cave in Kanchanaburi during World War II, included tonnes of gold and 250 US Federal Reserve bonds dated 1934 with a total face value of US$25 billion (Bt113 billion).

This staggering amount would pay off the national debt in a swoop. There would be enough money left to pay for the health-care programme, the village development fund, the national AMC and the farmers` debt moratorium.

Naturally, spies from the Japanese embassy in Bangkok were everywhere. From the outset, the Mori government had been keeping a close watch for any news of the booty. It, too, wanted the money to pay off its debts. If the treasure were to be found, it would claim sole ownership. That would be its official stand. Mori could cling to his premiership.

At worst, Japan could cut a deal with Thailand to share the booty evenly. Yet at least one Japanese official wondered: "If Japan had that huge treasure to leave behind, why did we lose the war?"

Paul O`Neill, the US treasury secretary, almost fell off his chair when he heard the news about the recovery of the US bonds. He wondered how the bonds could have survived after being lost in the Far East. Surely they would have been eaten by termites, he thought. Everybody knows that termites in Thailand are dangerous.

O`Neill also wondered why the Bush administration should pay for the bonds issued in the middle of the Great Depression by Franklin D Roosevelt, the Democrat president? By the way, the US won World War II.

O`Neill quickly called Alan Greenspan, the chairman of the US Federal Reserve Board, and asked him whether he knew anything about the bonds. Greenspan was not very helpful. "I don`t recall whether the federal government had issued these bonds. At that time I was only 8 years old," he said. Greenspan was born in 1926. In 1934 he was just beginning to learn to play tennis.

Anyway, Greenspan said, "I still could not understand why Donald Regan, who served in the Reagan administration in 1980s, had his signature on the bonds that were reported to have been recovered in Thailand. When did Regan defect to the Democrat Party?"

Back in Thailand, the mood had become hysterical. Everybody expected to get a piece of the action.

Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra got so excited that he cancelled his trip to London. He was supposed to spend his Songkran holiday there with his wife and two daughters. But the business of the country was more important.

After talking it over with Chaowarin, Thaksin flew to Lijia Cave to personally commission the dig. He ordered a satellite search for the exact location of the treasure. His critics would be silenced forever about where his government would get the money to finance his populist policies.

The first thing Finance Minister Somkid Jatusripitak would do with the treasure after the holiday would be to call Moody`s Investors Service and Standard & Poor`s. The two US credit-rating agencies would be told to upgrade the country`s sovereign debt from junk status to triple-A.

As Chaowarin had declared, the baht would become the strongest currency in the world, backed by massive foreign exchange reserves. Add $25 billion to the Bank of Thailand`s $32 billion in reserves, and central bank governor MR Chatu Mongol Sonakul would have $57 billion at his disposal to prop up the baht.

But after the Lijia Cave was opened and nothing was found, everybody began to backtrack.

Chaowarin said he had never claimed he had actually seen the loot. The whole episode was meant as a wild Songkran tale to help the people of Thailand cool off a bit.

Well, Chaowarin has just splashed the Thai people with murky Songkran water from his Bt20 plastic bucket.


Siam2

[Khampan]

wie schon gesagt - die Thais machen sich über die Welt lustig und verstehen es doch, nicht ohne eine Portion
Galgenhumor, sich irgendwie positiv in Szene zu setzen (gemessen am tatsächlichen Ernst der finanziellen Lage).

Leider zeigt das Spektakel aber auch, was Politik in Thailand letztendlich ist und bleibt:
ein Witz.

@ Siam2
phuut phasaa thai dai löö?

Khampan

[Siam2]

Das wars wohl nun mit der Goldfund Story in Thailand!



Die Zeitung Nation berichtet:


THAILAND`S INDEPENDENT ONLINE NEWS & INFORMATION SERVICE
April 18, 2001

No gold, no loot, only red faces


PRIME Minister Thaksin Shinawatra yesterday did an about-face over the controversial hunt for World War II treasure in Kanchanaburi province, after it was confirmed without doubt that US government bonds allegedly found in a cave were fake.

His initial support for the quest embarrassed him all the more.

Thaksin and his Cabinet played down the treasure hunt, which he described only four days ago as a move that could save the Thai economy. But as he and his ministers agreed to be publicly cautious about the issue, Senator Chaowarin Latthasaksiri, who has led the hunt, disclosed how Thaksin unwittingly helped trigger a national frenzy.

According to Chaowarin, his team uncovered the bonds on a path in the cave. He sought expert opinion about what they actually were and word got out to the media.

"On Friday, the prime minister gave me a call. I was at the Lijia cave then," said Chaowarin.

"He asked whether he should come to meet me. I told him if he did so it would be great luck for our country," said Chaowarin.

"He said: `Then I`ll go. I`ll go to see, you know`. He was on the Thon Buri-Pak Thor Road then, but I advised him that it would be faster if he returned to Bangkok and took a helicopter here."

When Thaksin arrived, Chaowarin showed him some photos of the bonds. "After he examined them he told me, `Brother Chaowarin, if these things are genuine, you will rescue the nation.`"

Meanwhile, police said crime suppression officers had arrested a person carrying fake foreign bonds about three weeks ago. The fake bonds were believed to have come from the Philippines or China. According to a police source, the Lijia cave bonds looked like those thought to have been brought in from the Philippines.

Police said Chaowarin would not face fraud charges as long as it was proven that he only "found" the fake bonds, and had not made them.

Chaowarin made his comments to reporters at Government House, where he yesterday unsuccessfully sought a meeting with Thaksin, to discuss growing suspicion that the "bonds" had been planted at the cave as part of an ambitious fraud scam.

Sources said the prime minister only passed the senator a message advising him to go and see the police.

Thaksin admitted yesterday someone could have left the fake bonds there for Chaowarin to pick up.

"As to what could be the motive for that will be subject of further investigation," he said, adding that the authorities would "talk to" Chaowarin to try to establish where the fake bonds came from.

"He told me they were genuine and were being kept in a safe place. I only saw photos and not the real things," Thaksin said.

The treasure episode is costing Thaksin dearly, not only because he helped fan the fire of public expectation, but also because he paid little regard to the principle of finding the rightful owners of World War loot, if it did in fact exist.

In a strongly-worded editorial yesterday, the Asian Wall Street Journal said Thaksin`s first instinct to lay claim to such treasure and use it to pay off national debt reflected a dangerous mix of populism and protectionism. "Climbing out of financial difficulties is not easy. Selling his countrymen on false hopes of salvation through nationalism, protectionism and hidden treasure is certainly not the way to do it," the newspaper said.

A Bangkok-based US secret service official yesterday confirmed the alleged US$25 billion (Bt1.13 trillion) worth of bonds were obviously fakes.

Senior Finance Ministry officials have also dismissed the certificates as a scam, which could be similar to one recently exposed in the Philippines, in which racketeers cashed in by selling what were said to be US government bonds found inside the wreckage of a World War II bomber. On a website, the US government has also posted warnings against such "fictitious" bond scams.

Chaowarin said yesterday that he did not find the bonds himself, and denied he had guaranteed their authenticity. When pressed to disclose the identities of team members, the Senator said he was prepared to take full responsibility for any misunderstanding.

But a leading member of the search team, Police Colonel Preecha Sunthornsiri, yesterday denied he had ever seen the "bonds", and insisted it was Chaowarin who showed photographs of the bonds to other team members.

"As far as I`m concerned there was only one strongbox which was brought out of the cave. The box was not opened at the site because the Senator took it somewhere else. We only saw photocopies of the bonds, which the senator showed us later," Preecha said.

The excavation at the Lijia cave was suspended yesterday for environmental and safety reasons. Cabinet ordered the suspension, after the Forestry Department reported that further digging could cause the cave to collapse.

According to a Cabinet source, Thaksin and several ministers wanted a thorough "satellite X-ray" to determine if it was safe for the excavation to continue. Now the Cabinet also wants the agencies concerned to take into account the cave`s environmental and historical values before deciding what should be done.

The Cabinet spent about 20 minutes discussing the issue and agreed that the government should not pay too much public attention to it, said the source.

However, Thaksin issued a new instruction to the Tourism Authority of Thailand, ordering it to study ways to promote tourism in the Sangkhla area.

Although speculation about the possibility of finding treasure in the cave has been somewhat dampened by the bond controversy, a mysterious wall blocking a path inside the cave does look like it was man-made, witnesses said.

However, to break through it could cause the cave to collapse and this concern was the main reason the excavation was halted.

"We have heard from the Forestry Department that the thing looks like a man-made cement wall. More inspection is needed," said Deputy Agriculture Minister Prapat Panyachatraksa.

-----------------------------

Und wenn sie nicht gestorben sind, dann leben sie noch heute, oder wie war das doch noch.

Siam2




@Khampan

Phom phut passah Thai dai. Khun pak you tee nai krap, ti muang Thai, rue ti muang German?

[MaxSoftcore]

Laut T.Leber von W O, ist winnysgeist mit MaxRoland identisch. MaxRoland schreibt als siam2. Was soll der ganze Quatsch eigentlich? Oder verträgt da jemand die Temperaturen in Pattaya nicht? Dann sollte er sich mal in ärztliche Behandlung begeben und nicht das Board zumüllen!

[kwegusi]

Habe heuten in N-TV die Tailänder nach dem Gold
graben sehen, habe mich halb tot gelacht.

[Fundamentalist+]

@MaxSoftcore
Max Roland bzw. Siam2 hat sehr wertvolle Postings geliefert, wenn du dir mal die Empfehlungen und Links durchliest. Das WinnyCash MaxRoland ist, kann ich nicht nachvollziehen.
Aber von so einen Scheiß Diskussionsboard, welches die guten User sperrt, kann man sich leider nicht mehr viel erwarten, es werden wohl bald nur noch so nichtsnützende Beiträge wie im NM-Forum zu finden sein.
Und dann will WO noch an die Börse - nach diesen unglaublichen Vorfällen wäre diese Aktie die allerletzte, die ich kaufen würde.