US embassy cable - 05BANGKOK7334

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 BANGKOK 007334 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR PM/DTCC -- BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR 
(JSTITZIEL) 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC, KOMC, TH, BLUE LANTERN 
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3: PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK ON 
APPLICATION 05-979183 
 
REF: SECSTATE 202710 
 
1. Per reftel request, here are the results of posts 
inquiries into the bona fides of G.H. International. 
 
Company Profile 
Per the Thai Department of Business Development, Ministry of 
Commerce, G.H.International Co. Ltd is filed under 
registration number 1160/2517, dated 9 OCT 1974.  Capital 
registration was 10,000,000 baht, the company executives are 
listed as Mr. Sarabjit Singh Sachdev and Mr. Kuramak Singh 
Sachdev.  Address listed is 5 Soi Sukhumvit 30 (Santi 
Naruman), Sukhumvit Rd., Khlong Tan Sub-District, Khlong Toei 
District, Bangkok.  The company has filed annual financial 
reports for the years 1999-2005 inclusive. 
 
Purpose of Company:  To import the wholesale and retail sale 
of guns, ammunition and military equipment. 
 
There are 7 share holders, all members of the Sachdev family. 
 Four members of the family are Thai national and 3 are 
Indian nationals.  The company has two branch offices, one is 
a gun shop in Bangkok, the other is a warehouse in Saraburi 
for storage.  According to Ministry of Commerce data, this 
second facility is no longer in operation. 
 
The Commerce website also lists four companies registered 
under the "G.H. group."  These include: 
 
The G.H. Co. Ltd, registered in Bangkok in December 1986 for 
weapons and goods wholesale and retail; 
the G.H. Industry Co., Ltd, registered in Bangkok in July 
1987 for textile production and trade; 
The G.H. Development Co. Ltd, registered in Bangkok in July 
1979 for real estate development, and; 
The Thai National Trading Ltd., registered in Bangkok in 
September 1960 
 
G.H. International, Co., Ltd. is not listed in the telephone 
directory, but G.H. Development Co. Ltd is listed. 
 
POL FSN made an unannounced visit to G.H. International Co. 
Ltd. on November 7, 2005 and was met by Mr. Sarabjit.  The 
company officers were on the second floor of a 20 story 
upscale building in the prime Sukhumvit business area.  Mr. 
Sarabjit answered all questions posed in reftel: 
 
3.1  Is the company recognized by the MOD/RTG as an official 
military contractor/broker? 
 
Yes.  It is registered with the Commerce Ministry and is 
recognized by the MOD as a qualified bidder on military 
contracts.  The company is also recognized by a number of 
foreign governments. 
 
3.2  Is the company state-owned, parastatal, or private? 
Private. 
 
3.3  How long has the company been in business, who are its 
principals? 
 
The company has been in business since October 1974.  It has 
the sister companies listed above and owns 5 gun shops and 
two branches. 
 
Principal shareholders are: 
 
1.  Mr. Kuramak Sing Sachdev, an Indian national -- 1,750 
shares 
2.  Ms. Minderko Sachdev, an Indian national -- 1,750 shares 
3.  Mr. Saragjit Singh Sachdev, a Thai national -- 2,300 
shares 
4.  Mr. Shatwinder Singh Sachdev, a Thai national -- 2,250 
shares 
5.  Ms. Nimatjitkor Sachdev, an Indian national -- 700 shares 
6.  Ms. Amarit Sachdev, a Thai national -- 750 shares 
7.  Ms. Kiran Sachdev, a Thai national -- 500 shares. 
 
3.5  Who are its typical customers and where are they located? 
 
The company has four types of customers: 
 
--General gun shops in Bangkok and rural Thailand, ordinary 
citizens permitted by the Ministry of Interior to purchase 
guns, and civil servants or military personnel allowed by the 
Ministry of Interior to buy guns. 
 
--State agencies for whom the company has bid on purchase 
contracts.  These include the Police Department, Royal Thai 
Army, Nave and Air Force, Department of Provincial 
Administration of the Ministry of Interior, the Royal 
Forestry Department of the Ministry of Natural Resources and 
Environment, the Airport Authority of Thailand, the State 
Railway of Thailand, the Armed Forces Security Center, the 
Prime Minister's Office, and the Bank of Thailand. 
 
--Private companies and department stores such as security 
firms, jewelry concerns, the Emporium Department Store, IBM, 
the JW Marriott Hotel and some Embassies. 
 
--Previously, the company sold explosives to mining 
companies.  These explosives were of Chinese manufacture and 
stored in a facility under the supervision of the Ministry of 
Interior in Saraburi. 
 
3.6  Does the company have established, legitimate customer 
bases to which they plan to sell the ammunition loaded by 
this machinery? 
 
The company is to sell, deliver, set up and provide the 
maintenance of the contracted bullet loading-machinery 
mentioned in reftel to the Military Explosives Factory owned 
by the Ministry of Defense in Nakhorn Sawan.  The factory is 
the machine user and the seller of the finished products. 
G.H. is not involved in the sale of ammunition loaded by the 
machinery. 
 
3.7  Does the company have adequate on-site security? 
 
The company is located on the 2nd floor of a well established 
residential building.  The building has guards working in two 
shifts, three guards per shift.  It has CCTV and a water 
sprinkler.  The company claims to have 34 employees (FSN saw 
only 10 on the day of his visit).  Employees are not required 
to have a criminal, fingerprint or background check.  The 
contracted machinery listed in reftel will be transported 
into Thailand directly from Bangkok airport and delivered to 
the MOD factory in Nakhon Sawan with a military escort.  It 
will not be stored at any G.H. facility. 
 
3.8  Does the company keep proper, detailed records of its 
sales and customers? 
 
Yes.  However, most records were in paper vice electronic 
form.  Records are regularly examined by Thai government 
authorities.  The company is a representative or broker for 
the following foreign concerns: 
Olin Winchester, BAE, Smith and Wesson, General Dynamics 
Ordnance Tactical Systems, the Kilgore Corp., Remington and 
MLM International. 
 
3.9  Does the company understand the restrictions of USML 
articles? 
 
Generally yes although they promised to review the USML 
guidelines from the Internet. 
 
3.10  Does the company have the proper firearms license and 
import permit of the items listed on the license application? 
 
Yes.  The company presented FSN with originals and copies of 
various documents concerning the purchase.  Included in these 
were the Commerce Ministry license, PO No. 32005-34 dated 
September 23, 2005, stating the items to be purchased in the 
United States (all in accordance with details outlined in 
reftel), DSP-83 signed by the company's Managing Director, 
Mr. Sarabjit and the Military Explosives Factory Director, 
Major General Siddhiporn, dated September 23, 2005 with the 
MOD's supporting letter dated September 23, 2005 (all in 
accordance with details outlined in reftel), and a purchase 
contract for the items between G.H. International and the 
Military Explosives Factory, on behalf of the MOD 
Secretariat, No.8/2548, dated September 23, 2005. 
 
SIPDIS 
 
2.  Also per reftel request, here is information on the bona 
fides of the Military Explosives Factory, Defense Industry 
Department, Defense Industry and Energy Center, Ministry of 
Defense. 
 
COL Phunsi Ratsami, Director of the Industry Control 
Division, Thai Ministry of Defense, confirmed that the 
Factory is owned and operated by the Royal Thai Ministry of 
Defense. 
 
Questions raised in reftel: 
 
3.1  Is the company recognized by the MOD/Government of 
Thailand as an official military contractor/broker? 
 
Yes. 
 
3.2  Is the company state-owned, parastatal or private? 
 
It is a state-owned factory constructed in 1985 by a British 
contractor, Nobel Explosive Col, Ltd, in accordance with U.S. 
and NATO Standards and ISO 9001.2000. 
 
3.3  How long has the company been in business and who are 
its principals? 
 
The Factory was built in 1985 and has been in operation after 
that.  The Factory is supervised by a Major General in the 
Royal Thai Army who reports to the Defense Industry 
Department.  The Defense Industry Department is under the 
Defense Industry and Energy Center, which is under the direct 
supervision of the Permanent Secretary (Vice Minister) of the 
MOD.  The Factory has 617 officers, enlisted and civilian 
employees. 
 
3.5  Who are its typical customers and where are they located? 
 
The Factory's major customers are the Armed Forces and Police 
Departments nationwide.  IN addition, 3 private companies: 
Thai Arms Co., Ltd. in Ratchaburi; Bullet Master Co., Ltd. in 
Kanchanaburi; and Olympic Co., Ltd of Nakhon Sawan are also 
customers.  These private concerns have only placed small 
orders (100-200 kgs of explosive powder) at a time.  There 
have been no foreign customers. 
 
3.6  Does the company have adequate on-site security? 
 
Yes.  POL FSN noted that the compound is surrounded by two 
fences with armed soldiers guarding the perimeter.  CCTVs, ID 
card access control and guard towers are present.  Officials 
claim to have 70 armed guards working on a 4-hour shift in 11 
locations augmented by guard dogs, foot and motorcycle 
patrols and CCTV cameras.  They have 2 fire trucks, a water 
truck and a high-pressure sprinkler system.  They claim to 
have fire fighting foam.  The nearest civilian fire station 
is about 5 kilometers away. 
 
POL FSN was not allowed to enter the inner Factory but saw 
outside that building a low concrete wall, a man-made hill as 
a blast barrier and a natural mountain behind the primary 
storage facilities.  Transport of finished explosives takes 
place with a military escort. 
 
3.8  Does the company keep proper and detailed records of its 
sales and customers? 
 
Yes.  Most are in paper, not electronic form.  All records 
are regularly examined by the National Audit Commission and 
the Office of Defense Auditing.  All sales must be approved 
by the PermSec of MOD.  A foreign sale would need Cabinet 
approval. 
 
3.9.  Does the company understand the restrictions of USML 
articles? 
 
Not at first, however POL FSN briefed officials on the major 
requirements.  The officials assured POL FSN that no 
machinery would be designated for third party transfer 
without USG approval. 
 
3.10  Does the company have the proper firearms license and 
import permit for the items listed on the license application? 
 
Yes.  Copies of all documents outlined in reftel conformed 
with the details contained therein. 
BOYCE