Thai film festival pair sentenced
Movie makers, Gerald and Patricia Green have been sentenced to six months in prison and six months of home detention for bribing a former Tourism Authority of Thailand governor.
The couple was also told to pay US$250,000 in restitution following convictions that they had paid a Thai official US$1.8 million in bribes to win a contract to run the Bangkok International Film Festival.
Gerald Green and his wife, Patricia Green, were found guilty in September 2009 of nine counts of violating the US Foreign Corrupt Practices Act and seven counts of money laundering.
Prosecutors argued that the Greens paid the former governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, Juthamas Siriwan, kickbacks through bank accounts in the UK, Singapore and the Isle of Jersey that were in the name of the official’s daughter.
Ms Juthamas, who retired from government service months before the Greens were arrested, has not been charged under Thai law.
She has threatened to sue the US authorities for defamation, claiming she is innocent.
Thanks to our friends at TTR Weekly for this report
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025