Germany has demanded the Thai government pay €30 million ($43 million) for the return of a Boeing 737-400, registration HS-CMV, impounded in Munich, as a legal dispute surrounding the aircraft's ownership brews.
A report in Bangkok's The Nation newspaper said the German embassy in Bangkok issued the demand on 22 July.
The statement read that unless resolved, the issue would affect German investment in Thailand. The impounded aircraft is often flown by Thai crown prince Maha Vajiralongkorn.
The embassy pointed to an international arbitration ruling in 2009, which ruled in favour of Walter Bau, a German company that is now insolvent, which helped build a highway from Bangkok's former Don Muang airport to Bangkok
Administrator Werner Schneider, from accountancy company Schneider, Gewitz & Partner, which is leading the bankruptcy proceedings of Walter Bau, is seeking a payment from Thailand's government of more than €30 million for a motorway built by Dywidag, a German construction company which merged with Walter Bau in 2001 and was sold again in 2005. The administrator impounded the aircraft in Munich on 12 July.
The German government's announcement marks an escalation in an acrimonious dispute over the impounded aircraft.
Thailand insists it is the personal property of the crown prince and does not belong to the Thai government.
A spokeswoman for the administrator said he is aware of Thailand's ownership claim, but said "we assume the aircraft belongs to the state".
The issue has been discussed in court, she said, but declined to comment further as the legal process is under way.
On 21 July, a German court ruled that the impounded aircraft can be released against a €20 million bond, but the administrator's office is yet to receive any funds.
The crown prince is a known aviation enthusiast, owning a Northrop F-5 fighter that he flies in Thailand. He also owns an additional 737-400, registration HS-HRH, which is now parked alongside the impounded aircraft in Munich.
Whether Thailand's governmental 737 will be sufficient to pay off the debt remains to be seen. According to Flightglobal's Ascend database the twinjet has a value of $5 million to $9 million, depending on the date of its last heavy maintenance check.
Source: Flight International
