VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHBK #7586/01 3600403
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 260403Z DEC 06
FM AMEMBASSY BANGKOK
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3627
INFO RUCPDOC/USDOC WASHDC
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC
RHMCSUU/FBI WASHINGTON DC
RHMFISS/HQ BICE INTEL WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS BANGKOK 007586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
PM/DTCC -- BLUE LANTERN COORDINATOR MROMERO 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETTC KOMC TH
SUBJECT: BLUE LANTERN LEVEL 3:  PRE-LICENSE END-USE CHECK 
ON LICENSE 05-050020252 
 
REF: SECSTATE 198159 
 
 ¶1.  According to the website maintained by the Thai Ministry 
of Commerce, Department of Business Development 
(www.dbd.go.th), Erawan Firearms Ltd, Partnership is listed 
as follows: 
 
Registration No. 0103510012525 
Registered Date:  13 Sept 1967 
Name:  The Erawan Firearms Ltd., Part. 
Capital Registration:  5, 500,000 Baht 
Business Partners:  Mr. Kulbeepal Singh Sachdev, Mr. 
Amornthep Sachdev, Mr. Veerathep Sachdev, Mr. Uthain Sachdev 
Manager of the Limited Partnership is Mr. Uthain Sachdev 
Location:  2/9, 2/10 Bureapha Road, Wang Burapha Phirom 
Sub-District, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok 
The business submitted financial reports for 1999-2005 
Purpose of company is to import, wholesale, and retail sale 
guns and ammunition. 
 
¶2.  According to the Telephone Directory, Erawan Firearms is 
listed and has a phone number as outlined in reftel and an 
address at 2/9-2/10 Burapha Road, Wang Burapha Phirom 
Sub-District, Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok. 
 
¶3.  On December 19, PolFSN made an unannounced visit to the 
business where he met Mr. Kulbeepal Singh Sachdev, a Thai 
national and one of the business owners.  The business is 
located on the ground floor of a concrete shopping plaza. 
Mr. Kulbeepal and his three sons showed PolFSN around the 
business and answered the following questions: 
 
Can you confirm the order of rifles under license 
05-050020252? 
Yes.  Mr. Kulbeepal presented three permits for importation 
of firearms issued by the Department of Provincial 
Administration numbered 829/2549, 830/2549, and 831/2549 
dated September 15, 2006 and valid until September 17, 2007. 
The information in the permits corresponded with the 
information contained in reftel. 
 
One discrepancy was noted, the original licensee in the 
permits was listed as "the National Firearms Ltd., Part.: 
which is a sister shop of Erawan and managed by Mr. Veerathep 
Sachdev.  National Firearms has authorized Erawan to order 
this lot of weapons on its behalf.  The authorization was 
approved by the Department of Provincial Administration. 
 
Mr. Kulbeepal also presented a copy of Erawan's Purchase 
Orders No. E49905, E49906, and E49907, all dated October 9, 
2006 and signed by Mr. Kulbeepal, to the RSR Group Inc. to 
purchase the weapons specified in reftel. 
 
The document referenced in reftel (described as a Government 
of Thailand Permit to Order or Import Firearms) was not 
recognized by Mr. Kulbeepal.  He had no copy of that document 
and said it did not relate to the purchase of weapons 
outlined in reftel. 
 
National Firearms Ltd. Partnership is listed in the Commerce 
Ministry website as: 
 
Registration Number 0103506001778 
Registered Date: 8 March 1963 
Capital Registration:  850,000 baht 
Business Partners:  Mr. Inder Singh Sachdev, Mr. Kulbeepal 
Singh Sachdev, Mr. Veerathep Sachdev, Mr. Uthain Sachdev. 
Mr. Veerathep Sachdev is named as the manager. 
Location is 35 Sasong Road, Wt Ratchabophit Sub-District, 
Phra Nakhon District, Bangkok. 
The business has submitted financial reports from 1999-2006. 
 
Who will be the specific end-users of these high-caliber 
rifles? 
Wealthy clients or gun collectors.  On rare occasions, these 
types of weapons are sold to government officials. 
 
Is it legal for private citizens to own high-caliber rifles? 
They are not prohibited by law or listed on the Thai list of 
prohibited weapons.  The weapons can only be sold to persons 
with permits issued by the Department of Provincial 
Administration. 
 
Where will the rifles be stored prior to sale? 
In a storage room at Erawan.  The room is concrete with 
reinforced 3-4 mm iron sheets covering the walls.  The shop 
itself has iron sheets on all walls except the front (which 
 
has a large glass window). There are three medium-sized safes 
inside the storage room to contain the weapons.  The storage 
room itself is locked. 
 
The shop has CCTV and guards posted inside and out.  The 
shops front window does not have bars. 
 
Can you confirm the security of all items in inventory? 
Yes.  Mr. Kulbeepal presented a gun inventory in a large 
ledger containing the types, manufacturers serial numbers and 
Thai registration numbers of the weapons together with the 
purchasers' names and personal data.  Officials from the 
Department of Provincial Administration inspect the inventory 
periodically. 
 
How long has Erawan been in business and who are its 
principal officers? 
 
The company has been in business since 1967, is family run as 
outlined in the registration documents.  Erawan has two 
sister firearms shops managed by the same family members: 
the aforementioned National Firearms Ltd. and Sahathep 
International Ltd., Partnership.  It also owns 11 gun shop 
licenses and gun shops located in Chainet, Prachuap 
Khirikhan, Lopburi and Loei provinces. 
 
Who are the regular customers and where do they reside? 
Most clients live in Bangkok, some live up country.  They are 
made up of the general Thai public, civil servants and law 
enforcement officers with permits issued by the Department of 
Provincial Administration. 
 
Are the owners familiar with the restrictions governing the 
import of U.S.-origin defense articles, in particular, the 
prohibition against unauthorized re-export? 
 
Yes.  Thai law also prohibits any gun shop from re-exporting 
imported weapons. 
 
¶4.  PolFSN also visited the Ministry of Interior's Department 
of Provincial Administration and met with Chief Kittiphong 
Yot-aphikun to discuss the case.  Kittiphong confirmed Erawan 
is a licensed and bona fide importer/retailer of firearms 
with permit number 25/2549 issued on April 27, 2006 and valid 
until April 26, 2007. 
 
Kittiphong provided copies of three permits to import 
firearms issued to National Firearms Ltd. numbered 829/2549, 
830/2549 and 831/2549 dated September 15, 2006 and valid 
until September 14, 2007 corresponding to the information 
contained in reftel.  Kittiphong had a record of National 
Firearms authorizing Erawan to order the lot of weapons on 
its behalf. 
 
According to Interior Ministerial Regulation No 11 (B.E. 
2522-1979) issued under the authority of he Firearm, 
Ammunition, Explosive Articles, Fireworks and Firearm 
Imitation Article Act of 1947, Thai nationals may purchase 
rifles of not more than 20 mm.  Mr. Kittiphong and his staff 
told PolFSN that they routinely issued permits to Thai 
nationals wishing to purchase rifles similar to those 
outlined in reftel.  The most common use for the weapons is 
hunting. 
 
Post has no derogatory information related to Erawan. 
ARVIZU