One rule for the wealthy remains strong in Thailand

[webfact]

The badly dented Ferrari was found in the compound of the family's home. File photo

 

OPINION

 

The ongoing case against Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya is becoming farcical.

 

We now hear that the Attorney General has explained this week that the statute of limitations on cocaine use charge against Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, who is wanted in a hit-and-run incident that led to a policeman’s death in Bangkok on September 3, 2012, has now expired.

 

This now leaves the lawsuit on the charge of reckless driving leading to death, however the statute of limitations on this too will expire in September 2027.

 

The whole episode is becoming like a script for a mega drama movie.

 

Back in November 2021 the House Committee for Police Affairs told by senior police officers that Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, is believed to be hiding in Austria., 

 

The committee proposed the introduction of more initiative-taking measures in tracking down the suspect such as sending a police team overseas to search for him but was told that there was a budget problem in doing so.

 

Police added that they had sent letters to various countries to get the suspect’s address and received replies from many of them. Interpol had also issued a red notice on this case.

 

When asked whether police had questioned the suspect’s family about his whereabouts, they said they had not because the other family members were not involved in this case and would in any case protect him.

 

Police Investigation

 

Separately there is a police investigation of 18 police officers accused of preventing the prosecution of the suspect and four others accused of changing the vehicle’s speed.

 

As there are still many issues surrounding this case which the police representatives did not clarify with MPs too raising questions about this case in Parliament.

 

This committee will hold talks with the Anti-Corruption and Misconduct and the Law, Justice and Human Rights committees then invite police officers at the policy level to come and give an explanation.

 

Chalerm Yoovidhya (Chinese: 許書恩; pinyin: Xǔ Shū'ēn; born 1950) is a Thai billionaire businessperson and heir to the Red Bull fortune. As of 2020, Forbes estimates his net worth at US$20.2 billion.

 

The sometimes-farcical attempts by the Thai authorities to bring Mr Vorayuth to justice are now commonly cited as epitomising the untouchability of the super-rich in Thailand.

 

The police believe from security camera videos, the distance the car travelled after the crash, and the injuries that instantly killed Sergeant-Major Wichian, that Mr Vorayuth must have been speeding, they estimate at around 170km/h (106mph) in an 80km/h zone.

 

His lawyers have denied this.

 

Throughout 2013, Mr Vorayuth failed to appear seven times to hear the charges, with his lawyers providing an array of justifications, from him being on business overseas to feeling unwell.

 

In September 2013, the limitation period for the speeding charge expired.

 

Mr Vorayuth's grandfather, Chaleo Yoovidhya, made his fortune when, in the mid-1980s, he teamed up with an Austrian marketing executive to turn his energy drink known as Kratindaeng, or Red Bull, into a global sales success.

 

Today the extended Yoovidhya family is believed to be worth more than $20bn (£16bn). 

The Red Bull logo is now seen all over the world, in particular sponsoring spectacular stunts and sporting events.

 

Public interest renewed

 

Public interest in it was revived only after a horrifying road accident last year, involving another wealthy young man who drove his luxury car at high speed into another vehicle, killing two graduate students.

 

People started asking what had happened to the Red Bull heir. 

 

And a military government, which had promised to address the abuses of previous governments, felt forced to act. 

 

Or, perhaps more accurately, to be seen to be acting.

 

Today the police still insist they can do nothing.

 

Asked why they have not issued an arrest warrant against the accused, as requested three and a half years ago, they told the BBC that it is up to the Attorney-General's office to act.

 

The Attorney-General's office says he cannot be indicted unless he appears in person.

 

And for the latest request for him to report to the prosecutor's office to hear those charges? 

 

Mr Vorayuth, we are now told by his lawyers, is on business in the UK. 

 

The Attorney-General has once again granted a postponement, to next month.

 

Meanwhile the relatives of Sergeant-Major Wichian have said little about the case. 

 

As usually happens in these situations, the Yoovidhya family allegedly have paid them a generous sum of money, around $100,000.

 

In return they have agreed not to press charges themselves.

 

Had it been someone else, without a powerful family behind him, he said, he would certainly have been arrested the first time he failed to report himself.

 

The most serious charge against Mr Vorayuth, of reckless driving causing death, expires in the year 2027.

 

Few people are betting that he will face any legal sanction, or indeed any meaningful restrictions on his lifestyle before that deadline frees him completely from any lingering repercussions of the events of that morning four and a half years ago.

 

This sorry saga continues.

 

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[Hayduke]

1 hour ago, webfact said:

This now leaves the lawsuit on the charge of reckless driving leading to death, however the statute of limitations on this too will expire in September 2027

The all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, Hero General could change that statute with a simple wave of his magic wand…...but that would never do…..would it?

 

 

 

[daveAustin]

If he was a nobody and had already paid the family, which he has, there’d probably be nothing more to this. 
Still a devious little worm but. 

[zzaa09]

1 hour ago, Hayduke said:

The all-seeing, all-knowing, all-powerful, Hero General could change that statute with a simple wave of his magic wand…...but that would never do…..would it?

 

 

 

He'll require permission before he might act on such a proposal. 

Those who really know how things work here will understand.

[RichardColeman]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

We now hear that the Attorney General has explained this week that the statute of limitations on cocaine use charge against Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, who is wanted in a hit-and-run incident that led to a policeman’s death in Bangkok on September 3, 2012, has now expired.

 

This now leaves the lawsuit on the charge of reckless driving leading to death, however the statute of limitations on this too will expire in September 2027

This is exactly why statute of limitations should be paused and then restarted on the arrival of a person back into the country, that way ou could never run off and expect to return without a potential conviction

[Geoffggi]

2 hours ago, webfact said:

When asked whether police had questioned the suspect’s family about his whereabouts, they said they had not because the other family members were not involved in this case and would in any case protect him.

Protect him more than the police or injustice people are doing at the moment?? Anyone connected to the justice system should hang their head in shame, I believed that Thai people did not like loosing face but obviously the justice system does not care how much face they loose, plus there should not be any statute of limitations on any associated crime when the overall outcome is death of another person.

[pomchop]

 

Shame on the Thai govt, judiciary, and all those in power for allowing this little spoiled moron to continue to thumb his nose at the law.

[itsari]

The budget for extradition stretched enough to have Shane Kenneth brought to justice .

It must depend on the budget of the accused rather than the budget of the Thai police .

[bamnutsak]

The result is that no one has any faith or respect in the legal system.

 

Convicted Yellow-shirt protesters get bail within 36 hours, student protesters are held for months without bail.

 

Funny how we're not hearing about the Statute of Limitations on Thaksin's "crimes/convictions"? Those were relatively small-time charges: land-deal, holding shares.

 

A legal sysem which offers a 50% discount for pleading guilty?

 

Reenactments? I say have Boss do one of these on his return. Sans cocaine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ezzra]

And to sums it all up, yes, there's one rule for the wealth and other rules for the ordinary people and it is only only in Thailand, also in many affluent rich countries when you know the right people and you can buy yourself out it done many times over...

[Orinoco]

8 minutes ago, bamnutsak said:

A legal system which offers a 50% discount for pleading guilty?

Yeah, 50% off if you stop telling lies.

Nice.

[tokyoblond]

4 hours ago, webfact said:

The ongoing case against Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya is becoming farcical.

Sorry, but no. This whole thing started becoming farcical on September 4, 2012, when, if I recall, a staff member (gardener?) was forwarded as the driver of said Ferrari. It's just got more farcical since.

[Ralf001]

That Policeman that killed the doctor, he had a stack of charges;

• Reckless driving causing death
• Using a vehicle without a licence plate
• Failing to keep his motorcycle in the left lane
• Failing to give way to someone using a pedestrian crossing
• Using a vehicle with unpaid annual registration tax
• Using a vehicle that lacked required equipment
• Not having third-party vehicle insurance.

And only got 1 year in the pokey and a Bt.4,000 fine.

 

If they somehow managed to arrest and convict Khun Boss.... what sentence would the judge hand down given he only has 1 charge - Reckless driving Causing Death.

 

Given the family has been paid and do not wish to file charges what exactly is the point of keeping this dog and pony show going other than to provide some grumpy old men on a Thai forum something to squabble over ?

[coolcarer]

Not long before the apologists will come along and say we would all do the same in such a situation, nice how they try to project their own morals onto others.

 

Absolute shame on the spoilt brat and his family. face up to the crime like a man, it’s not like your punishment is going to be more than a handful of years in a cushy cell full of all the perks your stinking money can buy

[JBChiangRai]

There doesn't appear to be an Interpol Red Notice out for Boss...

 

View Red Notices (interpol.int)

[peterfranks]

19 minutes ago, JBChiangRai said:

There doesn't appear to be an Interpol Red Notice out for Boss...

 

View Red Notices (interpol.int)

https://www.interpol.int/en/How-we-work/Notices/Red-Notices

 

How many Red Notices are there?

There are currently approximately 69,270 valid Red Notices, of which some 7,500 are public.

The majority of Red Notices are restricted to law enforcement use only.

[mickyr55]

4 hours ago, zzaa09 said:

He'll require permission before he might act on such a proposal. 

Those who really know how things work here will understand.

How can there be a statute of limitations where a death is involved ???? ???? ???? 

[seajae]

welcome to Thailand, here if you are rich and have the right family ties you can shoot a police officer in front of a crowd of people then be awarded with a paid position  instead of being charged, killing people is allowed if you are rich but being poor you are locked up for years for just picking mushrooms. The police & government in Thailand are so corrupt its not funny, wealth & position means you can do as you please which is why so many thais want to be in the police force/government, they want in on all the graft etc that comes with the jobs

[tracker1]

With the mount of corruption as the people know from the top down to ground level nothing is going to change  so most just except it ! How many investigation's have they had into those that supposedly were involved in this case with no results ?

[Thingamabob]

Shameful case, however the rich are generally treated better than the poor in most countries.

[Excel]

54 minutes ago, seajae said:

killing people is allowed if you are rich

TIT

[jonclark]

2 hours ago, JBChiangRai said:

There doesn't appear to be an Interpol Red Notice out for Boss...

 

View Red Notices (interpol.int)

No there is not. Which is why I suspect the scum has not been arrested by UK police if he is there as suspected and stated in the OP.

[Burma Bill]

IMO, the upper echelons of Thai "establishment" are rotten to the core!!

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Had it been someone else, without a powerful family behind him, he said, he would certainly have been arrested the first time he failed to report himself.

In this case, though, the police agreed to his lawyer's many requests to postpone that meeting up until he left the country.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

The committee proposed the introduction of more initiative-taking measures in tracking down the suspect such as sending a police team overseas to search for him

I wonder if the committee considered the fact that the RTP have no jurisdiction anywhere except Thailand?   If they found him there'd be nothing they could do without the cooperation of the other country's authorities.

[Liverpool Lou]

8 hours ago, webfact said:

Interpol had also issued a red notice on this case.

A number of posters should pay close attention to that confirmation.

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

Funny how we're not hearing about the Statute of Limitations on Thaksin's "crimes/convictions"?

Thaksin's been convicted, there can't be, and there's no need for, statutes of limitations after conviction. 

[Cake Monster]

And only a few Days ago, the RTP launched an initiative to gain Public trust in them.

Yeah ! right !

[Liverpool Lou]

4 hours ago, bamnutsak said:

A legal sysem which offers a 50% discount for pleading guilty?

Just the same as many other countries' legal systems, not at all unusual.

[Liverpool Lou]

3 hours ago, coolcarer said:

face up to the crime like a man, it’s not like your punishment is going to be more than a handful of years in a cushy cell full of all the perks your stinking money can buy

"...a cushy cell full of all the perks your stinking money can buy".

Doesn't happen in Thai prisons, that's just a Thaivisa Forum Members' myth.