Red Bull Heir Did 'coke' Before Bangkok Accident

[webfact]

Red Bull heir did 'coke' before accident

The Nation

File photo

BANGKOK: -- Traces of cocaine were found in the blood of the Red Bull heir who ran a traffic-police officer over with his Ferrari this year.

The Thong Lor Police Station told the media yesterday that Vorayuth Yoovidhya, 27, the youngest son of Red Bull tycoon Chalerm Yoovidhya, did indeed have traces of cocaine in his blood as well as more alcohol than is permissible by law on the day of the accident.

Vorayuth was scheduled to make his way through the circus of reporters at the police station to hear his charges yesterday. Pol Lieutenant Akarawin Sukhonthawit, deputy commander and acting chief of the Thong Lor Police Station, said yesterday evening that though the suspect was supposed to show up in the afternoon, he had not been seen yet.

Akarawin said the suspect would have to explain to police why he could not show up, especially since he has postponed meetings with police several times already. If he failed to show up at the end of the day, police would consider confiscating the bail money and seeking an arrest warrant.

Police have also asked medical experts to verify how the use of cocaine can affect one's mental abilities, and said this latest discovery would lead to an additional charge against Vorayuth.

-- The Nation 2012-10-20

[BookMan]

Strike 1: Kills a motorcyclist while allegedly speeding

Strike 2: Motorcyclist is a policeman

Strike 3: Leaves scene of accident without stopping

Strike 4: Tries to put blame on family staff member

Strike 5: Over the alcohol limit

Strike 6: Cocaine in bloodstream

Strike 7: Doesn't feel like turning up to Police station again to hear charges.

But will it be enough strikes for someone from such a rich and powerful family to serve jail time?

[theblether]

By the looks of it we may all get a shock and he will be convicted and jailed. The more the police are saying about the case the more difficult they are making it for themselves to allow him to get off the hook.

I said weeks ago that this would be a test case, the Police v Hi-So,

I have a hunch that the police are seriously p*ssed off and this guy is gonna get it. I hope so.

[arthurboy]

Pol Lieutenant Akarawin Sukhonthawit, deputy commander and acting chief of the Thong Lor Police Station, said yesterday evening that though the suspect was supposed to show up in the afternoon, he had not been seen yet.

What a surprise, but I guess he will have a valid reason, undoubtedly supported by a prominent doctor's medical diagnosis of erm...

[pauljones]

The Police(red shirts) are actually going to do their job and stick this kid(yellow shirt) in the slammer.

This family can't keep their kid out of jail? That will be a serious loss of face.

They won't be able to show their face again at the country club.

[MEL1]

I believe this case is going to show that, even with all the money in the world, you can buy your way out of killing a cop !!

-mel.

[tonytigerbkk]

The Police(red shirts) are actually going to do their job and stick this kid(yellow shirt) in the slammer.

This family can't keep their kid out of jail? That will be a serious loss of face.

They won't be able to show their face again at the country club.

Why has this got to be turned into a political matter, the political views of Master Yoovidhya are of no relevance to this case..

The fact is that the case involves a hi-so who hit a policeman (killing him) and then fled the scene.

Master. Yoovidhya was drunk and high on cocaine while driving a very fast sports car, he did not see a policeman and decide that he would run him over because the police are red shirts.

Likewise, the officers prosecuting him may well throw the book at him but that is because of what he did to one of their comrades (and also the way he is brushing the matter off as if it is insignificant) and not because he is hi-so and therefore a yellow shirt.

I have personally had enough of the red/yellow shirt malarkey and I presumed all Westerners who live in Thailand have had negative effects from the riots but some people drag the political situation back up at the first possible chance.

Please if you have ANYTHING sensible to contribute to this thread, then please feel free to do so, otherwise please vent your political frustrations on one of the other threads that deal with the red/yellow shirt farce.

[TomTao]

Does anyone know if the suspects passport was confiscated so he couldn't disappear?

Sent from my GT-I9003

[Somtamnication]

As Thaksin can get a passport at any time, so can this little cockroach.

[OzMick]

At least we can assume he won't be asking for his bail conditions to be altered so he can go overseas to associate with a fugitive criminal.

[pauljones]

The Police(red shirts) are actually going to do their job and stick this kid(yellow shirt) in the slammer.

This family can't keep their kid out of jail? That will be a serious loss of face.

They won't be able to show their face again at the country club.

Why has this got to be turned into a political matter, the political views of Master Yoovidhya are of no relevance to this case..

The fact is that the case involves a hi-so who hit a policeman (killing him) and then fled the scene.

Master. Yoovidhya was drunk and high on cocaine while driving a very fast sports car, he did not see a policeman and decide that he would run him over because the police are red shirts.

Likewise, the officers prosecuting him may well throw the book at him but that is because of what he did to one of their comrades (and also the way he is brushing the matter off as if it is insignificant) and not because he is hi-so and therefore a yellow shirt.

I have personally had enough of the red/yellow shirt malarkey and I presumed all Westerners who live in Thailand have had negative effects from the riots but some people drag the political situation back up at the first possible chance.

Please if you have ANYTHING sensible to contribute to this thread, then please feel free to do so, otherwise please vent your political frustrations on one of the other threads that deal with the red/yellow shirt farce.

My point was the forensic test for cocaine came back positive from the police hospital.

If it was Chalerms kid, the drug test probably would have come back negative.

[OZEMADE]

Strike 1: Kills a motorcyclist while allegedly speeding

Strike 2: Motorcyclist is a policeman

Strike 3: Leaves scene of accident without stopping

Strike 4: Tries to put blame on family staff member

Strike 5: Over the alcohol limit

Strike 6: Cocaine in bloodstream

Strike 7: Doesn't feel like turning up to Police station again to hear charges.

But will it be enough strikes for someone from such a rich and powerful family to serve jail time?

Lucky he is not in Saudi as he would have already been beheaded.

[siampolee]

My point was the forensic test for cocaine came back positive from the police hospital.

If it was Chalerms kid, the drug test probably would have come back negative.

If it was Chalerms kid the sample would never have got to the hospital and if it had the forensic expert would probably have .38 sponsored heart attack..

Edited October 20, 2012 by siampolee

[submaniac]

Remember a certain Deputy PM's son who was accused of shooting a policeman in the head in an argument at a night club? The policeman in question wasn't a low ranking motorcycle traffic cop, it was a sergeant major. Said son was acquitted by the Thai criminal courts on grounds of insufficient evidence. (Apparently, despite being in a crowded nightclub no one wanted to testify.) Said son is now a commissioned officer in the Thai police force.

I think that being accused of shooting a cop in the head is a bit worst than being accused of being high on alcohol and drugs, speeding and running over someone. Despite being reprehensible, the alleged conduct is still not an 'intentional act' which shooting someone in the head certainly is. Really even in the West, Redbull guy would be charged with manslaughter as opposed to murder.

However, there is a significant difference: Red Bull heir may be from an extremely wealthy family, but I don't know how connected they are to having someone in the police and government. That does make a little bit of a difference.

For example (and I mean theoretically) if someone who is (for hypothetical example) very high up on Thai government could make a telephone call to police authorities and say "hey, I'm higher up on the chain of command than you so knock it off with the investigation". So people below may be worried about losing their jobs and their posts.

Now just because your family owns red bull and a Ferrari dealership doesn't mean you have the same clout to threaten police higher ups with the loss of their jobs. And if you don't have the ability to mess with the higher police officials, then you may not be able to do much. Recall that when the Red Bull crash happened, a junior police officer attempted to help Red Bull cover up that he was driving. The junior officer was pulled off the case and a higher officer went forward. Doesn't seem to me like Red Bull had the clout to pull the investigation off in the beginning (which would have caused the entire case to die a quiet death).

This is the death of a police officer. And police universally hate the killing of one of their own. Sounds to me that they may just go after him.

[JeffreyMcCollum]

My wife had worked for the Red Bull corp. prior to the founders death. Spoke highly of him yet very poorly of his kids and grand children being greedy brats. Soon after his death, many of the benefits and perks of working at Red Bull were removed to increase profits and save money for the company. many of the workers who have been there for10 years and more are leaving in droves. And the Children and grand children are running the company into the ground in no time.

Edited October 20, 2012 by Scott
formatting

[fareastguy]

Unfortunately this arrest has to be turned into a political matter for justice to be served.

With the family of the offender being who they are we all know that left to the system this would have a very different outcome.

Starting with the fact that they've already tried to switch the blame to his passenger, that they have already tried to sway justice with the assistance of the stations top man (who I believe has been removed)

I'm sorry but this case has to be kept firmly in the full view of the public eye with the outcome printed for all to see.

As for his non appearance yesterday afternoon I do not understand why the police came out with the statement that "if he didn't show up" by the end of the day they would "consider" confiscating the bail money & issuing an arrest warrant.

This young offender is on a serious charge of at least manslaughter if not murder !!

He has broken his terms of bail & should be arrested immediately without question & detained until his case is heard in court.

He was not asked to come to court he was Summoned!!

He was shown leniency & given bail but has shown no remorse for his actions & now shows contempt for the courts, leniency should now be withdrawn !

[kartman]

Don't worry there's a Grand Prix on the horizon funded 40% by Red Bull of course they may indicate a pullout

[lizardtongue]

Unfortunately this arrest has to be turned into a political matter for justice to be served.

With the family of the offender being who they are we all know that left to the system this would have a very different outcome.

Starting with the fact that they've already tried to switch the blame to his passenger, that they have already tried to sway justice with the assistance of the stations top man (who I believe has been removed)

I'm sorry but this case has to be kept firmly in the full view of the public eye with the outcome printed for all to see.

As for his non appearance yesterday afternoon I do not understand why the police came out with the statement that "if he didn't show up" by the end of the day they would "consider" confiscating the bail money & issuing an arrest warrant.

This young offender is on a serious charge of at least manslaughter if not murder !!

He has broken his terms of bail & should be arrested immediately without question & detained until his case is heard in court.

He was not asked to come to court he was Summoned!!

He was shown leniency & given bail but has shown no remorse for his actions & now shows contempt for the courts, leniency should now be withdrawn !

Lets hope that the PM's 'transparency' that she is promoting is given to this case!

[OzMick]

Lets hope that the PM's 'transparency' that she is promoting is given to this case!

I thought the "transparency" referred to that see-through blouse she wears while telling blatant lies about her brother - keeps the press distracted.

[harrry]

Wonder how long till he drinks something that gives him wings and he flies the coop.

Edited October 20, 2012 by harrry

[MEL1]

Would this story have been so high-hitting if he was still the heir to Red-Bull but; Red- Bull was a Citroen sponsor, and he'd been driving a 2CV?

I do wonder!

-mel.

[noitom]

Well what do you know? News coverage. In the immortal words of Mel Allen, "how about that?"

[Curt1591]

I thought the "transparency" referred to that see-through blouse she wears while telling blatant lies about her brother - keeps the press distracted.

Thaksin is used as a distraction by both sides.

[JeremyBowskill]

Would this story have been so high-hitting if he was still the heir to Red-Bull but; Red- Bull was a Citroen sponsor, and he'd been driving a 2CV?

I do wonder!

-mel.

If he had been driving a2CV Mel the poor cooper on the bike would have had about 3 weeks to get out of its way, that being said it would have been an even bigger loss of face to have been killed by a moving deckchair.

[softgeorge]

Strike 1: Kills a motorcyclist while allegedly speeding

Strike 2: Motorcyclist is a policeman

Strike 3: Leaves scene of accident without stopping

Strike 4: Tries to put blame on family staff member

Strike 5: Over the alcohol limit

Strike 6: Cocaine in bloodstream

Strike 7: Doesn't feel like turning up to Police station again to hear charges.

But will it be enough strikes for someone from such a rich and powerful family to serve jail time?

Nope and he will probably still drive in the celebrity race at the 2014 grand prix.

Edited October 20, 2012 by softgeorge

[Noistar]

Strike 1: Kills a motorcyclist while allegedly speeding

Strike 2: Motorcyclist is a policeman

Strike 3: Leaves scene of accident without stopping

Strike 4: Tries to put blame on family staff member

Strike 5: Over the alcohol limit

Strike 6: Cocaine in bloodstream

Strike 7: Doesn't feel like turning up to Police station again to hear charges.

But will it be enough strikes for someone from such a rich and powerful family to serve jail time?

I assume the question is rhetorical

[jaltsc]

"Police have also asked medical experts to verify how the use of cocaine can affect one's mental abilities, and said this latest discovery would lead to an additional charge against Vorayuth."

Well, now I know why there is no drug awareness among the students in Thailand. If the police don't have a clue about the affects of drugs and need a medical expert to tell them, why should one expect anyone else to have this awareness?

[Payboy]

So he didn't mainline to soothe his nerves after the accident?

[Thaddeus]

Strike 1: Kills a motorcyclist while allegedly speeding

Strike 2: Motorcyclist is a policeman

Strike 3: Leaves scene of accident without stopping

Strike 4: Tries to put blame on family staff member

Strike 5: Over the alcohol limit

Strike 6: Cocaine in bloodstream

Strike 7: Doesn't feel like turning up to Police station again to hear charges.

But will it be enough strikes for someone from such a rich and powerful family to serve jail time?

Nope and he will probably still drive in the celebrity race at the 2014 grand prix.

The Safety Car?

[Tatsujin]

Would this story have been so high-hitting if he was still the heir to Red-Bull but; Red- Bull was a Citroen sponsor, and he'd been driving a 2CV?

I do wonder!

-mel.

Seriously? The make of the car has nothing to do with the story . . . it's all about the actions and attitude of the driver and his family, i.e. no remorse, think they are above the law, know they can pretty much get away with murder etc etc. . . .fairly typical attitudes to be honest with respect to the "hi-so" here.