Death of Wichian Klanprasert
{{update|date=March 2024}}
{{short description|2012 crime in Thailand}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}
Wichian Klanprasert ({{Langx|th|วิเชียร กลั่นประเสริฐ}}), a Thai police officer, was killed by Vorayuth Yoovidhya ({{Langx|th|วรยุทธ อยู่วิทยา}}), grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya, in a hit-and-run incident in Bangkok, Thailand, on 3 September 2012.
The case is widely seen as an example of how the affluent in Thai society are able to escape the criminal justice system.{{cite news|last1=Head|first1=Jonathan|title=The untouchable Red Bull heir in Thailand|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39427291|access-date=3 April 2017|work=BBC News|date=2 April 2017}}{{cite news|title=Red Bull heir enjoys jet-set life 4 years after hit-and-run| url=https://apnews.com/7737b2dc823145b0a835ed66bdaeea7b/Red-Bull-heir-enjoys-jet-set-life-4-years-after-hit-and-run|access-date=3 April 2017|work=Associated Press News|date=28 March 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.torontosun.com/2017/03/30/prosecutors-in-thailand-postpone-appearance-for-red-bull-heir-vorayuth-boss-yoovidhya|title=Spoiled brat Red Bull heir wins new delay|first1=Brad|last1=Hunter|newspaper=Toronto Sun|date=2017-03-30|access-date=6 May 2017}}{{cite news|last1=Rithdee|first1=Kong|title='Boss' Strides Atop Pyramid of Justice|url=https://www.pressreader.com/thailand/bangkok-post/20170401/281831463574815|access-date=6 January 2018|work=Bangkok Post|via=Pressreader|date=2017-04-01}}
2012 hit-and-run
Wichian, a Thai police senior sergeant-major, was riding a motorcycle when he was hit by a speeding Ferrari which dragged his body along the road for over {{cvt|100.|m}} before it fled the scene. Based on analysis of CCTV footage, two independent teams of specialists including a physics lecturer at Chulalongkorn University estimated that the Ferrari was travelling at a speed of {{convert|177|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} or {{convert|174|km/h|mph|abbr=on}} at the time.{{Cite news|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1959503/scientist-sticks-by-car-speed|title=Scientist sticks by car speed|first=Dumrongkiat|last= Mala|newspaper=Bangkok Post }}
The Ferrari was later found to have been driven by Vorayuth, a grandson of billionaire Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yoovidhya. Vorayuth was found to have illegal drugs (cocaine) and alcohol in his system. Vorayuth's lawyer later claimed that Vorayuth's high blood alcohol levels were due to his drinking at home, due to stress following the accident and that he had left the scene to inform his family of what had happened. Although the police reportedly have no official record of this, Vorayuth asserted that the cocaine was found in his system due to medicine administered during dental work.{{cite news|last1=Murdoch|first1=Lindsay|url=http://www.smh.com.au/world/red-bull-heir-vorayuth-yoovidhya-stonewalls-prosecutors-years-after-alleged-hitandrun-20170402-gvbq30.html|title=Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya stonewalls prosecutors years after alleged hit-and-run|work=Sydney Morning Herald|date=1 April 2017|access-date=6 January 2018}} Vorayuth initially claimed that Suwet Hom-ubol, Vorayuth's aide and chauffeur, had been behind the wheel during the incident, but later admitted to driving the car himself. Suwet would later be charged with making false statements to the police. An investigating police officer, Police Lieutenant Colonel Pannaphol Nammueng, allegedly urged Suwet to pretend to be the Ferrari driver in the fatal hit-and-run.{{cite web|url=https://www.nationthailand.com/news/national/aec/30189780|title=Red Bull heir may face manslaughter charge|work=The Nation|date=2012-09-05|access-date=6 January 2018|archive-date=5 June 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220605112252/https://www.nationmultimedia.com/news/national/aec/30189780|url-status=live}} The case has caused continuing outrage in Thailand.
Subsequent investigation
Despite assurances by then-Police Commissioner Comronwit Toopgrajank that the case would be taken seriously, as of April 2017 Vorayuth had yet to be indicted, as his lawyers had repeatedly postponed summons by the Attorney-General, claiming illness, overseas business and unfair treatment, and the statute of limitations expired for several charges.
In April 2017, Vorayuth failed for the eighth time to appear in court to answer the charges against him, citing work commitments.{{cite web|url=https://coconuts.co/bangkok/news/845852/ |title=As latest deadline passes today, Red Bull heir a no-show...again|work=Coconuts Bangkok|agency=Reuters|date=2017-04-27|access-date=27 April 2017}}
On 28 April 2017 the criminal court approved an arrest warrant for Vorayuth, however he had already fled to Singapore, where he abandoned his private jet. Interpol confirmed that Vorayuth left Singapore on 27 April.{{cite news|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1243862/boss-leaves-private-jet-in-singapore|title='Boss' leaves private jet in Singapore|work=Bangkok Post|date=5 May 2017|access-date=9 May 2017|url-access=subscription }} Thai police requested that his Thai passport be cancelled and this was done in early May 2017.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-39802351|title=Wanted Thai Red Bull heir Vorayuth 'not in Singapore'|work=BBC|date=4 May 2017|access-date=6 May 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/04/thailand-police-arrest-warrant-red-bull-heir-170428115617593.html|title=Thailand police get arrest warrant for Red Bull heir|work=Al Jazeera|date=28 April 2017|access-date=1 May 2017}}{{cite news|url= http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/red-bull-fugitive-yoovidhya-1.4098805|title=Fugitive Red Bull heir abandons private jet, disappears|access-date=4 May 2017|agency=Reuters|work=CBC News|date=4 May 2017}}{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-05-06/thailand-revokes-passport-of-fugitive-red-bull-heir-vorayuth/8503426|title=Thailand revokes fugitive Red Bull heir's passport|date=6 May 2017|work=ABC|access-date=9 May 2017}}
On 28 August 2017 Interpol, at the request of the Thai police, issued a red notice for the arrest of Vorayuth.{{cite magazine|url=http://time.com/4919664/red-bull-heir-vorayuth-yoovidhya-thailand-interpol-red-notice/|title=Interpol Arrest Notice Issued for Fugitive Red Bull Heir|first=Jerry|last=Harmer|via=AP|magazine=Time|access-date=30 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170829215506/http://time.com/4919664/red-bull-heir-vorayuth-yoovidhya-thailand-interpol-red-notice/|archive-date=29 August 2017|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}{{cite news|url=http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/general/1244334/boss-passport-revoked|title=Vorayuth's passport revoked, but location unknown|work=Bangkok Post|date=5 May 2017|access-date=5 May 2017|url-access=subscription }}
Dismissal of charges
On 24 July 2020, Thai police confirmed that all charges against Vorayuth had been dropped on instructions from the Thai Attorney General, but indicated that case could be reopened if new evidence was discovered.{{Cite web|title=Thai Red Bull distances itself from hit-and-run case as boycott calls grow|url=https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/thai-red-bull-distances-itself-boycott-hit-run-case-vorayuth-12964396|access-date=2020-07-27|website=CNA|language=en|archive-date=23 September 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200923055049/https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asia/thai-red-bull-distances-itself-boycott-hit-run-case-vorayuth-12964396|url-status=dead}} The Attorney General did not elaborate or provide any explanation for dropping the case.{{Cite web|title=Thailand urged to clarify reasons for dropping charge against Red Bull heir|url=https://www.thestar.com.my/aseanplus/aseanplus-news/2020/07/25/thailand-urged-to-clarify-reasons-for-dropping-charge-against-red-bull-heir|access-date=2020-07-27|website=The Star}} Deputy police spokesman Kissana Phathanacharoen denied that the Yoovidhya family's wealth had played any part in the decision to drop the charges.{{cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-redbull/thailand-drops-charges-in-red-bull-heir-case-that-stirred-anger-about-impunity-idUKKCN24O2SM?il=0|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200724074032/https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-thailand-redbull/thailand-drops-charges-in-red-bull-heir-case-that-stirred-anger-about-impunity-idUKKCN24O2SM?il=0|url-status=dead|archive-date=24 July 2020|title=Thailand drops charges in Red Bull heir case that stirred anger about impunity|work=Reuters|date=23 July 2020|access-date=24 July 2020}} News of this development led to significant public outcry and criticism from Thai academics, and a movement to boycott Red Bull products, including trending Twitter hashtags like #BossYoovidhya.{{Cite news|last1=Ngamkham|first1=Ngamkham |last2= Sattaburuth|first2=Aekarach |date=2020-07-25|title=Public fury as 'Boss' allowed to walk free|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1957115/public-fury-as-boss-allowed-to-walk-free|url-status=live|archive-url= https://archive.today/20200727215547/https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1957115/public-fury-as-boss-allowed-to-walk-free|archive-date=27 July 2020|access-date=27 July 2020|website=Bangkok Post}}
A leaked copy of the prosecutor's report revealed that a new review conducted in 2017 concluded that the Ferrari's speed was only {{convert|76.17|km/h}}, under the road's {{convert|80|km/h}} speed limit, and two eyewitnesses testified that Wichian had been driving erratically.{{Cite web|url=https://www.thaiexaminer.com/thai-news-foreigners/2020/07/27/new-evidence-no-basis-to-prosecute-red-bull-driver-boss-vorayuth/|title=Strong new evidence suggests that there was no basis to prosecute Red Bull driver 'Boss' Vorayuth|date=27 July 2020}} The report stated that, since Vorayuth's actions were not negligent and Wichian's driving had been a contributory factor in his own death, there was no basis for a Section 291 criminal charge for negligence leading to death.{{Cite web|url=https://library.siam-legal.com/thai-law/criminal-code-murder-death-sections-288-294/|title=Murder Death (Sections 288-294) | Thailand Law Library|date=18 March 2015}}
On 27 July 2020, Thai police announced that Police General Jakthip Chaijinda had launched an internal investigation into irregularities with this case.{{Cite news|date=27 July 2020|title=Police panel to look into 'Boss' case in 15 days|url=https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1958347/police-panel-to-look-into-boss-case-in-15-days|url-status=live|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200727215742/https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/general/1958347/police-panel-to-look-into-boss-case-in-15-days|archive-date=27 July 2020|access-date=27 July 2020|website=Bangkok Post}} Wichian's surviving brother expressed his dismay at the outcome, indicating frustration with the sense of impunity in Thailand's criminal justice system for wealthy and well-connected Thais.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-24|title=Charges dropped against Thai Red Bull heir in fatal crash|url=https://hosted.ap.org/journalrecord/article/19950000bd40037bf1be272fb236a7ed/thai-police-charges-red-bull-heir-dropped-12-crash|access-date=2020-07-27|website=Associated Press|language=en}}
On 29 August 2024, Somyot Poompanmoung, the former commander of the Royal Thai Police, was indicted along with former Deputy Attorney General Nate Naksuk and six others for conspiring to alter the recorded speed of Vorayuth's Ferrari at the time of the incident.{{Cite web |date=August 29, 2024 |title=Former Thai police chief arraigned for alleged cover-up of Red Bull heir’s deadly traffic accident |website=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/red-bull-police-yoovidhya-thailand-accident-coverup-0602aa8eb3d452cc5d3608f058efd4df }}
On 22 April 2025, the Associated Press reported former Deputy Attorney General Nate Naksuk was convicted and sentenced to three years in prison. Former prosecutor Chainarong Sangthongaram was convicted and sentenced to two years in prison. Both were convicted for abuse of power to help Vorayuth Yoovidhya avoid prosecution. The rest, including former Police Chief Gen. Somyot Poompanmoung, were acquitted due to a lack of evidence. {{Cite web |date=April 22, 2025 |title=Former Thai prosecutors sentenced to prison for alleged cover-up of Red Bull heir’s deadly crash |website=Associated Press |url=https://apnews.com/article/thailand-red-bull-heir-crash-verdict-prosecutors-0df10c9cce12c9f4c0a9d11ed887b97b|url-status=live|archive-url= https://archive.today/20250424111957/https://apnews.com/article/thailand-red-bull-heir-crash-verdict-prosecutors-0df10c9cce12c9f4c0a9d11ed887b97b|archive-date=24 April 2025|access-date=24 Apr 2025}}