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Vorayuth Yoovidhya
วรยุทธ อยู่วิทยา
Born1982 (age 41–42)[1]
Bangkok
NationalityThailand
Other namesBoss (Thai: บอส)
Occupation(s)Assistant Managing Director, Siam Winery Co. (2015)[2]
Known forCause célèbre, Thai justice system

Vorayuth Yoovidhya is the grandson of Chalerm Yoovidhya (Thai: วรยุทธ อยู่วิทยา), the inventor of Krating Daeng (Thai: กระทิงแดง) ('Red Bull') energy drink and co-founder of its global spin-off, Red Bull. On the morning of 3 September 2012, Vorayuth allegedly ran over and killed motorcycle patrolman Police Senior Sergeant Major Wichian Klanprasert and then fled. He was later taken into custody and charged with several crimes. Since the hit-and-run accident, he consistently failed to meet scheduled meetings with authorities. In April 2017, just prior to a warrant being issued for his arrest, he fled Thailand. On 28 August 2017, at the request of Thai authorities, Interpol issued a Red Notice to its 190-member nations for the immediate arrest of Vorayuth. As of early-2018 Vorayuth remains a fugitive, his whereabouts unknown.

Early life

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Vorayuth, nicknamed "boss", was born in Bangkok in 1982, making him 30 years old at the time of the accident.[3]

Vorayuth's mother is Daranee Yoovidhya.[4] His father is Chalerm Yoovidhya. He has one brother, nicknamed "Porsche", and one sister, nicknamed "Champagne".[5]As of mid-2017, the family, headed by Vorayuth's father, was Thailand's fourth richest, worth US$12.5 billion.[6]

Vorayuth received his secondary education at Bradfield College, a boarding school in Berkshire, UK. Some of Thailand's wealthiest families send children there. Annual tuition and full board at Bradfield costs ₤36,315.[7][5]

In April 2017 Vorayuth posted on Facebook that he had enrolled at the Central Saint Martins (CSM) art school in London.[8]

Hit-and-run

[edit]

At approximately 05:30 on the morning of 3 September 2017, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, driving his Ferrari at a reported 170 kilometers per hour, rammed into the rear of Police Senior Sergeant-Major Wichian Klanprasert's motorcycle. Wichian was a motorcycle policeman on his beat at the time.[9] The impact occurred on Sukhumvit Road, one of Bangkok's major thoroughfares, near Sukhumvit Soi 47. The patrolman and his motorcycle were dragged by the car for some distance. Wichan's body was found midway between Soi 47 and Soi 49. The two sois are approximately 170 m apart. The motorcycle came to rest near the Soi 49 intersection. Vorayuth did not stop. He allegedly fled the scene and continued on to his residence on Soi 53 where he parked his Ferrari in the underground parking garage at his home. He was was arrested there several hours later after police followed a trail of dripping brake fluid to his residence.[9][10]

The badly damaged Ferrari, costing 30 million baht (US$1 million) when new,[11] was found by police at Vorayuth's home. Bangkok's police chief, Major General Kamronwit Thoopkrachang, went to the house to talk to the family. A senior officer had preceded Kamronwit to the residence and had arrested a Yoovidhya housekeeper, said to be the Ferrari driver, in an apparent attempt to protect Vorayuth. When questioned, Vorayuth admitted he was the driver. He was arrested and taken into custody.[12]

Vorayuth was not tested for alcohol and drugs until hours after the accident. He was found to have a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of 64.8 milligrams per 100 milliliters of blood (the legal limit is 50 mg per 100 ml).[13] The Yoovidhya family attorney claimed his client was upset by the crash and drank only after arriving home to relieve his stress.[10] Vorayuth also tested positively for cocaine. A police spokesman said that while Vorayuth tested positively for the drug, it was not clear if he had ingested it before or after the 3 September crash.

Vorayuth failed to show at his scheduled indictment on 19 October 2012 at a Bangkok police station. Police then sought to determine if he had a legitimate reason for missing his appointment before taking further action, which could include revoking his bail.[14]

Vorayuth was released later on 3 September on 500,000 baht (US$16,000) bail.[15] This would be the last time Vorayuth met with police or prosecutors.

Aftermath

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The case generated immediate vitriol in Thailand where the knee-jerk reaction was that the justice would once again be subverted by the wealthy elite abetted by a corrupt police and judiciary.[15] It attracted significant media attention worldwide from publications as disparate as the New Yorker[16] and the Daily Mail.[17]

Vorayuth's family paid the dead officer's family three million baht compensation. A police spokesman said the settlement protects Vorayuth from a civil lawsuit.[11] The payment does not protect Vorayuth from criminal charges of causing death by reckless driving and fleeing to avoid arrest. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in jail and a fine of 20,000 baht (US$666).[5]

It took Thai police six months to prepare criminal charges of speeding, reckless driving causing death, and fleeing the scene of an accident.[18]

After Vorayuth failed to appear on eight occasions, the police were asked why they have not issued an arrest warrant against the accused, as had been requested three and a half years prior. They explained that it is up to the attorney-general's office to act. The attorney-general's office explained that Vorayuth cannot be indicted unless he appears in person.[18]

In August 2017 Interpol issued a "Blue Notice" for Vorayuth. The purpose of a Blue Notice is "to locate, identify or obtain information on a person of interest in a criminal investigation".[19] A few days later, at the request of Thai authorities, it was upgraded to a "Red Notice".[1][20] A Red Notice "…seek[s} the location and arrest of a person wanted by a judicial jurisdiction or an international tribunal with a view to his/her extradition." The Interpol Red Notice cites these charges: "Reckless driving causing the death of another person, Reckless driving causing damages to another person, Did not stop to aid the injured person and did not report to the officials, Driving under the influence of alcohol causing the death of another person. Driving more than the allowed speed limit." The list of charges makes no mention of Vorayuth's failures to appear.

Chronology

[edit]
  • 3 September 2012: The crash takes place at 05:30 at Sukhumvit Road and Soi 47.
  • Mid-September 2012: The Yoovidhya family pays Wichian's family three million baht in compensation.
  • 19 October 2012: Vorayuth misses a scheduled appearance at a Bangkok police station.[14]
  • 3 September 2013: Vorayuth fails to appear for indictment. Vorayuth's lawyer says the 30-year-old heir is on a business trip in Singapore and was unable to return to Thailand due to illness. His absence means a speeding charge will be dropped because the statute of limitations expires on 3 Sep 2013. He still faces charges of causing death by reckless driving and not stopping to help, which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years. It is the sixth time Vorayuth's indictment has been postponed.[21]
  • February 2017: Social media clues lead AP reporters to Vorayuth and his family vacationing in Luang Prabang, Laos. The group stayed at a US$1,000-a-night resort, dined in the finest restaurants, visited temples, and lounged by the pool before flying home to Bangkok.[10]
  • 30 Mar 2017: Vorayuth's court appearance is delayed as he is in UK on business. He has missed eight appearances in last 12 months according to Reuters.[22]
  • 25 April 2017: Vorayuth flees Thailand days before an arrest warrant is issued. He flies to Singapore.[23]
  • 28 April 2017: An arrest warrant for Vorayuth is issued.[24]
  • 5 May 2017: Vorayuth's Thai passport is revoked.[8]
  • 28 August 2017: Interpol issues a "Red Notice" for Vorayuth.
  • 3 September 2017: The statute of limitations on fleeing the scene of an accident (hit-and-run), which carried up to six months in jail, expires. Speeding and drunk driving charges have already expired.[25][5]
  • 3 September 2027: Date the statute of limitations for causing death by dangerous driving expires. Prosecution carries up to 10 years imprisonment. This is the only remaining charge that can be brought against Vorayuth.[25]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "YOOVIDHYA, VORAYUTH". Interpol. Retrieved 17 January 2018.
  2. ^ "Fun Festival". Bangkok Post. 15 December 2015. Retrieved 15 January 2018 – via Pressreader.
  3. ^ News reports of his accident uniformly report Vorayuth as being 27 years old in 2012. His birthday is difficult to ascertain, but Interpol Red Notice documentation reports his month and year of birth as January 1982.
  4. ^ "Daranee Yoovidhya". Thailand Tatler. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  5. ^ a b c d "Red Bull heir enjoys jet-set life 4 years after hit-and-run". AP News. Associated Press. 28 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  6. ^ Karmali, Naazneen (June 2017). "The Fugitive Red Bull Heir". Forbes Asia. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  7. ^ "Fees". Bradfield College. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Red Bull heir on the run has chequered past". Today. AFP, AP, Reuters. 12 May 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018. Cite error: The named reference "Today-20170512" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b "Red Bull heir hit-run case delayed again". Bangkok Post. 20 June 2013. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  10. ^ a b c "Red Bull heir enjoys jet-set life 4 years after hit-and-run". CNBC. AP. 27 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  11. ^ a b "Red Bull heir pays $97,000 to family of man he is alleged to have killed with a $1M Ferrari". National Post. AP. 26 September 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  12. ^ MacKinnon, Ian (3 September 2012). "Thai Red Bull tycoon's grandson arrested 'after killing policeman in Ferrari'". The Telegraph. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  13. ^ Tongwaranan, Tanyatorn (11 May 2015). "Justice impaired". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b "Red Bull heir crashed car on cocaine, police say". news.com.au. AP. 21 October 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2018. Cite error: The named reference "news.com-20121021" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ a b Petty, Martin (4 September 2012). "Impunity for the rich and famous leaves Thais outraged". Reuters. Reuters. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  16. ^ Purnell, Newley (12 September 2013). "The Red Bull Heir and Inequality in Thailand". The New Yorker. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  17. ^ Fagge, Nick (11 November 2016). "'The new generation want wealth... but they don't want to work hard': Thai village 'betrayed' by Red Bull family whose £18bn fortune began on a duck farm before the private jets, fast cars and champagne". MailOnline. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  18. ^ a b Head, Jonathan (2 April 2017). "The untouchable Red Bull heir in Thailand". BBC News. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  19. ^ "Interpol issues international alert for Red Bull heir". Bangkok Post. 22 August 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  20. ^ Swenson, Kyle (29 August 2017). "Jet-setting heir to Red Bull fortune sought in fatal hit-and-run of Thai policeman". Washington Post. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  21. ^ Doksone, Thanyarat (3 September 2013). "Red Bull heir Vorayuth Yoovidhya wanted after failing to appear for hit-and-run indictment". Sydney Morning Herald. AP. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  22. ^ "Red Bull heir snubs Thai court in hit-and-run case". Deutsche Welle. AFP, AP, Reuters. 30 March 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  23. ^ "Red Bull heir Worayuth Yoovidhya flees Thai hit-run warrant". The Australian. AFP. 3 May 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  24. ^ "Red Bull scion flees Bangkok with 2 days to spare". Bangkok Post. 2 May 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.
  25. ^ a b "Third charge expires against fugitive Thai Red Bull heir". Straits Times. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 15 January 2018.


Category:People from Bangkok Category:2012 in Thailand Category:Corruption in Thailand Category:Crime in Thailand Category:Road incident deaths in Thailand Category: 2012 deaths

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