A wrecked Ferrari, a dead cop and an heir on the run: Ten years later, Thailand still hasn’t come close to solving one of the world’s most notorious car crash cases.
Steal ‘Boss’ Juvidya, the prince of the Red Bull energy drink family, is accused of hitting police officer Vechean Glanprasert’s motorcycle with his Ferrari a decade ago this Saturday in Bangkok’s wealthiest district. After eluding prosecutors and finally escaping Thailand on a private jet in 2017, Voraiut has become a symbol of what critics say is the impunity enjoyed by super-rich kingdoms.
“The perception of different justice systems for different sections of society paralyzes people’s faith in the ability of the Thai state to fulfill its responsibility to protect the rights of all Thais,” Amnesty International Thailand told AFP.
As the grandson of Red Bull co-founder Chaleo Yuvidya, who died in 2012, Vorayut belongs to a clan with an estimated net worth of $26.4 billion (roughly the same in euros), making her the second richest family in Thailand. Forbes. “This family is strong not only in Thailand but all over the world,” Thai political scientist Pavin Chachawalpongpun of Kyoto University told AFP.
glamorous lifestyle
Hours after the crash, investigators followed the trail of brake fluid to the Yuvidya family’s home in Bangkok, where they found a battered car with a shattered windshield. Police initially took the lead that the employee was driving a Ferrari, but Vorayut became the prime suspect and his family later paid the victim’s relatives $100,000 in damages, according to the BBC and The New York Times.
For five years Vorayut played with the courtroom, claiming through his lawyers that he was abroad on business or ill, while photographs documented a luxurious lifestyle: living in London, visiting the Bull, relaxing on the beach and skiing.
Charges of speeding, drunk driving and failure to provide assistance expired before a Bangkok court belatedly issued an arrest warrant in 2017. By that time Vorayut had already escaped.
In 2020, the Thai authorities dropped all charges against Woryuth, causing massive public outcry, including a media campaign to boycott Red Bull. To try to stop this backlash, the TCP Group – the parent company of Red Bull Thailand – has distanced itself from the company, saying the case is private.
As anger escalated and youth-led anti-government demonstrations escalated in the streets, Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha’s office ordered a retrial, which concluded that the entire investigation had been “compromised.”
However, a stark contrast could be seen between the shuffling of the Vorayut case and the swift action taken against the leaders of the anti-government protests, many of whom faced numerous charges of actual defamation carrying penalties of up to 15 years in prison. years.
Thailand’s Attorney General’s Office announced new charges against Woryuit, and in September 2020, Interpol issued a red notice for his arrest. Last March’s update stated that Vorayut was trying to access the Red Notice and that he was likely in France at the time. The warning also mentions Austria, where Red Bull is based, as a possible hideout.
no fee
The cocaine charge expired last month, Thailand’s Attorney General’s Office said, leaving the prosecutor’s office with only one avenue to file a case against Woryut: reckless driving resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Thailand’s Attorney General’s Office told AFP that the indictment is valid until 2027. Few, however, expect Vorayut to face trial.
“From the very beginning, many people already knew how everything would end,” says political scientist Pavin Chachawalpongpun, noting the strong public anger around the case. “Rich people committing crimes and escaping have become the norm in Thai society, but Thais don’t accept that this is normal.”
