Red Bull heir flees Singapore as Thais wait
Print Edition
AN heir to the Red Bull fortune wanted in Thailand for his alleged involvement in a deadly hit-and-run incident has left Singapore after abandoning his private jet and disappearing.
Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya left Thailand for Singapore on April 25, two days before he had been ordered to report to prosecutors to be formally charged in court, Thai police said yesterday.
Vorayuth faces charges of speeding, hit-and-run and reckless driving, which caused the death of a policeman in 2012, after his Ferrari allegedly crashed into a policeman on a motorcycle in Bangkok. He fled the scene after dragging the officer’s body for several dozen meters with his car.
It was the eighth time Vorayuth has missed a summons since legal proceedings against him began in 2016.
The case is being closely watched in Thailand where it has fueled complaints that the justice system favors the rich and famous, allowing them to break the law with impunity.
Police said Vorayuth had traveled to Singapore on his private jet and stayed there for two days.
“Vorayuth left Singapore on April 27. The private jet he arrived in is still there,” said senior police official, Apichat Suriboonya, who heads Thailand’s Interpol bureau. “We have no further details.”
Apichat said his team was working with the Singapore police to try to determine where Vorayuth had gone.
Singapore police confirmed he had left the city state and said they would do what they could to help assist their Thai colleagues.
A Thai court issued an arrest warrant for Vorayuth last Friday while police asked the Foreign Ministry to revoke his passport. The ministry said it would do so as quickly as possible.
“Having his passport revoked will pressure Vorayuth to travel back to Thailand, as no country would allow him to enter without it,” said another senior police official, Sarawut Detsri.
Vorayuth is a grandson of the late Chaleo Yoovidhya, creator of the Kratin Daeng, or the popular Red Bull, energy drink.
Chaleo, 88, was listed as the third richest person in Thailand at the time of his death in 2012, with an estimated net worth of US$5 billion.
Vorayuth has spent much of the past five years abroad, including in London, where his family owns a home, and Singapore.
He has previously cited work commitments abroad as a reason for not showing up in court.
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