Everything About the Red Bull Hit-&-Run Case Simplified for You

While Singapore has been occupied with Dickson Yeo and the reopening of Singapore and Malaysia’s borders, an epic saga was brewing in Thailand.

There was a hit-and-run incident, Red-Bull getting boycotted and, honestly, not many smiles in the land of smiles.

Want to catch up but don’t know where to start? Allow Goody Feed to fill you in.

We can’t give you wings but we can tell you what happened to the drink that allegedly can.

What Happened?

Back in 2012, Vorayuth Yoovidhya, the grandson of the late Chaleo Yoovidhya, allegedly crashed his black Ferrari into a policeman.

The poor policeman was dragged for “dozens of metres”.

Vorayuth then fled the scene.

His grandfather, Chaleo Yoovidhya, created the Thai energy drink Krating Daeng, or Red Bull.

In 2017, when the Thai police issued a warrant for his arrest, he fled the country.

Case Dropped

On 26 July, it was reported that Vorayuth’s charges of speeding, hit-and-run and reckless driving causing death were dropped.

And oh boy, did it create a domino of events.

The Thai people were angry because this smells suspiciously of the rich and powerful getting away with their crimes again.

And as with every high-profile case, there were calls on social media for consumers to boycott Red Bull.

And Red Bull Thailand quickly distanced themselves away from the incident.

Thai Red Bull’s Statement

TCP Group is the company behind Thai Red Bull and they have come out with a public statement:

The company says that it is run by Vorayuth’s uncle and has no direct association with Vorayuth, whose father has a stake in the international Red Bull brand.

The company basically disavowed Vorayth, saying that he “has never assumed any role in the management and daily operations of TCP Group, was never a shareholder, nor has he held any executive position within TCP Group.”

In short, he has nothing to do with us so please continue drinking Thai Red Bull; you’re more than welcome to boycott Red Bull from outside the country too.

By the way, remember I said dominos?

The Prime Minister Office Has Jumped Into The Fray

Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s office also released a statement about the incident.

The prime minister felt “uncomfortable” with the way the case was handled and has ordered the “relevant agencies” to reinvestigate the matter.

It was added that he did not “grant any personal favours”.

“The prime minister reiterates that the government will help create justice in the case. Any wrongdoers will be punished. This case will not be unresolved in the public’s mind.”

The PM office wasn’t the only one getting involved; The Attorney-General Chambers of Thailand also said they’ll “look into how the case was dropped”.

Death Of A Key Witness

So in the case of Vorayuth, there was a key witness.

Mr Charuchart Martthong told the police that when the incident happened, Vorayuth wasn’t speeding.

It was his account, told several years after the incident, that helped to get Vorayuth’s charges dropped.

With the investigation into the case, Mr Charuchart would definitely be questioned again.

Unfortunately, on 30 July, he died in a motorcycle accident in the northern city of Chiang Mai.

The police are investigating the cause and said they have not ruled out anything.

The other person involved in the incident is recovering in the hospital, they added.

Thailand’s prime minister has ordered a second autopsy of Charuchart’s body even though the results of the first autopsy wasn’t revealed yet.

Dividing The Powerful Yoovidhya clan

Vorayuth Yoovidhya has been living abroad for years after the incident. He is the heir to the Yoovidhya fortune and if his name is cleared, he’ll be able to come back to Thailand and inherit the family fortune.

Remember the public statement released by TCP (and coincidentally, Vorayuth’s uncle)? It turns out that a faction of the family, made up of mostly uncles and aunts, have come out to decry Vorayuth in a public letter.

“All family members… reaffirm that we respect the law and adhere to judicial processes which give equal justice.”

They called for him to explain himself to society, to the media, to the police and the family.

He has, they said, caused an “unbearable effect on the family name”.

Thailand People Want Answers

If you want to look at the ruling elites and the people’s unhappiness with them, Thailand’s probably a good place to look at right now.

It’s in the middle of Covid-19 and millions of livelihoods are threatened.

It doesn’t help that tourism, which is one of Thailand’s most important sector, has practically come to a standstill.

Plus, people aren’t happy with Mr Prayut’s military-backed government which has enjoyed close ties with the billionaire clans, according to Straits Times.

Now you know why he has to clarify in his statement that he hasn’t “granted any personal favours”, eh?