Thailand ex-police chief among 8 charged in Red Bull heir hit-and-run cover-up

Multiple high-ranking officials, including Thailand’s former National Police Chief Somyot Poompanmoung and former Deputy Attorney General Nate Naksuk, were charged in connection with an alleged cover-up in the 2012 hit-and-run case involving Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya.

The officials are accused of conspiring to alter the recorded speed of the Ferrari that Vorayuth drove, which fatally struck a police officer, allowing him to evade a reckless driving charge. The case has long been criticized as emblematic of the impunity enjoyed by Thailand’s elite, with a 2020 inquiry revealing a “conspiracy to damage the case from the start,” according to former Supreme Court Judge Vicha Mahakhun. Despite the seriousness of the charges — including abuse of power and dereliction of duty — all eight defendants were granted bail but are barred from leaving the country. The defendants are scheduled to return to court on Sept. 10.