2018 Thai panther poaching case

Premchai Karnasuta was born on 9 March 1955 in Bangkok. He is head of Thailand's largest construction firm, Italian-Thai Development, which built Suvarnabhumi Airport, the BTS Skytrain, MRT subway and other major projects. Premchai was also listed 35th richest in Thailand in 2011 by Forbes.

In the Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary, tambon Chalae of Thong Pha Phum District, the northern part of Kanchanaburi Province and the southern part of Tak Province in Thailand, on 5 February 2018 at 2am, Park rangers found four tourists and searched them. They found lots of weapons and wild animal carcasses. The rangers found two rifles, a double-barreled shotgun, different type of bullets, the body of a kalij pheasant, a muntiacini deer carcass, a skinned and salted black panther skull in the camp. Later they acknowledged that one in four tourists is Premchai Karnasuta. Premchai and other three people were charged with hunting animals in a wildlife sanctuary, and sent to the local police station where they were charged. A charge carries a maximum sentence of five years and a fine of 50,000 baht and illegally hunting protected species and possesing caracasses of protected species, such as a black panther, is punishable by four years in prison and a 40,000 baht fine.[1]

Authorities publicly released photos of Premchai with hunting gears and animal carcasses, including a black panther. It sparked public outrage in Thailand because the rich and powerful poaching is common in Thailand, according to Wiek, animal rights activist. Medias also compared that to a couple sentenced in 2010 to five years in prison for picking mushrooms in Dong Radaeng Forest, this case could be an evasiveness for the powerful.[1]

On 19 March 2019, Premchai was found guilty of possessing the carcass of a kalij pheasant and firearms in public areas, and supporting others to hunt in a protected wildlife sanctuary. Premchai was sentenced to one year and four months in prison without probation. When asked if he had anything to say to society, Premchai said, "Only one thing, I’m sorry."[2] His driver and cook were given lesser sentences, and his hunting guide was found guilty of hunting, which he was the only one, and was sentenced to three years and five months. Premchai was released on bail before an appeal, as the court did not deem him a flight risk.[3]

On 8 December 2021, the Supreme Court upheld the lower court's jail terms, sentencing Premchai to three years and two months in prison for hunting. The ruling was read out at Thong Pha Phum Provincial Court. His former driver Yong Dodkruea was sentenced to three years and five months in prison and his hunter Thanee Thummat to three years and nine months. The court also ordered them to pay 2 million baht in compensation for damage to nature. Nathee Riemsaen, the cook, was given a suspended prison term of one year and eight months, no appeal for the sentence.[4]