Mr Vorayudh initially faced three charges in connection with the fatal incident, in which Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert, a Thong Lor station traffic officer was killed. However, the speeding charge was dropped because the one-year statute of limitations expired. The suspect faces two other charges — reckless driving causing death and failing to stop his car to help a victim, which have statutes of limitations of 15 years and five years respectively. However, he has reportedly fled the country. Initially, police investigators agreed to charge Mr Vorayudh with reckless driving causing death and failing to stop his car to help a victim. But the prosecution wanted to also indict him with speeding as video footage from security cameras suggested he might have been driving at up to 170kph when the accident took place. The case was sent back to police to gather more evidence. Mr Vorayudh contested the prosecutors' evidence and asked that police question six witnesses. The Office of the Attorney-General approved his request, which delayed the indictment by almost six months. The prosecution planned to indict the suspect on Sept 2, 2013, one day after the statute of limitations on the speeding charge expired. However, Mr Vorayudh failed to appear, and his lawyer, Thanit Buakhiew, claimed his client could not attend because he was in Singapore on a business trip and had come down with the flu. Mr Sutthi gave assurances that the prosecution will not allow the suspect to stall the indictment process and wait out the statutes of limitations on the charges. He also said prosecutors are reviewing a request by the victim's family asking if other possible charges can be pressed against the suspect. According to Mr Sutthi, the victim's family is unlikely to join the prosecution as plaintiffs because they apparently signed a compensation settlement with Mr Vorayudh. Reporters turned out in droves at Thong Lor police station for signs of Mr Vorayudh. However, it was reported that he did not need to report to police and could instead meet with prosecutors directly.

Mr Sutthi said Mr Vorayudh still has a chance to report to prosecutors, noting that they will ask Thong Lor police to explain why the suspect did not show up and to arrange a new meeting. "If the suspect fails to appear at the next meeting without proper cause he will face arrest," he said, adding that the suspect's lawyers can lodge a petition seeking a postponement, but the request must be based on proper reasons and backed by solid proof. He said the prosecution expects the next meeting to take place within 30 days. Police will need 15-20 days to issue a new summons and the suspect will be given 10-15 days to prepare, he added. According to Mr Sutthi, if the suspect fails to appear without a proper reason, it will be evident he is stalling the case, which justifies issuing an arrest warrant. He said that in the criminal process, a suspect must be brought before the court if he is not detained in jail. A police source familiar with the case said Wednesday that once an arrest warrant is issued, the Immigration Bureau will be notified and asked to make an arrest if the suspect passes through any checkpoints. "So far there's no need to ask Interpol to track down the suspect because the police can still contact his lawyer. So it's unlikely that he will flee," said the source.

Yesterday: All was quiet here Wednesday, as senior officers and a gaggle of media stood by waiting for the surrender of the heir to the estimated $8 billion Red Bull energy drink fortune. (Photo via Google Maps)

September 4, 2012: Suspect Vorayuth Yoovidhya, the youngest son of Red Bull executive Chalerm Yoovidhya, is brought to the Thong Lor police station for an interrogation two days after the fatal crash. KOSOL NAKACHOL

Post Reporters Prosecutors decided to give the Red Bull heir, Vorayudh "Boss" Yoovidhaya, another chance after he failed to meet them Wednesday to answer charges in connection with a deadly hit-and-run incident in 2012. Sutthi Kittisupaporn, chief of the Department of Southern Bangkok Criminal Litigation, said the suspect did not appear and the prosecution had heard nothing from his lawyers. The Office of the Attorney-General had sent a letter to Thong Lor police, who were responsible for the hit-and-run case, advising police to bring the suspect in to meet with prosecutors Wednesday to formally hear the charges and initiate a judicial process. Police followed up by issuing a summons. Chalerm Yoovidhya, Mr Vorayudh's father, was ranked by Forbes as Thailand's fourth richest person in 2015 with a net worth of more than 340 billion baht.

This is one of the classic unsolved cases that people cite to illustrate how the judicial system favours the rich. Is that really true? The story gives details of the case from start to finish. Consider what needs to be changed in the investigation and prosecution process to make it fair for all sides.

Please join us on our Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/bangkokpostlearning

Red Bull heir, Vorayudh "Boss" Yoovidhaya failed to meet with proscutors Wednesday to answer charges in connection with a deadly hit-and-run incident in 2012. He will be given one more "final" chance.

Forensic police inspect a motorcycle belonging to Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert of Thong Lor police station and a Ferrari driven by Vorayuth Yoovidhya, the youngest son of Red Bull executive, SOMCHAI POOMLARD Inset: Vorayuth as he looked in 2008. Since the Ferrari crash he has been incommunicado. Whereabouts: unknown.

Click "play" to listen to Red Bull heir a no-show – again and "Download" to keep this file for educational purpose.

Vocabulary:

advise : to tell somebody what you think they should do in a particular situation - แนะนำ, แจ้ง

apparently : based only on what you have heard or think, not on what you are certain is true; seemingly - ตามที่ได้รู้มา

appear : to go somewhere officially because you are involved in something, such as a trial or inquiry - ปรากฏตัวอย่างเป็นทางการ

approve : to give official permission - อนุมัต

arrest : (of the police) taking someone to a police station because they are believed to have committed a crime - การจับกุม

arrest warrant : a document signed by a judge allowing police to arrest someone - หมายจับ

assurance (noun): a statement that something is true, esp. when there is doubt about it; a promise; a guarantee - การรับประกัน, การรับรอง

backed : supported - ให้การสนับสนุน

case : a matter that is being officially investigated or heard by a court - คดี

charge : an official statement accusing someone of committing a crime - ข้อกล่าวหา

checkpoint : a place where people are stopped and questioned and vehicles are examined, especially at a border between two countries - ด่านตรวจ

chief : a person with a high rank or the highest rank in a company or an organisation - หัวหน้า, ผู้นำ

cite : to mention something as an example - กล่าวถึง

classic : with all the features you would expect to find; very typical - เป็นแบบอย่าง

client : a customer or someone who receives services of a lawyer - ลูกความ

compensation : money that someone receives because something bad has happened to them - เงินชดเชย

consider : to give careful thought to something before making a decision - พิจารณา

contest : to disagree with something and often to take action to stop it from happening - ถกเถียง โต้แย้ง

criminal : relating to illegal acts - เกี่ยวกับอาชญากรรม

deadly (adj): causing or likely to cause death - เป็นอันตรายถึงตายได้

delay (verb): to do something later than is planned or expected; to cause something to happen at a later time - เลื่อน, เลื่อนเวลา

details : small facts or pieces of information relating to a situation - รายละเอียด

detained : kept in a place and not allowed to leave - กักตัว ควบคุมตัวหรือฝากขัง

estimated : thought to be a particular amount, size, etc. based on a guess or the best information available - ประมาณการ

evidence : facts statements or objects that help to prove whether or not someone has committed a crime - หลักฐาน

evident : clearly seen; obvious - เห็นได้ชัด

executive : a senior manager in a business or other organisation - ผู้บริหาร

expire : to come to an end or stop being in use - หมดอายุ

fatal : causing someone to die - ถึงตาย

favour : to give an advantage to someone or something - เอื้อ

fled (past of flee) : escaped; left an area very quickly because of a danger there - หนีไป

flee : to leave a place or person quickly because you are afraid of possible danger - หนี อพยพ

flu : a very common infectious disease that lasts a short time and makes you feel hot or cold, weak, and tired - ไข้หวัดใหญ่

footage : film or video of a particular subject or event - ฟิลม์หรือคลิปภาพยนตร์ หรือวิดีโอ

formally : officially; following an agreed or official way of doing things - อย่างเป็นทางการ

fortune : a large amount of money - เงินมากมาย

gaggle (noun): a group of noisy people - กลุ่มคนที่ส่งเสียงดัง

heir : a person who will legally receive money, property or a title from another person, especially an older member of the same family, when that other person dies - ทายาท, ผู้สืบสกุล, ผู้รับมรดก

hit-and-run : (of a road accident) caused by a driver who does not stop to help - ที่ชนแล้วหนี

illustrate : to show what something is like, or to show that something is true - แสดงให้เห็น

Immigration Bureau : the government agency dealing with people entering and leaving the country and those who want to live there - สำนักงานตรวจคนเข้าเมือง

in droves : of a large group, especially of people, moving towards a place or doing something at the same time -

incident : something that happens, usually something bad - เหตุการณ์

indict (verb): to officially accuse someone of a serious crime - ฟ้องร้อง

indictment : an official statement accusing someone of a serious crime - การฟ้องร้อง, การดำเนินคดี

initially : at first - ในเบื้องต้น

initiate : to make something start - ริเริ่ม

Interpol : an international organization that enables the police forces of different countries to help each other to solve crimes - องค์การตำรวจสากล

interrogation : asking someone a lot of questions in order to get information - การสอบถาม, การซักถาม

investigation : the process of trying to find out all the details or facts about something - การสอบสวน

issue : to officially give out - ออก

judicial system : a country’s court system - ระบบศาลยุติธรรม

justify : to show that there is good reason for something - แสดงเหตุผลที่ดีพอ

lawyer : an attorney - ทนาย

litigation : the use of the legal system to settle a disagreement - การฟ้องร้อง ดำเนินคดี

lodge a petition : to make a formal request of someone in authority - การร้องเรียน, การยื่นคำร้อง

media : radio, television, newspaper, the Internet, considered as a group - สื่อ

net worth : the value of all your property, possessions, and money after you remove what you owe - มูลค่าของทรัพย์สินทั้งหมดหลังจากลบออกหนี้สิน

notify : to tell someone officially about something - แจ้ง

Office of the Attorney-General (noun): the main agency responsible for criminal prosecution, legal advice to state agencies, representation of government in court and for international cooperation in criminal matters - สำนักงานอัยการสูงสุด

plaintiff : someone who makes a legal complaint against someone else in court (a co-plaintiff joins with another to make the complaint) - โจทก์

postponement : delay - การเลื่อนออกไป

press a charge : to accuse someone officially of committing a crime - ตั้งข้อกล่าวหา, ฟ้อง

process : a series of actions that you take in order to achieve a result - แนวทางปฏิบัติ, กระบวน, วิธีการ

proof : information, documents, etc. that show that something is true - การพิสูจน์

prosecution : the process of accusing someone of a crime and asking a court of law to judge them - การดำเนินคดีตามกฎหมาย

prosecutor : a lawyer whose job is to prove in court that someone accused of a crime is guilty - อัยการ

rank : to put someone or something into a position according to their success, importance, size etc - จัดลำดับ

reckless (adj): doing something dangerous and not worrying about the risks and the possible results - ชะล่าใจ, เสี่ยง, ไม่ยั้งคิด

respectively : in the order in which they were mentioned - ตามลำดับ

responsible for : to have a duty to do something - มีความรับผิดชอบ

security camera : a camera that is put in a place to constantly record what happens there - กล้องวงจรปิดเพื่อรักษาการความปลอดภัย

senior : with a high rank or position - อาวุโส

settlement : a formal agreement that ends a disagreement - ข้อตกลง, การทำข้อตกลง

show up : to arrive at a place - แสดงตัว, ปรากฏตัว

solid : completely good, with no mistakes or bad parts - ซึ่งไว้ใจได้, มีเหตุผล

source : someone who gives information - แหล่งข่าว

stall : to delay - ทำให้ล่าช้า

statute of limitations : the legal limit on the period of time within which action can be taken on a crime or other legal question - อายุความ

suggest : to show that something is possibly true - ชวนคิด

summons (noun): an official document that orders someone to appear in a court of law or a police station - หมายเรียก

surrender : giving yourself up - การยอมจำนน

suspect : a person who is thought to have committed a crime - ผู้ต้องสงสัย

track down (verb): to try to follow and find someone or something - ตามรอย

unsolved (adj): of a crime where the criminal has not been found and taken to court -

victim : someone who has been harmed, injured or killed as the result of a crime - เหยื่อผู้เคราะห์ร้าย

witness : a person who sees something happen or knows about something - ผู้ที่เห็นเหตุการณ์, พยาน