Phuket: The court has issued an arrest warrant for ‘David’, the owner of an elephant camp in Phuket Province, in a case of assaulting ‘Dr. Pai’ after he failed to appear to hear the verdict of the Court of Appeals Region 8. The court has scheduled another hearing for May 23.

According to Thai News Agency, Mr. David, a foreign businessman and owner of an elephant camp in Phuket Province, was reported for assaulting Dr. Thara Dao, also known as Dr. Pai. The incident occurred on February 24, 2024, when Dr. Pai was allegedly kicked in the back while sitting on the stairs in front of David’s luxury villa on Yamu Beach, Thalang District, Phuket Province. The case garnered significant public interest and attention.

Initially, the court of first instance dismissed the case, citing the benefit of the doubt for the defendant. However, the prosecutor, alongside Mr. Nipit Intarasombat, a former Democrat MP for Pattalung and Dr. Pai’s lawyer, filed an appeal. The Court of Appeal Region 8 had scheduled a verdict reading for April 21, 2015, but neither the defendant nor his lawyer appeared, with only a representative present. The court deemed that the defendant had fled, prompting the issuance of an arrest warrant and rescheduling the verdict reading for May 23.