Jump to content

Thai Police are Hunting a Notorious Fugitive in the Jungle. 'Wealthy Pang' is Daring Them to Catch Him

bust

By bust,
in News

 Share

Recommended Posts

bust Experienced

bust

Posted
Posted

Most fugitives who manage to escape custody choose to lay low, but one of Thailand's most-wanted – a notorious criminal known as "Wealthy Pang" – has been going viral.

Since escaping custody in late October, Chaowalit Thongduang, has led authorities on a manhunt across multiple provinces, involving over 500 police and costing more than $500,000, all while declaring his innocence via social media and claiming he's been treated unfairly by the Thai justice system.

He's captivated local Thai media, who've interviewed rock climbers, fortune-tellers and even eaten raw chicken on air to show how the fugitive might be surviving in the wilderness.

But his widely publicised case has also raised serious questions about corruption and misconduct among police and prison officials in the country and sparked an investigation into some of Thailand's most powerful institutions.

Who is Wealthy Pang?

Pang, 37, is a wealthy and well-connected figure in Phatthalung province who had even run for local council before his legal troubles began.

He was imprisoned in January 2022 after being found guilty of narcotics charges.

According to local media reports, the Anti-Money Laundering Office seized Pang's assets in Songkhla province, which were left with his sister and worth about 150 million baht ($6.4 million).

Pang is also awaiting verdicts on charges of attempted murder, weapons offences and theft.

The pending charges relate to his involvement in an armed attack on police in 2019, when Pang was allegedly trying to pull his friend Sittidej Songdecha out of jail.

Pang was transferred from Phatthalung prison earlier this year to nearby Nakhon Si Thammarat. Police had hoped removing him from his home province and his wide network of influential underground connections would ensure he served his full sentence.

They were wrong.

In October, Pang was taken to the Maharat Nakhon Si Thammarat Hospital for dental treatment, but during his stay, his health took a sudden turn and he collapsed, complaining of serious leg pain.

He was kept at the hospital for two nights, shackled to a bed with two prison wardens assigned to guard him. 

Pang was due to be transferred back to prison at 8:30am on the morning of October 22.

But at 1am, he walked out of the hospital with no shackles into a ute that was waiting for him outside.

The vehicle was later found abandoned in Satun province on the southern border, sparking fears Pang had fled to Malaysia.

Within days, police had "narrowed" their search to the Khao Banthat Wildlife Sanctuary – a refuge for animals that covers 1,266 square kilometres across four provinces.

The shootout

Home to spitting cobras, tarantulas and wild boar, the mountains where Pang is believed to be hiding are not for the faint hearted.

But Pang's lawyer Chatchawan Bumrungwong says his client has a deep understanding of the area.

"Wealthy Pang likes to live in the jungle more than in the city, and he has ability to do that, because he was a ranger before," he told the ABC.

"He is an expert in forest trekking. If police want to chase him, he knows how to escape."

Thai media became so invested in his survival skills that at one point a journalist ate raw vegetables, eggs and chicken to demonstrate how Pang could be thriving day to day.

 
But the truth was he was living on much more than raw chicken.

A man known as "Bang Khiew" had been climbing down the Banthat mountain range to find food and bring it back to the escapee.

Police found Bang and arrested him, and this discovery led them to Pang's hideout in Nai Tra village.

It appeared the game was up for Pang.

Police travelled towards the village and had almost approached their target when a dog rushed at them, forcing them to jump over a five-metre cliff.

The ensuing shootout lasted more than two hours and there were early media reports that Pang had been shot dead.

But as the dust settled, Pang managed to escape and only the dog  — named Mhee, meaning bear — was detained.

As a celebrity astrologer later told local media: "His chart has powerful stars, so he won't die easily."

The fugitive speaks out

After his narrow escape, Pang sent a video to relatives, who passed it onto local media. He announced he'd left the mountain, praising everyone who'd assisted and supported him and criticising the legal process.

In the video, which has since racked up millions of views on TikTok, Pang took aim at the police, prosecutors and the military for mistreating him.

"On that day, the police didn't intend to arrest me, but instead to extrajudicially kill me, with an M79 grenade launcher firing over 10 rounds," he said.

"I want to state that [at] the Ministry of Justice, justice itself, is non-existent. If it truly exists, please file charges against those involved, and I will surrender." 

A man poses for a mugshot, up against a height chart showing he's over 170cm
 
Phatthalung Provincial Police released a mugshot of Chaowalit Thongduang on November 9, seeking help from the public to track him down.(Facebook: Phatthalung Provincial Police)

As well as his social media clips, Pang also sent a petition to Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin complaining about court bond rules, and alleging extortion by police, extortion and torture by prison officials, and corruption among public prosecutors.

Among his claims were that several prosecutors had demanded he pay them money to drop the case.

The prime minister responded by urging Pang to surrender and expressing confidence in the Thai police force's commitment to due process.

National Police Chief General Torsak Sukwimol warned Pang that he faced a lifetime on the run if he didn't surrender and said there was no room to negotiate with him.

"He has never contacted us directly, but we were contacted by his relatives who said he will surrender with certain conditions, but we can't accept that," General Torsak said.

"If he thinks he's been denied justice, he can send a complaint to the justice ministry.

"Are you going to run for the rest of your life? If you don't get justice, you can come to me."

But the incident is huge embarrassment for the justice system and the government is at least taking some of Pang's claims seriously.

The attorney-general opened an investigation, with eight people summoned before a Southern Criminal Court for Corruption and Misconduct, including some police officers.

So far three prison wardens have been dismissed pending investigations, for allegedly helping Pang escape.

While the Thai public remains fixated on his adventures, it's just the latest blow to their confidence in the justice system and law enforcement.

Where in the world is Wealthy Pang?

There are now unconfirmed reports that Pang has fled to either Indonesia or East Timor in a speedboat, but the immigration department says there is no evidence of him doing so via legal avenues.

Mr Chatchawan says he hasn't spoken directly to his client and doesn't know of his whereabouts.

"Some people said he might be in Langkawi or on an island in Thailand or in a province in the south, but most sources believe he's hiding in a palm plantation," the lawyer told the ABC.

"The government has spent a lot of money chasing him, a huge amount like never before, so they have to decide whether chasing and hunting him is the best way or not."

YouTube Pang's dog became a local celebrity after he joined the police unit hunting for his owner.

Mr Chatchawan believes Pang is now waiting for the court to hand down its verdict on his attempted murder charge on Christmas Day.

"I think he will wait for the result of this verdict first. If it's a good outcome for him, it will impact his decision to come back," he said.

He said he hoped his client would hand himself in soon.

"I want him to come back to listen to the verdict and accept the consequences from his actions," he told the ABC.

"I don't want the government to use violence against him. What I am worried most about is that I believe he must have weapons or armed security guards to protect him.

"If they hunt for him and find him, I believe there will be a big battle and severe loss. I hope governments will use the soft approach."

 
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...