A well-known Thai fugitive known as “Wealthy Pang” has been on the run since October, and his TikTok videos taunting the police chasing him have stirred up some serious questions about corruption and misconduct in the country’s most powerful institutions.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
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.
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.
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.
The original article contains 1,274 words, the summary contains 194 words. Saved 85%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!