29-year-old Mr Pornmet Songmetta reportedly works with the family firm Absolute Clean Energy, a Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) listed electricity distribution firm which operates 19 power plants in Thailand. His expensive Porsche Taycan Turbo suffered minor damage early on Saturday morning, near Taksin Bridge in Thonburi when it hit the Yamaha Fino motorbike of 40-year-old Waseem Ahmad leading to his death shortly afterwards at nearby Taksin Hospital in Bangkok.
Charges for reckless driving causing death are expected against 29-year-old Mr Pornmet Songmetta, a scion of the family of former Deputy National Police Chief Wirachai Songmetta one of the kingdom’s most well known and respected police officers who is also one of the richest men in the country.
On Sunday morning in Bangkok, police with the Metropolitan Police Bureau confirmed that charges of reckless driving causing death are being prepared against the son of former Deputy National Police Chief Wirachai Songmetta.
This follows a fatal traffic accident in Bangkok in the early hours of Saturday morning near the Taksin Bridge in the Thonburi district of the capital on the Chao Phraya river.
It is reported that the crash occurred at the foot of King Taksin Bridge near Samrae Police Station at 1 am on Saturday morning.
40-year-old Pakistani motorbike rider died after being admitted to hospital from severe head injuries
Police were quickly called to the accident site as were emergency responders with the Chulalongkorn Hospital who removed the seriously injured motorbike rider from the scene with severe head injuries caused by the high-speed impact to his motorbike.
The injured man is a foreign national named as 40-year-old Waseem Ahmad from Pakistan. He died shortly after being admitted to nearby Taksin Hospital.
Sudden lane switch by Mr Pornmet was the cause of the accident according to 29 year old Porsche driver
It is reported that Mr Pornmet, the 3rd and youngest son of Ms Jiratha Songmetta and Police General Wirachai, hit the Yamaha Fino motorcycle from the rear while making a sudden lane switch on the motorway.
The 29-year-old scion was driving a grey bronze Porsche Taycan turbo sports car which retails in Thailand for about ฿15 million and suffered minor damage in the collision.
Mr Pornmet is reported to be a senior executive with Absolute Clean Energy, an electric power and distribution company which operates 19 biomass plants in Thailand using renewable energy.
He was also injured in the accident, suffering face and head injuries after colliding with the steering wheel of his car and was admitted to Suksawat Hospital.
However, the young man later reported to police to give a formal statement on the incident.
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He admitted to causing the accident by carelessly making an unexpected and sudden lane change in his high-powered car.
A blood sample was also taken from Mr Pornmet as well as a urine sample for drugs.
The results of these tests are being awaited by police at Samrae Police Station who are investigating the case.
Details of the investigation so far were given to the media by Police Captain Thamnong Montha, the deputy inspector there.
On Sunday, it was reported that the Metropolitan Police Bureau chief, Police Lieutenant General Samran Nuanma has ordered that the highest priority be given to the case.
Father of the driver, Police General Wirachai Songmetta, is one of the country’s most respected policemen who has been involved in many cases
A statement was issued on Sunday by Metropolitan Police Bureau deputy chief and spokesman, Jirasan Kaewsangek: ‘Investigators are now preparing to file a charge against Mr Pornmet for reckless driving causing the death of another person. However, Mr Pornmet is currently injured and in the process of healing. When able to leave the hospital, I will prepare an investigation and report the charges.’
This is somewhat ironic since Police General Wirachai, the father of the driver of the car, is thought to be been one of Thailand’s most upright and respected police officers.
He has been involved in many high profile police investigations including a decision to prosecute a 57-year-old businessman in Bangkok in 2019 whose car ploughed into a small vehicle, killing a police officer and his wife in the Taling Chan area.
Court ordered his return to police work last July
He was also involved in the prosecution of celebrities and stars who endorsed the infamous Magic Skin fake healthcare products in the same year which claimed lives and caused serious medical injuries.
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Last year, in July, he returned to work at Royal Thai Police headquarters in Bangkok after Thailand’s Administrative Court granted an injunction to him quashing an order that he be removed from his post.
This was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office in January 2020 after the top policemen became embroiled in a dispute with then National Police Commissioner, Police General Chakthip Chaijinda.
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The case is bound to attract unusual attention given the relationship between the driver and one of Thailand’s best known and most respected police officers who is also reported to be a very wealthy man.
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Thailand is still suffering from the fallout of the Red Bull scandal where the scion of one of Thailand’s wealthiest families has, so far, avoided facing trial in Thailand since causing the tragic death of a motorcycle police officer on duty in Bangkok in the early hours of the morning of September 3rd 2012, nearly 10 years ago, while high on drugs and driving a powerful Ferrari supercar.
One of Thailand’s richest men
Police General Wirachai, a PHD graduate, is reported to be one of Thailand’s richest men, having set up a company, in 2008, distributing hardboard and wood chips before becoming involved with the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) listed Absolute Clean Energy whose board contains two of his three sons and is chaired by his wife Jiratha.
In 2021, Forbes estimated his fortune at $940 million.
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