Construction tycoon jailed for hunting let out of Kanchanaburi prison to serve time at home

He will be on probation until December 7 when his three-year-two-month sentence is completed.

He was received by his aides and lawyers, who escorted him into a waiting camper van without speaking to the army of reporters waiting in front of the prison. None of Premchai’s relatives were spotted at the site.

The convict, dressed in a blue shirt and grey trousers, appeared fatigued. He was limping and walking with the use of a walking stick.

His team had been waiting for his release since Tuesday morning.

Once he walked out of the prison gates, his aides rushed to escort him to the van, which left immediately.

Earlier in the day, his leading lawyer, Withoon Praiyaem, said Premchai’s family was overjoyed to hear he is being released on parole. However, he said, the news came so suddenly that nobody had the time to come wait to greet him.

Withoon added that Premchai had health issues and had sustained injuries to his ankles, adding that he will be taken to Bamrungrad Hospital for treatment immediately.

The Corrections Department had announced earlier that Premchai was among 113 inmates eligible for early release under the conditions of probation and house arrest.

The statement from the department said Premchai would be exempted from wearing an EM bracelet because he suffers from diabetes and the bracelet may cause abrasions.

The Supreme Court sentenced Premchai, former president of Italian-Thai Development Plc, to three years and two months in jail on December 8, 2021, for hunting and killing protected species, including a rare black leopard in the World Heritage Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi in 2018. He was arrested on February 6, 2018.