The department reportedly decided to pursue the case after an audio recording emerged of a conversation believed to be between Mr Premchai and his group while in custody. In the clip, someone says Mr Premchai owns a house on a mountain in Loei's Phu Rua district. The disputed plot is a 6,215-rai area near Rang Yen Resort for which land title deeds were found to have been illegally issued. Mr Premchai and the other three suspects were yesterday slapped with additional charges of animal cruelty. The four earlier were charged with nine violations, including unauthorised hunting in a wildlife sanctuary and unauthorised possession of guns and ammunition in the park.

Source: Bangkok Post February 13, 2018 21:22 UTC