Updated February 17, 2018 00:19:38

Photo: Mr Premchai was also caught with carcasses of a rare black Indochinese leopard and a muntjac. (Supplied)

A prominent businessman in Thailand has been ordered to attend court next month, after being caught in a wildlife park with soup made from a freshly killed rare black leopard.

Premchai Karnasuta is the owner of Italian-Thai Development, a construction empire that built the Suvarnabhumni International Airport and Bangkok's Skytrain.

Mr Premchai has been ordered to appear in court on March 26.

He and three others were found in the Thungyai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary on February 4 with rifles, and the carcasses of a rare black Indochinese leopard, a muntjac (deer) and a pheasant.

"The subspecies of the Indochinese black leopard is rare, there is an estimation of about 900 to 2,500 still left in the wild, of which only 11 per cent are black," said Edwin Weik, founder of Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand.

So in the worst-case scenario, the black leopard that was skinned and eaten in the World Heritage-listed sanctuary was one of the last 99.

Premchai Karnasuta told police he had permission to be in the park, but rangers deny arrangements were made for an illegal hunting party.

The tycoon was released on bail, but a subsequent raid of his home found tusks suspected to be from African elephants, as well as 40 rifles.

Ranger hailed a hero

The case has outraged Thais.

University students donned black leopard masks and held a candlelit vigil.

An image of a black cat shot through the head and weeping was painted on an Italian-Thai Development sign, with similar pictures trending on Twitter.

"Most Thai people seriously care about their natural heritage, their national parks, their wildlife and are just generally pissed off with rich people getting away with ugly things like this," Edwin Weik told the ABC.

"This case is a bit different because some of the rangers were making photographs from the beginning, some of the rangers didn't know who Premchai was.

"By then the black leopard was already found, pictures were being shared and I think there was a point of no return."

The ranger in charge of the bust — Wichien Chinnawong — has been hailed a hero for following procedure, despite leaked audio suggesting bribes were offered.

"I didn't think he would be some famous big CEO … but after arresting him, I'm not worried or scared of someone interfering in my work," the ranger said, as quoted in Khaosod English.

"When someone with money does something wrong and is arrested, they should be treated according to the law, the same as with any villager or any other citizens."

The lanky ranger has received support from high places.

"Fight on Khun Wichien Chinnawong" read an Instagram post from Princess Ubolratana, the eldest child of Queen Sirikit and the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Echoes of 1973, when poaching felled a dictator

For older Thais, the case brought up memories of another incident in the same national park — one with huge political ramifications.

In 1973, during the dictatorship of Field Marshal Thanom Kittikachorn, there was a deadly helicopter crash in the Thungyai Naresuan park.

Six high-ranking soldiers and police died in the accident, but it was other corpses that sparked revolt.

"Dead bodies of endangered wildlife were scattered all over the area because they were all hunted, they fell down with the helicopter," Mr Weik said.

It emerged that 50 officers were on a hunting party, along with businessmen and an actress, although they tried to pass it off as a "secret mission".

"The scandal channelled resistance to the arrogant military government at the time, helping to stoke anger which led to the historical political uprising of October 14, 1973," wrote the Bangkok Post this week.

Photo: A rare black Indochinese leopard skin found in Premchai Karnasuta's possession. (Supplied)

Junta's problems mushroom

On Friday, Thailand is once again ruled by a military junta and the generals are reeling from a scandal involving the deputy Prime Minister's 25 luxury watches and voters' disquiet about the annual postponement of elections.

Mr Premchai is part of the government-business-royal elite class that rules Thailand, making his fortune from government contracts.

It's those connections that make some people sceptical justice will be delivered.

"Only the naïve would think that someone like him would end up in jail," wrote Thitinan Pongsudhirak in the Bangkok Post opinion pages.

Many have compared the black leopard case to the infamous mushroom-picking case of 2015.

Udom Sirisorn, now 53, and his wife Daeng Sirisorn, 50, were sentenced to 15 years in jail for "illegal logging", after being caught taking mushrooms from a forest.

The couple were eventually released after 17 months in prison.

Mr Premchai could face 28 years in jail if he is convicted on the multiple charges against him.

The construction mogul hasn't been seen publicly since being released on bail last week and Thai newspapers reported rumours he had fled the country.

Police said they would seek an arrest warrant for Mr Premchai if he failed to show up at court in March.

For law enforcement, that would indeed be big game hunting.

Topics: corruption, law-crime-and-justice, conservation, thailand, asia

First posted February 16, 2018 19:57:27