Arrest Warrant Issued for Prominent Lawyer Dodging Verdict

A court issued an arrest warrant on July 7, 2025, for former prominent lawyer Sivawithai Samretsapol, who failed to appear for his Supreme Court verdict reading in case number 3452/2562. Supraphen Vorarojancharoendech filed the lawsuit against him for filing false charges and perjury.

According to the complaint, on November 15, 2017, Samretsapol filed false charges against Supraphen in criminal case number 3534/2560, accusing her of impropriety and claiming she had misappropriated legal documents. On October 6, 2017, Supraphen used a contract as evidence in a civil court case. Samretsapol, who was a lawyer at the time, later countered that Supraphen had improperly used falsified evidence, though the court ultimately dismissed his allegations for lack of merit. The Bar Association removed Samretsapol's name from its registry on February 8, 2018. The trial court sentenced him to two years imprisonment in 2022, while the appeals court reduced it to eight months. Both parties appealed to the Supreme Court.

Akkrit Vorarojancharoendech, Supraphen's son, told reporters that the case demonstrates the importance of accountability for educated professionals, particularly lawyers, who should not abuse their knowledge to harass ordinary citizens. He noted that Samretsapol has never attempted reconciliation, only pursued harassment. Akkrit stated he had documented Samretsapol's actions and expressed relief that justice exists, though the case has taken years to resolve since 2019. When the scheduled hearing arrived, only the plaintiff's lawyer and Akkrit appeared in court. Samretsapol received notice of the hearing but did not attend, prompting the court to issue an arrest warrant.