PHUKET — A real estate scion’s rant against the pro-democracy protest and called for one of its leaders to be arrested on Instagram went viral online Monday.
Vorasit “Plawan” Issara, owner of Sri Panwa Phuket among other properties, implied in his Instagram story that Panusaya “Rung” Sithijirawattanakul was not Thai and had someone else backing her behind the scene. Panusaya was speaking to the rally on Sanam Luang.
“This bullshit has got to stop…she is not thai! Who is he working for? This one need to be in prison. How dear u!”
“What the fuck is going on with these fucking kids,” the 38-year-old says in another video, before checking in at Sushi Misaki Nobu.
Vorasit is the director of Sri Panwa and Baba Beach Club in Phuket and Hua Hin. The company also owns Issara Resort in Chiang Mai, Baan Sita Wan in Khao Yai, as well as the Baan Thew Talay Blue Sapphire, Blu, Hua Hin One, Baba Beach Club, and Baan Chok projects in Hua Hin. To name a few.
Does his last name sound familiar to Bangkokian readers? Vorasit is the grandson of Charn Issara, the founder of a major restate development group in downtown Bangkok.
The firm is run by his parents, Songkran and Srivara Issara, both of whom were active in leading the Yellowshirt protests in 2014.
Vorasit’s comments were predictably met with calls to boycott Sri Panwa Resort, though it’s questionable how many users are regular customers of the ultra-luxury resort.
“I’d like to ask the people who want to ban, ban, ban Sri Panwa: have they ever stayed there yet?” one comment asked.