‘Hiso’ Police Capt. Kills Fishball Seller in Hit-and-Run

The wreckage of Police Capt. Akarawin Taechaubol’s white BMW after he hit and killed a fishball seller on Oct. 22, 2020. Akarawin, left.

BANGKOK — Police on Monday said results of an alcohol and drug test of a police officer who killed a fishball seller in a hit-and-run would take “weeks.”

Police Capt. and socialite Akarawin Taechaubol, or “Hiso Jimmy,” turned himself into investigators on Thursday after he struck the victim, 49-year-old Udom Saengkanya, and fled the scene. 

Khlong Tan police chief Col. Ruetee Pandum said by phone that an alcohol and drug test for Akarawin was undergoing. 

“We have to wait for the results. It will take weeks since we only filed on Thursday,” Ruetee said by phone Monday. “I don’t know how he settled with paying the family, but I heard he went to the funeral.”

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When asked if Akarawin – both a socialite and policeman, would ever see the inside of a prison – Ruetee said while laughing nervously, “That’s up to the court.” 

Akarawin’s BMW crashed into Udom and killed him close to Phattanakarn Soi 17 at about 4am on Thursday. Akarawin fled the scene by hopping onto an Alphard driven by one of his men who happened to be trailing behind him. 

Akarawin turned himself into the police at 4pm the same day, and confessed to hitting Udom, police said. 

He was charged with reckless driving resulting in death, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and fine of 200,000 baht, and fleeing the scene of an accident, which is punishable by six months in prison and a 20,000 baht fine. 

Akarawin was released on bail of 100,000 baht. No one else has been charged. 

Police Capt. Akarawin Taechaubol, in the baseball cap, turns himself into police on Oct. 22, 2020.

Meet ‘Hiso Jimmy’

Akarawin works as a sub-inspector at the strategic division of the Narcotics Suppression Bureau. He is also the heir to JC Kevin Development real estate company, worth 800 million baht.

The firm is best known for the Anantara Bangkok hotel, the Sathorn Heritage Residences condo, the Signor Sassi restaurant at Siam Paragon, and Zhen Dou Grand restaurant at Anantara Bangkok. 

JC Kevin Development also includes JC Kevin Food and Beverage company, whose restaurants include: Cicchetti at Groove Centralworld, Nova in Emquartier, Laser Game and Entertainment, and Burger & Lobster. 

Local media routinely dub him “Hiso Jimmy” due to his public high-rolling life. 

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According to Akarawin’s Instagram bio, he had the UK education and upbringing common to many super-elite Thais: he went to Winchester College for high school, University College London for his Bachelor’s and Imperial College London for his Master’s. 

His Facebook profile has been set to private as of publication time.

Clarification: An unedited paragraph from a draft was added into the previous version of this article without permission. It has since been removed.