Thai Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Miss Universe Co-Owner

A Bangkok court has issued an arrest warrant for Jakkaphong Anne Jakrajutatip, a prominent Thai media executive and co-owner of the Miss Universe Organization, after she failed to appear for a scheduled fraud hearing on Tuesday. The Bangkok South District Court deemed her absence a potential flight risk, as she provided no prior notification, and rescheduled the proceedings for December 26.

Jakrajutatip faces charges stemming from a 2023 lawsuit filed by Raweewat Maschamador, a plastic surgeon, who accused her and her company, JKN Global Group Public Co. Ltd., of fraudulently inducing him to invest 30 million baht, equivalent to about $930,000, in the firm's corporate bonds. According to the court's statement, Jakrajutatip allegedly persuaded the investor while concealing JKN's inability to repay the funds on time, leading to his financial loss when the company defaulted on payments later that year. She was initially charged and released on bail in 2023 but did not attend the hearing as required.

JKN, a financially strained media conglomerate, has been embroiled in ongoing troubles. The company defaulted on investor obligations starting in 2023 and entered debt rehabilitation...