Three people have been arrested and charged with illegal possession of a lion after a video was released showing the animal in the back of a Bentley vehicle.
The animal, which came from a farm in Nakhon Pathom province in the west of the country, was found by authorities in a residential building along with three people, Sky News reports.
One of them, Sawangjit Kosungneon, was supposed to become the owner of the animal, but since the official paperwork had not yet been completed, she did not yet have the right to transport the animal to a public place, according to the South China Morning Post.
The video, posted on TikTok in December, quickly racked up several thousand views, alerting authorities to the issue.
The lion is seen in the back seat of a convertible Bentley in downtown Pattaya.
The maximum penalty the three defendants face is one year in prison and a fine of up to 3,500 Canadian dollars.
According to the Bangkok Post, about 38 people are registered with the Thai government as owners of 224 lions.