In order to give their pets an opportunity to hang their heads out of the car window and let the wind blow through their fur, which passersby find charming, people frequently take their pets for rides.
One woman’s vacation in Thailand with her pet lion, however, did not seem to amuse passersby.
Sawangjit Kosoongnern, a friend from Sri Lanka, was arrested by Thai police when she was seen driving a white convertible Bentley with her pet lion.
A bystander captured the moment on camera as the lion, sitting in the back seat of the car and driving through Pattaya’s downtown, with a chain around its neck.
The December-posted video has received popularity recently and has elicited a range of responses online, including outrage and humor.
Although it’s permissible to own a lion in Thailand, Sawangjit allegedly purchased the animal illegally from a person in the province of Nakhon Pathom without following the required legal formalities.
She might spend a year in prison and pay a fine of 100,000 baht if found guilty of possessing a wild animal without authorization, according to The Nation.
The cost of shipping the animal without authorization will also be imposed on the lion’s vendor.
The driver, who allegedly kept the cub in his rented home, has since left the nation and might be prosecuted for bringing a wild animal into public areas, a crime that carries a 50,000 baht fine and a six-month jail sentence.
