The tethered lion cub is seen sitting in the back of a white, open-top Bentley in a video that has since gone viral.
A man from Sri Lanka who is thought to be a friend of the woman, Sawangjit Kosoongnern, was driving the lion. He has since left the country.
Owning a lion in Thailand is legal, but requires official registration.
Sawangjit purportedly purchased the animal from a Thai man in the province of Nakhon Pathom, who skillfully oversaw its transportation to Pattaya, according to Thai authorities.
But before doing so, he neglected to have authorities inspect his facility, which meant that both the animal’s ownership and transfer were unlawful.
Therefore, she faces charges of having a controlled wild animal without authorization, which entail a fine of up to 100,000 baht ($2,800; £2,200) and a year in jail.
Additionally, it was reported that police were attempting to charge the Sri Lankan man who had kept the lion in his pool villa for rent, but they were unable to do so because he had left Thailand. He was supposed to face charges of bringing a controlled wild animal into public areas, which entails a 50,000 baht fine and a maximum six-month jail sentence.
