THE UDON THANI Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant yesterday for red-shirt leader Kwanchai Sarakham after he failed to show up to hear a Supreme Court verdict on a case in which he is accused of colluding in attempted murder and physical assault.

The case stems from an assault on a yellow-shirt gathering at a park in Udon Thani in July 2008. A group of yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy filed the case against the defendant, who is also known as Kwanchai Praipana.

The court has scheduled the next reading of the verdict on June 28.

The court said an arrest warrant has been issued because Kwanchai failed to inform the court that he would not show up and did not seek to postpone the hearing. The bond for his bail release will also be confiscated, the court said.

In December 2011, the Criminal Court found Kwanchai guilty and sentenced him to four years in jail. The penalty was reduced to two years and eight months and he was fined Bt350,000 after he admitted to the crime.

The Appeals Court a year later upheld the lower court’s verdict and released Kwanchai on a bail of Bt500,000.

Kwanchai’s wife Arporn, his son Korawi and lawyers, as well as some 20 supporters showed up at the Udon Thani Provincial Court yesterday morning.

His wife said she did not know of Kwanchai’s whereabouts and that she had last met him on May 19 in Bangkok.

“He told me that he wanted some time to meditate and come to terms with this matter,” she said, adding that she has not spoken to him since.

Arporn added that if she is able to reach him again, she will tell him to attend the next hearing.

“He should consider what we talked about… what will be, will be,” she said.

Charoen Mukachornpan, a yellow-shirt leader affiliated with the PAD, said yesterday that he respected the court’s decision to give Kwanchai another chance by rescheduling the Supreme Court verdict, adding that he will be present at the next session.

Kwanchai, 63, had declared last month that he would not escape and would accept the court verdict, even if it means he will end up in prison.

He was last seen in public on April 28 at an event in Udon Thani that was attended by leaders of the rivalling red and yellow-shirt camps. At the event, held to encourage reconciliation, leaders of both sides held each other’s hands in a symbolic gesture.