Spanish TV show host, youtuber and naturalist Frank Cuesta was sentenced Wednesday to pay a fine of 30,000 baht for illegal possession of protected animals, according to a ruling by the Kanchanaburi Provincial Court, according Spanish media.

Thai police arrest Spanish TV star for possession of protected wildlife

“There was no prison sentence, only a fine of 30,000 bat for possession of protected animals,” said Cuesta’s lawyer, Metapon Suwancharern.

The Thai lawyer said they have not yet decided whether they will appeal the ruling, adding that ‘most likely’ they will not.

Cuesta arrived at the court at around 9am (02:00 GMT), accompanied by his lawyer, and remained there for about three hours.

A Kanchanaburi court official said the verdict was read out on Wednesday, but did not disclose further details of the ruling.

For his part, the youtuber categorically denied in statements outside the court that the sentence had been read and assured that he went to sign some documents as he does every week.

👤Frank Cuesta: redención, presión y una suricata enferma.

💥El polémico activista animal salva el pellejo en Tailandia tras una condena leve, mientras destapa las sombras de un vídeo "guionizado" y continúa su lucha en el santuario https://t.co/ZSXM64nOvf

— La Razón (@larazon_es) June 19, 2025

“In a month’s time I will know what happens,” said Cuesta, who added: “there will be a sentence but I’m not worried about it.”

Frank Cuesta, who has been living in Thailand for years and was on provisional release, was arrested on 27 February for allegedly illegally possessing protected wild animals at his Freedom Sanctuary, a 16-hectare farm he bought years ago and where he gives refuge to animals.

Police raided the sanctuary after receiving an email tip-off ‘stating that a foreigner was in possession of protected wild animals without a permit’, according to the Thai Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Conservation.

Inside the property, officers found a total of ten protected wildlife animals “without any official documentation to prove their acquisition.”

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Under Thai law, offences related to the misappropriation of wild animals carry penalties ranging from fines to several years’ imprisonment, or both, depending on the circumstances.

-Thailand News (TN)