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| Pinky |
Despairing of her ability to shake off scandal, a teary Pinky took a large contingent of reporters to Phaya Thai Hospital 1 last week to be tested for pregnancy.
She took the step to dispel rumours that she was carrying the child of businessman Peck Sunchai, with whom Pinky had an affair last year.
Peck is married to actress and presenter Tanyaret "Tanya'' Engtrakul, who, adding to Pinky's discomfort, spoke out about the pregnancy rumour the day before.
Tanya and Peck have a two-year-old daughter, Leeya, but have lived apart since news of the affair came to light.
At the hospital, staff displayed a vial of Pinky's urine and blood for reporters' inspection, as senior medical director Krerkyot Chalaiyondecha, who oversaw the tests, declared the results were negative.
Pinky's decision to take the tests was prompted in part by Tanya's comments the day before.
"I don't know if it's true that's she's pregnant, but if it is, I offer her my congratulations,'' Tanya told a television show. "Leeya will have a brother or sister to play with.''
Tanya said she was determined to go ahead with plans to leave Peck. The pair has made a date with the court to sign divorce papers next year.
The pregnancy rumour surfaced before Pinky's return to Bangkok from Finland almost two weeks ago, where she has been learning dance to help her promote her upcoming Bollywood movie.
Hours before the test, Sarinya Chaiyadej, Pinky's mother, denied the actress had developed a baby bump. "If anything, Pinky has come back from overseas looking slimmer and fitter than before,'' she said.
Tanya, who has recently returned from the US with daughter Leeya, said she had joked with Peck about the pregnancy rumour.
"I asked him if we could expect another four or five kids [from his relationship with Pinky]. He smiled, and sad it happened a long time ago,'' she said.
Tanya said she learned of Peck's affair after checking his mobile phone. "When you are married with someone you notice changes. I checked the numbers he called most regularly, and was stunned. At first I didn't believe it, but when I saw it for myself, I knew,'' she said.
Tanya earlier threatened to sue her husband for millions of baht for betraying her, but says the pair have now decided to settle amicably. Peck will pay her a six-figure sum in child maintenance until she finds a new lover.
Speaking at the hospital after her pregnancy test, Pinky said she hoped the results would put the damaging rumours to rest. She went to Finland in the hope the news would die down, only to find the rumours were even worse than before.
"I am my family's main earner, and the rumours have hurt us terribly. I have reached the limit of what I can endure,'' she said.
She broke into tears as she went before reporters with one of her backers, satellite TV queen and Thai Product Innovation head Yuwadee Bunkrong.
Pinky promotes Brite Up food supplements for Ms Yuwadee's company, here and in India.
Ms Yuwadee said news of Pinky's relationship with Peck had hurt the young actress, and damaged the country's potential export earnings abroad. "I have lost 100 million baht from this saga, and a promising Thai export - Pinky is the first Thai performer to have broken into the Indian market - has been damaged,'' she said, urging reporters to give her a break. -
2.
It should have been a happy occasion, so why was the 13-year-old winner of Thailand's Got Talent - who walked away with a prize worth 10 million baht - crying?
Thai-American Maneepatsorn "Myra'' Molloy and her mother Amporn were in tears before the media last week after fans of the show claimed the teenage singer was an "inappropriate'' choice, and that the producers had tampered with the vote.
Thailand's Got Talent, which wrapped up its 12-show first season late last month, was decided by popular vote. Myra, a vocal music scholarship student at Shrewsbury International School, sang a mix of opera and Broadway hits.
On the internet, critics hinted at dark plots and conspiracies, saying Myra was formerly signed with Sony Entertainment, one of the show's production partners. Others wondered how viewers could swing in behind her in such large numbers when music in the classical vein normally finds few fans among Thais.
Writing on the Manager/ASTV newspaper website, still others wondered whether Myra's acquaintance with the website's founder, media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul, was behind her success. The two knew each other through work, according to a post on one internet forum.
At a function last week to thank the media for their coverage of the show, Myra and her mother Amporn were still reeling under the criticism.
Mrs Amporn said she hadn't been able to sleep.
"Myra didn't just start singing ... she has been performing since she was eight years old.
"She's just an ordinary girl, but her songs on YouTube have attracted three million hits,'' she said.
"US broadcaster CNBC had invited her to take part in a singing contest, but we didn't go, as Myra wanted to compete in Thailand's Got Talent instead. We watch singing contests constantly, and I have checked her YouTube songs every day since 2007,'' said Mrs Amporn.
Myra, sobbing as her mother dabbed her tears, said she would like to thank fans for supporting her. Any feedback, even the critical kind, only made her more determined.
Her mother had told her to stay tough, and disregard the criticism.
The show's producer, Workpoint head Panya "Ta" Nirankul, said Myra won because she polled the most votes. He denied his company or anyone else involved had rigged the results. Vote tallies were checked by BEC Tero Entertainment, which runs Channel 3, but another six firms were also involved in putting on the show.
"It's not possible to lock the vote, as the vote tallies can be checked at any time. But even if it were possible, none of our partners would put up with that - they have too much at stake,'' he said.
"I wonder if those people who are so critical [of the result] bothered to vote for the contestant they backed?'' he asked.
ASTV/Manager said fans surprised themselves by awarding top votes to a girl from a middle-class family with no extraordinary story to tell. Compared to some of the contestants, who came from backgrounds of economic suffering and woe - played up by the producers in a bid to boost viewer involvement in the show - Myra brought just herself, and her talent as a singer.
Myra's prize, worth 10 million baht, comprises five million baht in cash, a car and luxury condo. In one interview, the teen singer and actress said she would spend the money on furthering her education - Myra wants to be a pop star, or perform on Broadway one day - and also help a friend who has Aids.
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| Myra |
Thai-American Maneepatsorn "Myra'' Molloy and her mother Amporn were in tears before the media last week after fans of the show claimed the teenage singer was an "inappropriate'' choice, and that the producers had tampered with the vote.
Thailand's Got Talent, which wrapped up its 12-show first season late last month, was decided by popular vote. Myra, a vocal music scholarship student at Shrewsbury International School, sang a mix of opera and Broadway hits.
On the internet, critics hinted at dark plots and conspiracies, saying Myra was formerly signed with Sony Entertainment, one of the show's production partners. Others wondered how viewers could swing in behind her in such large numbers when music in the classical vein normally finds few fans among Thais.
Writing on the Manager/ASTV newspaper website, still others wondered whether Myra's acquaintance with the website's founder, media firebrand Sondhi Limthongkul, was behind her success. The two knew each other through work, according to a post on one internet forum.
At a function last week to thank the media for their coverage of the show, Myra and her mother Amporn were still reeling under the criticism.
Mrs Amporn said she hadn't been able to sleep.
"Myra didn't just start singing ... she has been performing since she was eight years old.
"She's just an ordinary girl, but her songs on YouTube have attracted three million hits,'' she said.
"US broadcaster CNBC had invited her to take part in a singing contest, but we didn't go, as Myra wanted to compete in Thailand's Got Talent instead. We watch singing contests constantly, and I have checked her YouTube songs every day since 2007,'' said Mrs Amporn.
Myra, sobbing as her mother dabbed her tears, said she would like to thank fans for supporting her. Any feedback, even the critical kind, only made her more determined.
Her mother had told her to stay tough, and disregard the criticism.
The show's producer, Workpoint head Panya "Ta" Nirankul, said Myra won because she polled the most votes. He denied his company or anyone else involved had rigged the results. Vote tallies were checked by BEC Tero Entertainment, which runs Channel 3, but another six firms were also involved in putting on the show.
"It's not possible to lock the vote, as the vote tallies can be checked at any time. But even if it were possible, none of our partners would put up with that - they have too much at stake,'' he said.
"I wonder if those people who are so critical [of the result] bothered to vote for the contestant they backed?'' he asked.
ASTV/Manager said fans surprised themselves by awarding top votes to a girl from a middle-class family with no extraordinary story to tell. Compared to some of the contestants, who came from backgrounds of economic suffering and woe - played up by the producers in a bid to boost viewer involvement in the show - Myra brought just herself, and her talent as a singer.
Myra's prize, worth 10 million baht, comprises five million baht in cash, a car and luxury condo. In one interview, the teen singer and actress said she would spend the money on furthering her education - Myra wants to be a pop star, or perform on Broadway one day - and also help a friend who has Aids.
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