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| Noom, Chanya |
Chanya Chortiyanwong, his half-sister and joint shareholder in the Ice Monster chain of franchise stores, last week launched a savage attack on Noom for taking legal action against her.
Ms Chanya, who with her former husband helped run the company, Ice to Ice, which sold franchises to the Ice Monster brand under contract with the Philippines parent company, said the dispute could put Thais out of work.
It had already led to the end of her marriage with her husband, Athip.
"He says we are brother and sister, but if Noom was really a caring brother, he wouldn't be taking such a drastic step,'' she said.
"Franchise owners have called asking if they can keep their shops open, if their staff still have jobs. We are just a family-run business.
"My husband left me over this dispute. What does Noom want me to do, die by the side of the road?'' she asked.
Noom is suing his half-sister and her former husband for allegedly stripping him of his share in the business.
The presenter, who helped found the local chain of franchise stores serving iced confectionery almost five years ago, and whose name has appeared endorsing the product, wants to recoup his investment, dividends and appearance fees that he says are owed.
He went before the media earlier this month with the head of the Philippines-based parent company which sold franchise rights to his half-sister and her former husband to run the business here.
The Philippines company head, Chadwick Ragas, said his firm's contract with Ice to Ice ran out in March. He urged Thai franchise outlets to cease trading under the Ice Monster name, or face legal action.
Ms Chanya said she and Mr Athip signed a contract with the parent company without realising that it had already sold franchise rights to another Thai businessman.
"We bought his rights to the name, and registered it. Our contract with the Philippines was still in force, though we asked if we could delay paying royalty fees, as the economy was in trouble. We bought the company's know-how.
"But when the contract ran out, we were no longer obliged to send royalties. I am here today to tell franchise holders that they need not fear. They can continue trading under the Ice Monster name,'' Ms Chanya said.
Noom, one of seven shareholders, put down capital of 200,000 baht. The company made him president, and paid him a salary of 50,000 baht a month, she said.
Asked to comment, Noom said his half-sister should save her comments for court.
"I can't see any point in responding, as they had their chance,'' he said. The first hearing has been set for Sept 1.
"My dispute is separate from the one launched by Mr Ragas, but I urge franchise holders to close for the time being until the courts have ruled on the breach of trademark dispute,'' he added. -
2.
Outspoken director Poj Anon has patched up his differences with two actresses in a show of yellow shirt reconciliation that he hopes will set an example to sparring politicians.
Fiery Poj last week buried the hatchet with actresses Treechada "Poy'' Marnyaporn and Bongkoj ``Tak'' Khongmalai, ending disputes with the pair which had simmered for years.
Poj, Poy and Tak puckered up before the media at a function to mark the launch of production of his comedy for Phranakorn Film, Spicy Beauty Queen of Bangkok 2 (Plon Na Ya 2).
The cast turned out in yellow shirts, not to support any political cause, but simply because the function was held on a Monday and yellow is that day's official colour.
"Poy will play the role of a cosmetic surgeon, while Tak will play herself. Her character will lose her temper at a moment's notice, just like the real thing,'' joked Poj.
"I have to lose my cool?'' Tak asked innocently.
In 2007, Poj took Tak to court in a defamation dispute, after she called him a lousy director. The court awarded him 50,000 baht in damages, which for months Tak refused to pay.
A few months after their dispute, Tak dismissed Poj as a troublesome gay.
Tak has now paid the director the damages she owed, she told reporters last week. "I won't blow any more fuses. Now I view Poj as my elder brother.''
"An elder brother?'' joked comedian Koti Aramboy, who also joins the cast.
"OK, maybe my elder sister as well,'' laughed Tak.
Explaining his decision to cast Tak in his movie, Poj said he appreciated the actress's efforts to support her ill mother.
"She was just a kid when she made those comments. We didn't really have problems with each other ... we just ended up in court,'' he joked.
Reporters then turned their attention to Poy, who has also put aside her differences with rising star Poj to appear in the film.
The pair fell out last July when Poj offered Poy, a woman of the second gender, a part in the second instalment of his katoey comedy, Hor Taew Taek.
Poj said Poy, having undergone a sex change, asked if she could appear as a "real'' woman, rather than a katoey.
The director said he had no problem with that, but the pair stumbled in talks over her fee. Her mother asked for 35,000 baht a day, which was too much.
"I decided that as I wrote the part for a real woman, I may as well cast one,'' said the sharp-tongued Poj. He cast actress Apinya "Saipan'' Sakuljaroensuk as the female lead instead.
Now, however, Poy is all smiles. "Poj had contacted me three or four times to appear in movies, but I was too busy, which led to our misunderstanding. Now, I am happy to entrust myself to his care,'' she said.
Poj said his reconciliation drive should set an example to politicians as they attempt to solve the country's social ills. "When this movie is finished, there'll be no more need for protests, as everyone can have a good laugh instead,'' he said. -
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| Poy, Poj, Tak |
Fiery Poj last week buried the hatchet with actresses Treechada "Poy'' Marnyaporn and Bongkoj ``Tak'' Khongmalai, ending disputes with the pair which had simmered for years.
Poj, Poy and Tak puckered up before the media at a function to mark the launch of production of his comedy for Phranakorn Film, Spicy Beauty Queen of Bangkok 2 (Plon Na Ya 2).
The cast turned out in yellow shirts, not to support any political cause, but simply because the function was held on a Monday and yellow is that day's official colour.
"Poy will play the role of a cosmetic surgeon, while Tak will play herself. Her character will lose her temper at a moment's notice, just like the real thing,'' joked Poj.
"I have to lose my cool?'' Tak asked innocently.
In 2007, Poj took Tak to court in a defamation dispute, after she called him a lousy director. The court awarded him 50,000 baht in damages, which for months Tak refused to pay.
A few months after their dispute, Tak dismissed Poj as a troublesome gay.
Tak has now paid the director the damages she owed, she told reporters last week. "I won't blow any more fuses. Now I view Poj as my elder brother.''
"An elder brother?'' joked comedian Koti Aramboy, who also joins the cast.
"OK, maybe my elder sister as well,'' laughed Tak.
Explaining his decision to cast Tak in his movie, Poj said he appreciated the actress's efforts to support her ill mother.
"She was just a kid when she made those comments. We didn't really have problems with each other ... we just ended up in court,'' he joked.
Reporters then turned their attention to Poy, who has also put aside her differences with rising star Poj to appear in the film.
The pair fell out last July when Poj offered Poy, a woman of the second gender, a part in the second instalment of his katoey comedy, Hor Taew Taek.
Poj said Poy, having undergone a sex change, asked if she could appear as a "real'' woman, rather than a katoey.
The director said he had no problem with that, but the pair stumbled in talks over her fee. Her mother asked for 35,000 baht a day, which was too much.
"I decided that as I wrote the part for a real woman, I may as well cast one,'' said the sharp-tongued Poj. He cast actress Apinya "Saipan'' Sakuljaroensuk as the female lead instead.
Now, however, Poy is all smiles. "Poj had contacted me three or four times to appear in movies, but I was too busy, which led to our misunderstanding. Now, I am happy to entrust myself to his care,'' she said.
Poj said his reconciliation drive should set an example to politicians as they attempt to solve the country's social ills. "When this movie is finished, there'll be no more need for protests, as everyone can have a good laugh instead,'' he said. -
3.
Talks on ending the defamation row between superstar Rattapoom "Film'' Tokongsub and a family values campaigner who questioned his morals have hit a snag.
Film and campaigner Rabiabrat Pongpanit, a former senator, emerged from the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road last week wearing sour faces.
They failed to agree on a settlement in Film's defamation suit against Mrs Rabiabrat, despite making progress in the most recent round of talks.
The court is prepared to give them one more go, after which it will start taking testimony on Saturday.
Last September, Mrs Rabiabrat told the media that Film appeared to regard women as mere objects of sexual gratification. She was commenting on his dispute with actress Rungnapa "Annie'' Brooks, who claimed she gave birth to Film's unwanted son.
Film has refused to acknowledge paternity until she submits the child's DNA to a paternity test. Annie has refused, and the matter now rests with the court.
"Film's behaviour was careless and promiscuous,'' Mrs Rabiabrat, chairwoman of the Happy Family Association, told one interviewer.
Film's mother, Kormmon Thongmung, said that when she heard Mrs Rabiabrat criticise her son, she felt like dying right in front of the television. She was admitted to hospital with stress the same day.
Film said last week that Mrs Rabiabrat had agreed to go before the media to apologise, but refused his request to publish an apology in the paper.
"After initially asking her to publish the apology in three or four papers the day following her media appearance, we reduced our demand to two, and still she refused,'' he said.
The family values campaigner insists she made her comment for the good of society, but he did not agree. His mother had told him: You know what pain we have been through.
"I would like society to set a standard where people who make remarks supposedly for the good of society should also be held responsible for those comments if they hurt people,'' he said.
"She has made so many demands, and my lawyer have given up so much ground, that I now have nowhere left to go,'' he said, commenting on their chances of settlement.
Emerging from the court, Mrs Rabiabrat said Film was not being himself, as his music label, RS Promotion, was in the background of the dispute, telling him what to say.
She went on to add that Film's lawyer had only that day sprung his demand that she publish an apology in newspapers. Previously, his side had made no such request.
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| Film, Rabiabrat |
Film and campaigner Rabiabrat Pongpanit, a former senator, emerged from the Criminal Court on Ratchadaphisek Road last week wearing sour faces.
They failed to agree on a settlement in Film's defamation suit against Mrs Rabiabrat, despite making progress in the most recent round of talks.
The court is prepared to give them one more go, after which it will start taking testimony on Saturday.
Last September, Mrs Rabiabrat told the media that Film appeared to regard women as mere objects of sexual gratification. She was commenting on his dispute with actress Rungnapa "Annie'' Brooks, who claimed she gave birth to Film's unwanted son.
Film has refused to acknowledge paternity until she submits the child's DNA to a paternity test. Annie has refused, and the matter now rests with the court.
"Film's behaviour was careless and promiscuous,'' Mrs Rabiabrat, chairwoman of the Happy Family Association, told one interviewer.
Film's mother, Kormmon Thongmung, said that when she heard Mrs Rabiabrat criticise her son, she felt like dying right in front of the television. She was admitted to hospital with stress the same day.
Film said last week that Mrs Rabiabrat had agreed to go before the media to apologise, but refused his request to publish an apology in the paper.
"After initially asking her to publish the apology in three or four papers the day following her media appearance, we reduced our demand to two, and still she refused,'' he said.
The family values campaigner insists she made her comment for the good of society, but he did not agree. His mother had told him: You know what pain we have been through.
"I would like society to set a standard where people who make remarks supposedly for the good of society should also be held responsible for those comments if they hurt people,'' he said.
"She has made so many demands, and my lawyer have given up so much ground, that I now have nowhere left to go,'' he said, commenting on their chances of settlement.
Emerging from the court, Mrs Rabiabrat said Film was not being himself, as his music label, RS Promotion, was in the background of the dispute, telling him what to say.
She went on to add that Film's lawyer had only that day sprung his demand that she publish an apology in newspapers. Previously, his side had made no such request.
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