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| Howard |
Prosecutors last Wednesday decided against pursuing housebreak charges against Howard laid by his former girlfriend, model Omsawan "Amie" Sirikittirat.
Howard said he broke into Amie’s townhouse in April merely to deliver a birthday present. Prosecutors agreed he meant no harm, and noted Amie herself had decided not to pursue the complaint.
The court, which had sent him to jail pending those charges and a deportation case, released Howard into the custody of the Immigration Department pending his expulsion from the country.
On Friday, the department freed Howard on bail to give him time to get his affairs in order.
Howard’s mother, Julie Chu, turned up at the department’s Suan Phlu holding centre to pick up her son. Howard prostrated himself at her feet, begging forgiveness.
Later the same day Howard gave a television interview, in which he said he had seen the error of his ways and wanted to enter the monkhood to make a new start.
He denied wanting to enter the monkhood merely to prolong his stay in the kingdom. Howard has lived in Thailand since the age of six, and has few friends or family in his native Taiwan.
Immigration police arrested him on April 23 on a charge of stealing into the kingdom despite being banned. Howard, former lead singer of the teen band Giant, was deported on March 21.
The Criminal Court last year convicted him of assault, possession of marijuana and taking speed, and immigration authorities decided they had had enough.
Amie’s housebreak complaint alerted authorities to the fact he had re-entered the kingdom under a new name and with a new passport.
''I am not trying to extend my stay here. I just want to do something good for my mother,'' he said about his decision to get ordained.
''I have reflected on my life, and feel sorry for what I have done. I was going out, seeing friends, and so absorbed in myself that I rarely gave any thought to my mum,’' Howard said.
Howard’s lawyer has appealed against the department’s decision to enter his name on an immigration blacklist. Howard said he is resigned to the fact he will be deported, but still hopes to return one day if he can clear his name. -
2.
Actor Rattapong ''Kelly'' Thanapat says it’s too early to talk about getting engaged to his girlfriend, actress Atsadaporn ''Green'' Siriwattanakul.
US-educated Kelly said neither he nor Green is ready to get betrothed, and feels sorry for Green after her father last week reignited their family row over whether Kelly was the man best suited for his daughter.
Green’s father Chatrirath said he was still unhappy about having Kelly, 43, as a prospective son-in-law, despite earlier reports that he and the Channel 7 actor had now made up.
Kelly , Green and her mother went before reporters two weeks ago to say their family row had ended. Kelly had apologised to Mr Chatrirath and agreed to withdraw legal action against him.
Mr Chatrirath had asked the couple to cool their relationship until Green finishes studying. Kelly decided to sue Mr Chatrirath after he sent a series of legal letters to Channel 7, asking Kelly’s bosses to intervene in their personal dispute.
Kelly said he ultimately decided to call off the legal action after reaching an understanding with Green’s father at a meeting brokered by Channel 7 on May 17.
Mr Chatrirath, however, said the meeting did not go as smoothly as some reports had portrayed. He gave a 17-minute televised interview last week to put his side of the story.
‘’I thought Kelly would come to say sorry and ask for my forgiveness, but instead he turned up and immediately laid down form,’’ he said.
He said the pair argued, after which Kelly abruptly went down on bended knee and begged his forgiveness.
‘’I was shocked, because he did it without any word of warning. At a moment’s notice, he can change his personality. I didn’t know what to make of it,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Chatrirath met Kelly’s bosses from Channel 7, in the hope they could persuade the actor to end their dispute.
''They warned me that he can come on a bit strong, as he is partly farang.
''I replied that Kelly’s been here for 10 years, and should know Thai customs and ways.
''He told my daughter that he was grown up now and could do as he likes. I disagree.
''If he was to harass my daughter or harm her, he’ll have to answer to me about it.
''I said the best way forward was for him to declare that he and my daughter are engaged. Once Green graduates, they can marry immediately.
''As soon as I said it, the colour drained from his face. He went quite pale, and said, 'Pa, don’t be too hasty'.’'
He said Kelly had now asked for a new chance to prove himself.
Asked for his response, Kelly confirmed he and Green weren’t ready to tie the knot.
''I thought the saga was over. If it isn’t, I feel sorry for Green and her mother, because they haven’t done anything,'' he said.
Green said engagement should be a voluntary decision by two people in love. It should not be forced on them by their parents.
''I think this stems from a misunderstanding, or perhaps a mistake on dad’s part. I am not ready to take that step, as I am still at university and enjoying my work,'’ she said. -
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| Green, Kelly |
US-educated Kelly said neither he nor Green is ready to get betrothed, and feels sorry for Green after her father last week reignited their family row over whether Kelly was the man best suited for his daughter.
Green’s father Chatrirath said he was still unhappy about having Kelly, 43, as a prospective son-in-law, despite earlier reports that he and the Channel 7 actor had now made up.
Kelly , Green and her mother went before reporters two weeks ago to say their family row had ended. Kelly had apologised to Mr Chatrirath and agreed to withdraw legal action against him.
Mr Chatrirath had asked the couple to cool their relationship until Green finishes studying. Kelly decided to sue Mr Chatrirath after he sent a series of legal letters to Channel 7, asking Kelly’s bosses to intervene in their personal dispute.
Kelly said he ultimately decided to call off the legal action after reaching an understanding with Green’s father at a meeting brokered by Channel 7 on May 17.
Mr Chatrirath, however, said the meeting did not go as smoothly as some reports had portrayed. He gave a 17-minute televised interview last week to put his side of the story.
‘’I thought Kelly would come to say sorry and ask for my forgiveness, but instead he turned up and immediately laid down form,’’ he said.
He said the pair argued, after which Kelly abruptly went down on bended knee and begged his forgiveness.
‘’I was shocked, because he did it without any word of warning. At a moment’s notice, he can change his personality. I didn’t know what to make of it,’’ he said.
Earlier, Mr Chatrirath met Kelly’s bosses from Channel 7, in the hope they could persuade the actor to end their dispute.
''They warned me that he can come on a bit strong, as he is partly farang.
''I replied that Kelly’s been here for 10 years, and should know Thai customs and ways.
''He told my daughter that he was grown up now and could do as he likes. I disagree.
''If he was to harass my daughter or harm her, he’ll have to answer to me about it.
''I said the best way forward was for him to declare that he and my daughter are engaged. Once Green graduates, they can marry immediately.
''As soon as I said it, the colour drained from his face. He went quite pale, and said, 'Pa, don’t be too hasty'.’'
He said Kelly had now asked for a new chance to prove himself.
Asked for his response, Kelly confirmed he and Green weren’t ready to tie the knot.
''I thought the saga was over. If it isn’t, I feel sorry for Green and her mother, because they haven’t done anything,'' he said.
Green said engagement should be a voluntary decision by two people in love. It should not be forced on them by their parents.
''I think this stems from a misunderstanding, or perhaps a mistake on dad’s part. I am not ready to take that step, as I am still at university and enjoying my work,'’ she said. -
3.
Actress and presenter Chompoo Araya A. Hargate is shrugging off criticism that her appearance at the Cannes film festival last month shows she is a half-hearted Thai.
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| Chompoo |
Chompoo, who is Thai-British, strode the red carpet on the first two days of the event as a representative of the l’Oreal cosmetics brand.
Since her return from Cannes, she has been criticised for failing to do enough to promote Thai culture abroad.
She wore a European haute couture dress, failed to wai for the cameras, and even wore blue contacts in her eyes to disguise her Asian roots, netizens said.
Thai actress Rhatha ''Yayaying'' Phongam also strode the red carpet at Cannes to promoteOnly God Forgives, in which she has a part. Unlike Chompoo, Yayaying wore a traditional Thai dress, and wai-ed before the media.
‘’Even if we are not born soldiers, we can still do something for our country. I am delighted to have been born under the king’s reign,’’ Yayaying said.
Unperturbed by the criticism, Chompoo said she was excited to take part in Cannes, and was delighted with the response. She was voted among the top 10 best-dressed by a popular website.
''Reporters called out to me on day two because they remembered me from the day before,'' she said.
''I haven’t forgotten my country. I knew from the outset there would be some reaction [if I didn’t promote Thai culture], but I was there to perform a different duty,'’ she said.
‘'I was there in the name of l’Oreal, and had to look after their image under the concept we agreed.'’
Actor Siwat ''Cee'' Chotchaicharin said Chompoo’s critics are simply drawing attention to themselves.
''Does Chompoo need to ride an elephant or take a bowl of tom yum kung into the event before she will be considered truly Thai?'’ he asked. -
4.
Two ladyboys have apologised after parading naked on YouTube as they danced to a popular hip-hop song.
Titipa ''Biw'' Srimok, 20, and Papasraporn ''Ice'' Thasi, 20, reported to Technology Crime Suppression Division police last Thursday after a clip of them dancing to the hit song "Splash Out" went viral on the internet.
The youngsters said they forgot themselves, and did not mean to upset anyone.
''We were drinking, and pressed something wrong on the socialcam recorder. The clip uploaded to the internet automatically, but we never spread it on YouTube,'’ they insisted.
The RS Promotion song, by hip-hop group 3.2.1 and singer Baitoey R Siam, has notched up more than 24 million views since last month.
TCSD head Pol Maj Gen Pisit Pao-in said the pair were likely to be charged under the Computer Crimes Act with spreading objectionable material, and public indecency. He did not accept their excuse that they didn’t know what they were doing.
After reporting to police, the suspects went before reporters to apologise, and asked Thais to stop republishing the clip on the internet. ‘'We know we have set a bad example,’' they said.
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| Biw and Ice |
Titipa ''Biw'' Srimok, 20, and Papasraporn ''Ice'' Thasi, 20, reported to Technology Crime Suppression Division police last Thursday after a clip of them dancing to the hit song "Splash Out" went viral on the internet.
The youngsters said they forgot themselves, and did not mean to upset anyone.
''We were drinking, and pressed something wrong on the socialcam recorder. The clip uploaded to the internet automatically, but we never spread it on YouTube,'’ they insisted.
The RS Promotion song, by hip-hop group 3.2.1 and singer Baitoey R Siam, has notched up more than 24 million views since last month.
TCSD head Pol Maj Gen Pisit Pao-in said the pair were likely to be charged under the Computer Crimes Act with spreading objectionable material, and public indecency. He did not accept their excuse that they didn’t know what they were doing.
After reporting to police, the suspects went before reporters to apologise, and asked Thais to stop republishing the clip on the internet. ‘'We know we have set a bad example,’' they said.
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