Speeding row, contract row, gifts row

CyberJom's disturbing claims

Pampam

Actress Pampam Darathip is defending herself after a fight outside a neighbour’s home sparked the interest of police and in a strange twist, also drew in the army.

Pampam went before the media last week after a man calling himself Pinit Asavanuchit complained on social media that members of her family had attacked him, leaving him with head injuries.

Mr Pinit, known as CyberJom on Facebook, said the fight started after he turned up at her place to complain about her father’s driving. He said Pampam’s father drove too fast through their housing village in Samut Prakan, putting children at risk.

CyberJom said three henchmen sent by Pampam’s family later turned up at his place and assaulted him. Pampam disagrees, saying the fight involved CyberJom and her younger brother alone, and started only after CyberJom challenged her brother to a fight. She wasn’t present.

"My father went to see him as agreed. My mother had called us to say she was concerned about dad’s safety. My younger brother turned up as CyberJom was arguing with dad on the street.

"CyberJom charged at him, and two started hitting each other," she said. "Dad tried to break it up but was shoved out the way, and needed five stitches to a foot injury."

She said her family did not know the complainant, who lived nearby. She denied her father drove too fast, as he was 60, and too old for such misadventures.

"CyberJom spoke rudely, and threw his weight around. He claimed he was a university teacher and owned six businesses. He also said he was related to the Fourth Army chief, whom he named as Gen Thavorn Rathanawadi," she said.

She said her brother complained to police. The next day police called in both sides for talks.

"At the police station CyberJom made out he was the one who was attacked. He turned up with bandages on his eye and foot and complained of a head injury," she said.

Neither side laid a complaint, and Pampam thought the matter had ended, until CyberJom claimed on social media she had sent three toughs around to attack him. Pampam, 20, said she was sorry if her family had caused any upset.

"This is the biggest thing to happen in my life," she said in tears. "No one listens to us; they just assume we’re in the wrong. I don’t know what the other side’s motive could be."

She was now worried about her family’s safety, especially after the other side brought in the army.

"The day after the fight, CyberJom sent two uniformed soldiers around to our place. They refused to show their identity cards. That night an army vehicle drove past our place many times," she said.

Army sets up tent

"The next day a soldier put up a tent in the soi. He wouldn't let anyone pass except for houses in CyberJom’s area. When asked, the soldier said he was there on the orders of the Fourth Army chief. Residents complained, until the police called us in," she said.

Adding to the actress’s woes, late last week a man identifying himself as Sanit Rathanawadi, son of Thavorn, an army general who has served in the Senate, threatened Pampam with defamation. He denied his father had ordered a soldier into the soi.

"My dad's never been Fourth Army chief as she claims, and nor do we have anyone in our family who teaches. My father is in hospital, and is in no position to order soldiers out to exercise their power improperly. We probably have to sue, as this matter has sullied our good name," he said. -

There ain't no sanity clause

Yok

Channel 7 performers are shaken by the station's decision to "dump" outspoken actress Pattarida "Tangmo" Patcharaweerapong after she took on work for a rival channel, says a former stablemate.

Actress Thanyakan "Yok" Thanakitananon, who works Channel 7, said she and her co-performers were shocked at management’s decision to release Tangmo a year before her contract was due to expire.

Channel 7 boss Palakorn Somsuwan late last month took the unusual step of telling the media in an urgent notice its contractual relationship with Tango was now at an end.

"Talks went well and we do not bar her from future work. She is now a freelancer," the tersely worded message said. Mr Palakorn has not added to his remarks since.

Earlier, Tangmo told reporters she had decided to accept a role in the soap Phloeng Daow, with co-star Marsha Vadhanapanich, for channel PPTV. She insisted the move had the channel’s blessing.

Tangmo

Yok said she took the incident as a salutary lesson.

"It startled many of us. Channel 7 has never done anything like it. It’s like a teacher instructing her students.

"At least we know that if we want to work somewhere else we have to ask properly and make sure it’s absolutely clear. If we don’t it’s like we are disrespecting the elders of the channel and flouting the contract we have signed.

"The rise of digital TV means the number of opportunities to appear on rival channels will only increase. They ask we let them know formally, so they can assess how suitable we might be for a role," she said.

Tangmo insisted last week she was grateful to the channel for letting her go.

"They called me for in for talks after another actress complained that I was being given special treatment," she said. "The channel gave me the choice of not acting for PPTV, or cancelling my contract. We decided that by the time the PPTV soap was ready to air my contract might have ended anyway."

Tangmo thanked the channel for letting the public know so swiftly she had been dumped. "If not, the public might have thought I had broken the rules," she said. -

On again, off again ... on again?

May

Actress Pichanak "May" Sakakorn has made up with her former policeman boyfriend after earlier slamming him on social media and selling an expensive watch he gave her as a present.

May declared last month she had sold a 1.2 million baht Patek Philippe watch which her former love, Thititsan "Joe" Uthanapol had given her. Earlier, she questioned his manhood after a group of his friends attacked her on social media.

They claimed May had taken a ring, car and watch he had given her, and dumped him when he ran out of money. May threatened legal action and Joe’s friends apologised, leading to a reconciliation meeting between May and Joe on Sept 2.

Last week May came under renewed attack on Instagram, as someone calling herself Ounkik revived claims May had taken advantage of Joe by refusing to return the car.

May insisted she had returned the vehicle, and vowed legal action. However, she changed her mind after chatting with Joe.

May turned up at Lumpini police station on Thursday, but said after talking to Joe the previous night about Ounkik’s remarks decided on the lesser step of filing a police diary note rather than making a formal complaint.

"Joe assured me he didn’t put her up to making those claims. I have decided not to pursue the matter, as my parents also tell me they don’t want a fuss," she said.

Surprising journalists, Joe turned up at the station to give her support, though when he saw the media throng fled upstairs. He said he can’t afford to appear in the news too often as it clashes with his work as a policeman.

"It’s a shame he won’t talk to the media, as I would like him to confirm I have returned everything he gave me," May said, confirming the pair were now friends.

Joe insisted he wasn’t angry that May sold his watch, and wanted to join her in making merit.