Condo kerfuffle, Up and Atom, breathing easier

Sek caught up in conflict

Sek, Kan, son Sua

Rocker "Sek Loso" is in trouble again after an incident in which his guard and estranged brother-in-law tussled at a city condo, resulting in an assault complaint.

Sek's presser

Both Sek and his estranged wife Wiphakorn "Kan" Sukpimai went before the media last week to put their competing versions of events forward after news of the incident emerged.

Kan says her younger brother, Dech-udom "Dech" Saisaengthim, was hit by a car driven by Sek’s guard, Sakchai "Neng" Kochakrit, at her Bangkok condo on Monday.

Dech said he found Neng and another of Sek’s men wandering around the condo and asked them what they were doing there. At first they claimed they were there to see friends. 

When Dech checked with security, he found Neng had actually turned up to rent a room. He called the police and tried to stop the men leaving until the law arrived.

For his part, Neng insists he did not know Kan’s family was staying at the condo, and that he and Dech met by chance. He said Dech complained to condo security when he met him, and attempted to bar him from leaving in his vehicle.

He claims Dech placed security barriers around his car, climbed on the bonnet and attempted to break the windscreen wipers. "When I started the car and drove away, he fell off," he said.

Dech was admitted to Phaya Thai hospital after the fracas, with a shattered left leg which is now in a cast. He has laid a complaint with Khok Kram police.

The car drama is the latest flare-up in Sek’s marital conflict with Kan, who says the rocker is persecuting her family.

Early this month, Sek turned up with five of his honchos at Kan's condo, demanding to see her. Security guards refused to let him in and alerted police.

Kan disputes claims by Sek’s guard that he turned up at her condo last week by accident.

"Before the incident with the car, Sek sent a message saying he knew what room Dech was in, and took a picture in front of his door. He said he would turn him into a cripple," she said.

She said Sek followed that up with another message on Tuesday saying he was about to destroy her family. "It all ends today," the message said.

She said Sek had also turned up at Phaya Thai hospital to threaten Dech, but staff wouldn’t let him in.

Speaking to the media, Sek agreed he had been to see Dech, but said he went merely as a "friend" and did not mean him any harm. "They didn’t tell me what room he was in, so I left some snacks for him instead," he said.

Earlier, Sek accused Dech on Facebook of dabbling in drugs, and dared him to take a drugs test. Kan denies claims Dech is involved in drugs.

The rocker, who was himself admitted to a detox hospital several years ago after Kan outed him as a hard drug addict, last week took a urine test in the presence of reporters, supervised by a senior policeman, which came back clean.

He said the result disproved his estranged wife’s claims that he was delusional.

"They are just trying to discredit me," he insisted, saying he would fight Kan’s latest claims in court. -

2. Unwanted attention

Ung Ing

Thaksin Shinwatra’s youngest daughter has laid a police complaint against an unwanted admirer who she says has been stalking her online for four years.

Paetongtarn "Ung Ing" Shinawatra last week published an image of a young man covered in tattoos almost from head to toe. She says her admirer, whom she identifies as Natchanon, or "Atom", imagines they are lovers. He also defies her every attempt to block him on social media.

"I have blocked you many tens of times, but you keep creating new accounts," she said in a social media message directed to him.

"We have never met, but in the past four years I have tried to use every means I can find to stop you meddling in my life. You tell me you like me … but then accuse me of being a wild girl.

"You say you were once in jail and imagine I came to your rescue. You tell me you dream of having sex with me. Really?"

Ung Ing says the attention leaves her puzzled, as she not a celebrity with dazzling looks.

"In the flesh I am fat, and short, with a big head. Now you know, please stop following me," she wrote.

"Every time I let you follow me on social media, you talk as if we are sulking, angry or simply misunderstand each other. "Yet when did we ever meet? You have also been to my beauty salon at the Paragon store and sent me a picture … that’s so creepy and scary.

"You follow virtually all my friends and my family on social media. You tagged my elder sister Aim to say you are trying to make up to me, and sent a Facebook message to my elder brother Oak asking him to help defuse my anger …

"That’s enough! You’re now grown up. The days of you bothering me should come to an end.

"You know me from the media. I know you because you persecute me; that’s it."

Fans have left messages on Ung Ing’s Instagram, offering support and warning her to be careful. In response, she says Atom has left abusive messages swearing at her supporters.
"I have blocked him again and deleted his comments. I hope his condition does not get any worse," she said. -

3. Nadech's asthma under attack

Barry

Superstar Nadech "Barry" Kugimiya is shrugging off claims he is cured of his asthma, a condition which allowed him to avoid taking part in the military conscription draw last year.

Thais reacted with dismay after Khon Kaen University posted on its Facebook an invitation to a seminar marking World Asthma Day early next month in which Nadech has been invited to speak. The seminar was called "Beating Asthma".

When Nadech last year turned up for the conscription draw in Khon Kaen, his home province, he presented a medical certificate from a Bangkok doctor claiming he was unfit to serve as he has asthma.

Thai men must report for conscription when they turn 21, though they can apply for an exemption for six years if they are busy with study, or think they might qualify on health grounds. After that they must submit themselves to the lottery conscription draw.

The actor’s move took his fans by surprise, as in the previous two years Nadech had applied for ordinary study exemptions rather than pleading out on the grounds of ill-health.

Even stranger, for the previous three years he had fronted a campaign urging young men to report for conscription, even though he himself sought exemptions.

As unfriendly netizens posted images of an athletic Nadech racing about on a wakeboard, playing football and trying his hand at wall-climbing, his manager was forced to come out to clear the air.

Manager Supachai "A" Sriwichit said he had known Nadech since he was at school and could attest to the fact he has asthma.

This time around public reaction is no less severe, with critics asking whether Nadech, now the military conscription threat is over, suddenly finds himself cured of the condition. He continues to appear in the media performing high-energy sports pursuits.

His mother, Kaew, said sport is her son’s lifeline. "As for the asthma, it is up to you what you think," she said.

Nadech said the name of the seminar was misleading. "It is a play on words on how to live with someone who has asthma. It is not about how it can be cured completely," he said, without saying whether he still has the condition.

An edited note attached to an advertisement for the seminar, posted on the university’s Facebook site, keeps the original title, but says in brackets: "Looking after yourself as someone who has asthma." The seminar is on May 6.