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| Mario nips out of conscription |
Many young men who pull a black can’t help but show their relief, as their lives can go back to normal. As for the unlucky ones who pull a red, military conscription officers are on hand to catch them should they faint and fall.
Mario, however, had prepared a careful line to give the journalists eager for his reaction. He had steeled himself for the outcome whichever way it went, black or red.
"I prepared myself to accept the outcome no matter whether I had to serve or not," he said.
"A red gives me the chance to serve the nation as a conscripted soldier. But even with a black, I can help the nation in other ways, even if I do not have to join the military … through my work as a presenter for the Tourism Authority, I can encourage tourists to visit Thailand."
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.
Mario insisted last month he was not spooked by the prospect of having to serve.
"I am not scared, as every Thai must do his duty. I will have to put my work on hold if I am conscripted," he said, adding hopefully that the military might find some useful non-strenuous task for him to do, such as acting as its spokesman.
In the end he was spared the need to don military fatigues, even in a non-strenuous role, as luck was on his side.
Media outlets provided running updates of Mario's conscription drama, which also emerged as the hottest topic on Thai Twitter.
Mario’s 10-hour saga started on Tuesday morning when he turned up at Wat Kratum Sua Pla in Prawet district, one of 590 young men told to report. Conscription officers whittled down the intake, after young men volunteered, sought a deferral, or were rejected as not meeting the military's requirements.
For many fans, the biggest moment arrived not when he put his hand in the barrel, but earlier in the day when he took off his shirt to have his chest measured.
Thais marvelled at the whiteness of his skin and the generous size of his pink nipples.
His Chinese fans on social media were less impressed, complaining that the former teen actor of old, who they recall one boasted a six-pack, had since let himself go to pot. "He has a broad chest, but he looks fat," one said. "How could he let himself go so badly?"
His broad chest or flabby tummy was the least of Mario’s concerns, however, as his freedom would hang on the outcome of that evening's conscription draw.
As his moment finally arrived, a military officer helpfully asked the crowd: "Do you want Mario to pull a red or black?" Seized by the excitement of the moment, most replied: "Red!"
Luck was on Mario’s side, even if the crowd wasn’t. Mario was placed 150th in a queue of 181 men waiting to take their chances. By the time he put his hand in the barrel and pulled out his card, there were only four red cards left.
His return to civilian life secured, Mario said he would go back to work on his latest lakorn. He is also in the final months of his university studies.
Prodded by reporters, he denied his family had asked the gods for any special favours to get him off the conscription rap, even though his mother was spotted carrying a joss stick.
His former girlfriend, actress Sumontip "Koop Kip" Leuangthai, gave the game away, however. In a social media message, she sent Mario courage for the day. "Don't you worry, #be happy ... because the red (cards) are all with me," she said. -
2.
DJ and actor Paranyu "Tack" Rojanavudtitham and his partner are ready
to have children, though they don’t want Thais to fuss too much if they
decide to do it before marriage.
Tack’s girlfriend, brassy DJ Sakoltala "Ton Horm" Tianpairojt, 30,
says she is far more worried at her age about her biological clock than
how Thais would feel should she get pregnant before tying the knot.
"I have discussed it with Tack, and neither of us is ready for marriage. He is tied up with his hotel, and I am busy with our new home," she said last week.
"We will have to do it eventually. But I am worried my time is running out. The doctor tells me my chance of having a normal baby at this age is 50-50. If I turn up one day pregnant before marriage, I hope Thais won’t get too fragile about it," she said.
She suspects she will have children only with difficulty, and would rather do it naturally than via artificial insemination. Just to make sure, however, she plans to start harvesting her eggs next month.
"I would like to have children like anyone else. If I can’t get pregnant, I will feel as if I have failed," she said.
Tack, who wasn’t present to talk to reporters, appears to be fitting into domestic life. The ASTV/Manager newspaper ran a picture of him painting his nails, as a bored Ton Horm, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, is gazing elsewhere. -
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| Tack, Ton Horm |
"I have discussed it with Tack, and neither of us is ready for marriage. He is tied up with his hotel, and I am busy with our new home," she said last week.
"We will have to do it eventually. But I am worried my time is running out. The doctor tells me my chance of having a normal baby at this age is 50-50. If I turn up one day pregnant before marriage, I hope Thais won’t get too fragile about it," she said.
She suspects she will have children only with difficulty, and would rather do it naturally than via artificial insemination. Just to make sure, however, she plans to start harvesting her eggs next month.
"I would like to have children like anyone else. If I can’t get pregnant, I will feel as if I have failed," she said.
Tack, who wasn’t present to talk to reporters, appears to be fitting into domestic life. The ASTV/Manager newspaper ran a picture of him painting his nails, as a bored Ton Horm, resting her chin on the palm of her hand, is gazing elsewhere. -
3.
Rocker "Sek Loso" denies threatening his former sister-in-law with
her life, after she laid a complaint of defamation and making malicious
calls with police.
In the latest twist in his long-running marital problems, Nonnapat
"Kluay" Aniwathanakorn, elder sister of Sek’s estranged wife, laid a
police complaint on Monday after the rocker allegedly threatened her
over the phone.
She laid the complaint at the instigation of Sek’s estranged wife, Wiphakorn "Kan" Sukpimai, who said she was sick of coping with Sek’s harassment alone.
The night before, Sek turned up with five of his honchos at Kan's condo in Sai Mai, demanding to see her. Security guards refused to let him in, and alerted police.
Sek and his helpers left without incident, though Kan said it left her fearing for her safety.
She posted a message on Facebook, asking police to step in.
"Sek, delusional on drugs, will break into this or that person’s home, threatening them and bullying them," she wrote.
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| Sek |
She laid the complaint at the instigation of Sek’s estranged wife, Wiphakorn "Kan" Sukpimai, who said she was sick of coping with Sek’s harassment alone.
The night before, Sek turned up with five of his honchos at Kan's condo in Sai Mai, demanding to see her. Security guards refused to let him in, and alerted police.
Sek and his helpers left without incident, though Kan said it left her fearing for her safety.
She posted a message on Facebook, asking police to step in.
"Sek, delusional on drugs, will break into this or that person’s home, threatening them and bullying them," she wrote.
"The police sit by
and do nothing because we haven’t actually come to blows yet. They are
worried the good favours bestowed by a rocker on the decline will dry
up. Yet he’s creating unrest for honest members of the public, who are
now worried for their assets and their lives."
Kan revealed she has more than 20 cases pending in court against Sek. "I go to court every time for conciliation talks, but Sek might turn up, or might not," she complained. She was now thinking about hiring guards to protect her and her children.
Adding his voice to the anti-Sek chorus, his son, Tiger, 18, said he didn’t know why his father was so intent on persecuting Kan and her family, and how he had been able to get away with it for long.
"Are you power mad?" he asked.
Kan left the family home with their three children in October amid claims, later confirmed by Sek, that he had beaten her.
Her sister Kluay said it was normal for Sek to send her angry messages on Line, but never to the point where he would threaten to take her life.
"I suspect it stems from an incident last week when I went to pick up his child from school. He realised I was there, and rapped on the window of my car, but I fled," she said.
Sek said matters concerning his family were sensitive, but he wanted Kan and her family to know he did not mean them any harm. He was happy to report to police in relation to the complaint, which carries a fine of up to 1,000 baht.
Sek urged the media not to publish too many stories which cast him in a poor light.
"I have been in the industry for 19 years, and as everyone knows I have never had any bad news printed about me," he said optimistically.
"I said I’d give her a kick for provoking me. But I don’t want it to flare into anything big."
He said he turned up at the condo looking for a place for his new fling, not to persecute his former wife.
Kan revealed she has more than 20 cases pending in court against Sek. "I go to court every time for conciliation talks, but Sek might turn up, or might not," she complained. She was now thinking about hiring guards to protect her and her children.
Adding his voice to the anti-Sek chorus, his son, Tiger, 18, said he didn’t know why his father was so intent on persecuting Kan and her family, and how he had been able to get away with it for long.
"Are you power mad?" he asked.
Kan left the family home with their three children in October amid claims, later confirmed by Sek, that he had beaten her.
Her sister Kluay said it was normal for Sek to send her angry messages on Line, but never to the point where he would threaten to take her life.
"I suspect it stems from an incident last week when I went to pick up his child from school. He realised I was there, and rapped on the window of my car, but I fled," she said.
Sek said matters concerning his family were sensitive, but he wanted Kan and her family to know he did not mean them any harm. He was happy to report to police in relation to the complaint, which carries a fine of up to 1,000 baht.
Sek urged the media not to publish too many stories which cast him in a poor light.
"I have been in the industry for 19 years, and as everyone knows I have never had any bad news printed about me," he said optimistically.
"I said I’d give her a kick for provoking me. But I don’t want it to flare into anything big."
He said he turned up at the condo looking for a place for his new fling, not to persecute his former wife.
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