Likay performer Mit Mitchai, who admits receiving up to 20 million
baht from an older woman over their 12-month secretive relationship,
says she gave the money out of love and cannot expect it back.
Mit and his lawyer went before the media last week after his estranged former partner laid a police complaint claiming Mit owes her and a group of creditors 35 million baht.
Mit, 21, the younger brother of famous likay singer Chaiya A Mitchai, reported to Khu Khot police in Pathum Thani earlier this month to deny charges of fraud and deception laid by Ranchida "Pui" Sithadechanon, 43, the month before.
Pui, who runs an oil lubrication business, laid a police complaint against Mit on Aug 31.
She says she started out as a member of his fan club, progressed to "sponsor", and finally entered a secretive relationship with him. She says she ended up in debt after Mit asked her to help him raise funds to back his likay business ventures, including a performing troupe, TV broadcasts, and a music video.
Mit agrees the pair were seeing each other, though denies ever asking her for money other than to meet his living expenses.
His lawyer Tawicha Wangporka admits that came to 20 million over the course of a relationship lasting a little more than 12 months, though it includes the five million baht value of a property which Mit transferred to her name as the pair attempted to sell it.
"She was an older woman looking after a younger man. It was my first experience of love; I had only recently left home to live with friends," Mit said.
"She turned up at a couple of shows and we swapped Line details. We chatted, she bought me things, went out for meals, and from there it progressed to romance.
"But after we quit, it's as if she wants that money back again, even though she gave it willingly and I never asked for it. If two people love each other, and help each other with money, then spending it can't be wrong ... but she thought I spent it wastefully."
Mr Tawicha said the most Mit ever received was one million baht in one day, sent in two bank transfers. He has challenged Pui to present evidence showing she transferred the 35 million baht claimed.
While they were together, Pui gave him an old Mercedez-Benz to drive, and then a Toyota van. They also made a down payment on a new Benz, and bought a house together.
However, he said Mit never asked for investment funds as claimed by the other side.
"She gave him money because she fell for his charms ... but on one fine day when they fell out, that gift turned into a loan, which she wanted back," he said.
Pui said she contacted creditors on Mit’s behalf to raise funds for his ventures.
One of the supposed creditors is Pol Col Pachapon Rodpothong, of the Royal Thai Police, who is taking defamation action against Mit over the loans row.
He laid a counter-complaint with police earlier this month after Mit claimed the policeman forced him to sign a document claiming he owes Pol Col Pachapon and others 35 million baht.
He contacted Mit's family recently, claiming to be one of his creditors, and arranged a meeting at a city eatery. The two sides met at the eatery twice in early August to discuss the debt Mit allegedly owed.
Mr Tawicha said that at the first meeting, the policeman asked Mit to sign a loan document and a copy of a cheque.
At the second meeting a few days later, Pol Col Pachapon brought along a new document, in which Mit was asked to acknowledge a 35 million baht debt to him in investment funds. He also brought along a supposed second creditor.
While only one of those documents prompted the policeman’s complaint, Mr Tawicha says together the demands come to 70 million baht. He says Mit signed them out of fear, not because he owes the money. He had never met either "creditor" before and Pui had never told him she was raising funds on his behalf.
"They said they would take receipt of the first of three repayments at the restaurant, within seven days, of five million baht. How many bags would you need to carry that amount of cash away?" the lawyer asked, urging police to investigate the dubious meeting.
Inquiries are continuing. -
2. Doctor says it hurts to smile
Mit and his lawyer went before the media last week after his estranged former partner laid a police complaint claiming Mit owes her and a group of creditors 35 million baht.
Mit, 21, the younger brother of famous likay singer Chaiya A Mitchai, reported to Khu Khot police in Pathum Thani earlier this month to deny charges of fraud and deception laid by Ranchida "Pui" Sithadechanon, 43, the month before.
Pui, who runs an oil lubrication business, laid a police complaint against Mit on Aug 31.
She says she started out as a member of his fan club, progressed to "sponsor", and finally entered a secretive relationship with him. She says she ended up in debt after Mit asked her to help him raise funds to back his likay business ventures, including a performing troupe, TV broadcasts, and a music video.
Mit agrees the pair were seeing each other, though denies ever asking her for money other than to meet his living expenses.
His lawyer Tawicha Wangporka admits that came to 20 million over the course of a relationship lasting a little more than 12 months, though it includes the five million baht value of a property which Mit transferred to her name as the pair attempted to sell it.
"She was an older woman looking after a younger man. It was my first experience of love; I had only recently left home to live with friends," Mit said.
"She turned up at a couple of shows and we swapped Line details. We chatted, she bought me things, went out for meals, and from there it progressed to romance.
"But after we quit, it's as if she wants that money back again, even though she gave it willingly and I never asked for it. If two people love each other, and help each other with money, then spending it can't be wrong ... but she thought I spent it wastefully."
Mr Tawicha said the most Mit ever received was one million baht in one day, sent in two bank transfers. He has challenged Pui to present evidence showing she transferred the 35 million baht claimed.
While they were together, Pui gave him an old Mercedez-Benz to drive, and then a Toyota van. They also made a down payment on a new Benz, and bought a house together.
However, he said Mit never asked for investment funds as claimed by the other side.
"She gave him money because she fell for his charms ... but on one fine day when they fell out, that gift turned into a loan, which she wanted back," he said.
Pui said she contacted creditors on Mit’s behalf to raise funds for his ventures.
One of the supposed creditors is Pol Col Pachapon Rodpothong, of the Royal Thai Police, who is taking defamation action against Mit over the loans row.
He laid a counter-complaint with police earlier this month after Mit claimed the policeman forced him to sign a document claiming he owes Pol Col Pachapon and others 35 million baht.
He contacted Mit's family recently, claiming to be one of his creditors, and arranged a meeting at a city eatery. The two sides met at the eatery twice in early August to discuss the debt Mit allegedly owed.
Mr Tawicha said that at the first meeting, the policeman asked Mit to sign a loan document and a copy of a cheque.
At the second meeting a few days later, Pol Col Pachapon brought along a new document, in which Mit was asked to acknowledge a 35 million baht debt to him in investment funds. He also brought along a supposed second creditor.
While only one of those documents prompted the policeman’s complaint, Mr Tawicha says together the demands come to 70 million baht. He says Mit signed them out of fear, not because he owes the money. He had never met either "creditor" before and Pui had never told him she was raising funds on his behalf.
"They said they would take receipt of the first of three repayments at the restaurant, within seven days, of five million baht. How many bags would you need to carry that amount of cash away?" the lawyer asked, urging police to investigate the dubious meeting.
Inquiries are continuing. -
2. Doctor says it hurts to smile
The doctor who laid an assault complaint against the husband of a celebrity says a picture of him and the man who allegedly hit him, smiling for the cameras at a Chiang Mai wedding, was forced.
Piyapong Sudsakornyen, a doctor at Police General Hospital’s Institute of Forensic Medicine, laid a complaint last Sunday night after an altercation involving Sanchai "Peck" Engtrakul, the husband of actress and TV presenter Tanyaret "Tanya" Engtrakul.
The two were attending the wedding of a well-known shop owner in the northern city when they started to argue.
Mr Sanchai, a justice specialist for the Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission, resigned from his post on Wednesday after the complaint, though the agency says a disciplinary probe it had started against him would continue. He has yet to comment on the row.
Dr Piyapong, who reported the attack to Doi Saket police in Chiang Mai the same night, said Mr Sanchai hit him in the face but he did not fight back.
Asked about a picture taken shortly after their fight, in which he appears with Mr Sanchai and two other men in a friendly huddle, Dr Piyapong, also a popular author, said he posed for it reluctantly.
Another guest at the wedding tried to get the pair to make up. Peck ended up pulling him into the frame as someone took the photograph, though he said Peck thrust his middle finger in his face throughout.
"I just wanted the whole thing to end, so forced a smile for the camera. I decided to go to police because I feel he trampled on my dignity," the doctor said. -
3. Dome sorry for alcohol image
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| Dome |
"I have been in this industry more than 20 years, and wouldn’t want to set a poor example to the young," he said last week, insisting he was not paid for posting an image on social media promoting Chang Beer.
He was one of 24 celebrities found to have posted photos of themselves holding the beer during the same period on Instagram.
Six of the celebrities later appeared on Chang’s website to promote the beer’s new bottle colour.
The Office of the Consumer Protection Board and deputy police chief Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen have started pulling in the celebrities to testify.
Those found promoting alcohol face stiff fines and a potential jail term under the Alcohol Control Act.
Piti "Todd" Bhirombhakdi, heir to the Singha beer empire, and Chang’s rival, criticised Dome’s beer post on social media, triggering the probe.
Todd, a childhood friend of Dome’s, said he was upset that Dome would see fit to break the law by tacitly promoting his rival’s product.
Dome said he knew the heads of both beer companies, but said he regularly posts images about his "lifestyle". He wasn’t prepared to comment on what other celebrities knew, and has now taken down the offending pictures.
Earlier, Dome said he put up the image merely to "help a friend". Celebrities pulled in by police have put up a similar defence, though police have declined to reveal the name of the person they were helping.
Assistant police chief Suwira Songmetta said the celebrities can still be taken to task under the law even if they received no payment.
Dome has yet to be called in to give evidence.
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