Pay drama unfolds, bittersweet victory, Bowie's muse

Aum calls on firm to come clean

Aum

The actors

Actor and director Atichart "Aum" Chumnanont is suing a company he hired to work on a soap opera, claiming 50 million baht damages to his reputation after it suggested he ran the soap badly and doctored billing accounts.

Aum wasted no time in defending his name in the unfolding dispute with defendant Blue Ribbon Advertising, its manager and lawyer, filing court papers at the Criminal Court on Thursday, barely a week after the firm went public with its claims.

Blue Ribbon Advertising was responding to claims by four young actors in Aum's production, Chao Weha, that they had yet to get paid for their work.

Aum's company Hok Hanuman says it hired Blue Ribbon to scout locations and hire some of the cast and crew for the 26-part series which Aum made for True You, the project owner, late last year. However, Aum insists all his bills were paid and he stopped working with the firm long ago. The series aired earlier this year.

The four actors, who say they are owed 500,000 baht from their work on the series, said filming wrapped up in April but they are still waiting to be paid.

They contacted Blue Ribbon owner Winai Yiamprasert, who claimed Hok Hanuman had yet to transfer the money it received from the project from True You.

"Next we contacted Aum, who presented paperwork showing he had transferred the money for our wages to Blue Ribbon. That's when we decided to alert police," the young actors said at Bangkok Noi station where they laid their complaint.

In his initial response to the saga, Aum presented receipts from Blue Ribbon which he says showed he paid the actors' wages, part of the 39 million baht his firm received from True to make the series.

Another two instalments are planned, though True says no decision has been made on who will make them. Aum said his company oversaw all aspects of the production, working with hundreds of people. "If we had really not paid our bills as claimed, someone else would have come forward," Aum said.

Aum said his company paid freelance actors in the cast directly but for those who had agents, he would send the money to the agents instead.

Responding to Aum's claims, Blue Ribbon lawyer Panthipan Wanatsabordee denied the company was a mere agent looking after actors, and claimed Aum's firm subcontracted it to make the entire first instalment, plus the next two which will follow.

"Hok Hanuman hired us for 39 million baht to make the first 26 episodes, and entered into a contract in which it agreed to pay in six instalments," he said.

"Production has finished, but Hok Hanuman paid just two instalments, worth about 17 million baht. It owes us about 22 million baht, plus four million baht for filming part of the second instalment, which has started, and another 1.9 million to cover an advertising deal with True."

Asked about Aum's receipts tagged as wages, Mr Panthipan said Hok Hanuman asked Blue Ribbon to list payments as wages even when they weren't, as an outside party was going through its books. "We are not a mere casting agency ... the money they paid us is for making the lakorn. In the bill we sent them we made it clear it was for production costs.

Apart from that, actors know their fees are always paid in the last instalment, because the initial payments are needed to get the production off the ground," he said.

He said if Aum's firm would just pay the money it owes, Blue Ribbon could pay the actors' wages. The four complainants said another 20 actors are still waiting for their wages too.

Mr Panthipan also claimed Blue Ribbon owns the rights to the script. Aum disputes that, saying that right belongs to the author, who transferred them to him when he agreed to make the series.

Director MR Srikhumrung Yukol Rattakul last week backed Aum in the dispute, saying she had run into similar problems with Blue Ribbon failing to pay up when she made the soap Prissana for PPTV.

"The channel sent the money to Blue Ribbon to pay me, but they didn't. The channel understood I had to carry on shooting it, so took over as producer, including the payment dispute with Blue Ribbon, which is still before the courts," she said.

Filing his defamation action, Aum said Blue Ribbon had damaged his reputation by suggesting he wasn't fit to oversee the production, owed them money, and had altered the paperwork improperly. He denied the claims, saying his 15 years in the industry attested to his record. The court has called the first hearing for January next year. -

2. Ning wins defamation case

Ning and her husband

Namwan, with the green bag

Director Panita "Ning" Tumwattana says she is relieved a defamation dispute with a socialite stemming from a row at a city eatery has ended with her successful appeal.

The Appeal Court on Sept 1 ruled in her dispute with socialite Namwan Petnunthawong, upholding a verdict by the lower court last March which found Namwan and her mother Ampaipan defamed her.

The court sentenced the pair to 18 months in jail, suspended for two years, and fined them 75,000 baht. 

They must also run an apology in Thai newspapers for two days. The court victory has bittersweet undertones for Ning, after her husband, Jin Tumwattana, offered a public apology in early 2013 for having an affair with Namwan.

Lingering feeling between the two women led to a fight at a city restaurant. Namwan and Mrs Ampaipan claimed in interviews that Ning and her sister Nan attacked Namwan at Harvey restaurant, in Thong Lor Soi 9 in Wattana district, on Sept 20, 2013.

Namwan, who published pictures of herself on social media with eye injuries, said Nan struck her in the face with a mobile phone.

Nan denied it, and insisted Namwan hit her first.

Ning, who said the claims damaged her reputation, sued Namwan and her mum for defamation. Asked to comment on the case, Ning said she was grateful it was over. Judge's permission would be required before either party could take the matter to the Supreme Court.

She was worried about the effect of the case on the couple's young daughter, who might be questioned about it when she grows older. Namwan had yet to get in touch since the ruling.
Jin attended court to hear the outcome. 

"I am actually trying to keep him out of it as I don't want him criticised again for starting it all. I am sure he has learnt his lesson, and he's doing his best to ensure our family is happy," she said.  -

3. Sweet sixteen enchants actress

Bowie

Sexy actress and model Atthama "Bowie" Chiwanitchaphan is developing a fondness for farang, after a teen playfully flirted with her on the set of a soap opera she made in Europe.

Now back in Bangkok, Bowie said the teen was the son of a local restaurant owner who let them do some filming. While it was just a playful encounter, her make-up artist and PR agent were excited on her behalf.

"Members of the crew took it in turns holding his hand and hugging him. I was embarrassed and joked I would go back to see him again. I was surprised a farang would show any interest in me. I am 30 and for all these years have fancied young Chinese Thai types. My specs are now starting to change as I realise farang are quite cute," she said.

"I look Chinese and thought farang would prefer someone darker, but perhaps the trend is changing," she added.

At 16, her admirer was still too young. But as for the future? "If I go back to Europe, I will have to eat at that restaurant again for sure," she joked.

Two years since she ended her last relationship, Bowie said she was not actively looking for anyone new. "I think people who are happy and single are the lucky ones. It's actually the life I prefer, though I can still have some lonely times," she said.