Min learns the ABCs of queuing
Actress Pechaya "Min" Wattanamontri says she feels hurt that Thais
would think she cut the queues outside the Grand Palace waiting to pay
respects to the late King.
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| Min |
Min ran into a social media storm last week after a netizen accused an actress, widely thought to be her, of seeking favourable treatment in the queues outside the palace late last month as Thais in their thousands lined up.
Netizens quickly pointed the finger at Min, who on the day of the incident admits she was lingering around the front of the queue before officials told her to go to the back. However, the actress insists she was merely giving away paper fans rather than trying to cut in.
Critics recalled a fuss in April when Min was embroiled in claims she dodged duty on 10 Hermes bags she bought in Singapore. Denying she asked for favourable treatment from Customs, she said bought only one bag back with her, and left the rest in Singapore.
On this occasion, Min said she was handing out fans and drinking water to the crowds with other stars in the Channel 7 stable, after earlier deciding against joining the queues at the Grand Palace herself.
"While I had initially hoped to join the crowds waiting to pay respects in the Dusit Maha Prasat Throne Hall, in the end I decided against, as many people from the provinces had travelled a long way to be there and should get the chance to go first. I joined the Channel 7 team handing out goods instead. I never attempted to join the queue, still less cut it," she said, adding the fuss had left her feeling dispirited.
Earlier, a netizen on Facebook said an actress attempted to cut the queues but was send back to the rear by officials. Undeterred, she tried to force her way back in again.
Later, a friend of Min's who accompanied the actress to the palace that day said the group arrived at 8am. Channel 7 organisers asked her to give away items at tent 40 in the south zone, which she did for 10 minutes.
They also asked officials if stars in the group could give away fans to the crowds in the queues just before mourners enter the palace door. An official gave them advice about where to go.
"Min gave away fans for 30 minutes and decided she had no chance of getting into the palace, so asked if she could give a wai at the palace wall and take a picture of the occasion. She didn't try to break into the queue. A function this important, no one can exploit connections to get in," her friend wrote.
"No one sent her to the back as claimed. They merely suggested she give away fans to people at the back of the queue rather than the front, as they had been waiting a while."
Min fainted in the heat at one point, when supporters offered her smelling salts and fanned the air around her to help the actress recover.
"It might have looked as if she had lost her cool with the crowds, but it wasn't so," her friend said. Min had recently returned from a work trip to Italy and China, and lacked rest.
The actress, who added she had sent money to support the volunteers at Sanam Luang, said she would try to go back, perhaps to offer a wai at the palace wall again, or join the queues snaking their way into the palace.
"Of course I feel dispirited, anyone in my position would feel the same. I turned up at the Grand Palace later than some Thais, as I had duties to perform overseas, but when I finally got here, I ran into this. When I think of our father I know he would not like to see Thais arguing in this way," she said, referring to the King. -
2. Director takes pity after drinking row
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| Poj |
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| Theippithak |
Poj declared on social media on Wednesday he wanted nothing more to do with Thep, a net idol whose career he'd help mould since he brought him into the industry, after he repeatedly flouted rules he had set down for his behaviour.
The director said Thep, who has scraggly dyed hair and often appears in white make-up and red lipstick, gets into trouble when he drinks. "He abuses people and turns aggressive. He also causes people bother. I forbid him from drinking, and he ignores me, so I now disavow him," he said.
Poj said Thep, from his movie Paad 888, hit the back of a taxi in a recent scrape, but refused to pay for the damage as agreed.
"The driver took pity on him and agreed Thep would pay 8,000 baht to fix the vehicle and the matter would go no further.
"However, Thep failed to pay bill. After two days, the driver laid a complaint with Phahon Yothin police. Later the driver turned up at Workpoint [studios] looking for Thep. The team gave him a contact number where they could find him, and the whole story came out," Poj said.
Poj said the accident was linked to Thep’s drinking. Early last month, media reports said Thep, a truck driver when he is not acting, admitted a charge of careless driving causing injury after he hit a motorcycle in Lat Phrao district.
The motorcyclist was injured when Thep tried to cut into a soi. Police inquiries found his Toyota Altis had no accident insurance, so the matter has gone to court.
After Poj's rejection, Thep, who went back to his home province of Lop Buri, said plaintively he was thinking of his life as a young man.
"I am not scared of hardship, but I don't know which way to go," he said.
Later, he added: "I am starting to regain my spirit. At least I have tom yum to eat. I won't die."
In the end, Poj took pity on his friend, sending his staff to pay the taxi driver. "I help him as one man to another, but haven't forgiven him," he said.
Later, Thep wrote saying he had called Poj and apologised, and the two had now made amends. "I promise to reform my ways, as I know how much Poj has helped me," he said. -
3. Actor hounds out bad drivers
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| Amp |
Amp took to social media to complain after taxis outside Siam Paragon department store refused to pick him up. "They park there, but refuse to pick up passengers, telling them to catch the skytrain instead," he said.
He was kept waiting so long a soldier in the area intervened, instructing him to get into a cab, as the driver was obliged to take him.
"But the taxi claimed he was out of gas, and had me get out in front of Central World. Worse, after I got out he turned back and joined the queue again," Amp grumbled.
"I don’t know why they enter the industry if they don’t want to pick up passengers. If there was an agency to bring this industry into line I would join it. Just seeing them gets my anger up."
Later, Amp posted details of the Transport Department’s hotline, and asked passengers to report errant drivers. He also offered the following advice: "Open the back door and tell them the destination. If they say they won't go, keep your cool. Take a look to see if they have a driver registration sign, if so take a picture.
"Go to the department’s website and post it, then call 1584 to alert them. Go on, give it a go."
Meanwhile, a security guard sprang into action at the Emporium department store on Thursday after a former Miss Maxim beauty contestant allegedly left a store wearing a black mourning dress without paying for the item.
The store owner says Nacharot "Tack" Ployplai, a 2010 Miss Maxim contestant, tried on a 9,500 baht dress at the store. She emerged from the changing cubicle wearing the item. She complained it was too small and asked for a bigger size.
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| Tack |
The store's management alerted security, who held her until police arrived.
Police, who released a mug shot of the black-clad model at the station, say Tack tested positive for drugs. She faces charges of theft and illegal drug use.
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