Cop makes a name, stars avoid jail, Chompoo hopeful

Assistant takes surname of ex-top cop

Yuwared, Sant

The unmarried young woman who has taken the surname of former police chief Pol Gen Sant Sarutanond denies she is his second wife, and insists she is merely performing her "duty’’ in looking after him.

Yuwared "Red’’ Sarutanond, 31, said she now shares Pol Gen Sant’s royally bestowed surname, in common with his legal wife, because he wanted to reward her for the 13 years of service she had given as his personal assistant. 

The two are merely close friends, she said, scoffing at netizens’ claims the relationship is inappropriate.

"At first I wanted to turn it down, but owing to his kind nature, I decided to accept the offer (to share his surname even though they are not married). People can think what they like,’’ she said.

Asked about social media taunts that she had fallen into a vat of clover — Pol Gen Sant grew up with great wealth — she said a better way to describe it was a ‘’well of gold’’.

“Tan (a word for respected elders) wanted me to tell you that word came from him,’’ she said, referring to Pol Gen Sant.

Ms Yuwared regularly uploads to social media images of the pair on outings, social events and doing yoga workouts at his palatial home. She told reporters she performs a variety of services for him, everything from cutting his nails, tending to his business and dyeing his hair.

In one yoga workout pose, Pol Gen Sant, 72, is seated with his legs outstretched while Ms Yuwared, bending over backwards in an arc shape with her face towards him, almost meets his lips. One gossip rag asked: ‘‘Is this the kind of thing his wife has to put up with at home?’’ 

Ms Yuwared’s disclosure comes after Pol Gen Sant’s common law wife, Khunying Kerdsiri Sarutanond, 66, sent a letter to the media denying she had divorced Pol Gen Sant, and said any other woman claiming to be his wife was either an imposter or bigamist. 

Following his wife’s intervention, Pol Gen Sant also opened up about the surname controversy, telling a recent birthday gathering that Ms Yuwared had taken his surname legally.

In a video shared widely online, Pol Gen Sant is standing before a large cake with Ms Yuwared by his side. She is by turns burying her head fondly in his chest or hugging him as he gives a birthday speech.

Also present are business and political luminaries including Bhumjaithai Party head Chaovarat Chanweerakul; investor Pracha Hetrakul; and Deputy Prime Minister Wissanu Krea-ngam.

Pol Gen Sant tells the gathering it was harder than he thought to confer on Ms Yuwared his royally-bestowed name, as the two are not married or nor is Ms Yuwared his foster child.
However, he was confident he had pulled it off according to the law.

"It’s not a marriage registration, as I can’t double up on the one I have,’’ he said amid laughter, mainly from Ms Yuwared.

"Nor am I making her my foster daughter, as I would need my wife’s consent for that,’’ he joked.  His wife appears absent from the gathering.

"I am the only one left in my family with this surname, as no one survives from earlier generations,’’ he said.

"Getting the process formalised was really involved; there are many processes I had to follow, including about four meetings,’’ he added.

Reporters contacted Pol Gen Sant’s wife for comment. Her secretary said Khunying Kerdsiri was feeling better about the situation, but confirmed she had no plans to divorce Pol Gen Sant. He has many women close to him, not just the one, she added. -

2. TV hosts escape jail sentence

Jack, Woody

TV host Woody Milintachinda and co-host Chalermpol ‘‘Jack’’ Tikumpornteerawong have escaped with a suspended jail term for a defamatory interview stemming from a concert dispute four years ago.

The Appeal Court last week sentenced the pair to six months in jail, suspended for two years and told them to perform 12 hours of community service.  

Hi-so businessman Jirat “Champ” Petnunthawong, organiser of the ill-fated Sydictive Element New Year party and concert in Phuket on New Year’s Eve in 2012, sued the TV hosts and a businessman he hired to promote the event, Anandadvip “Chai” Jayankura na Ayuthaya.

Woody and his co-host invited Chai on the show after he fell out with Champ in a dispute over unpaid fees. In its decision, the Appeal Court sentenced Chai to one year, suspended for two years for his remarks. It said the TV hosts also defamed Champ as they presented one-sided coverage. 

Chai, who earlier laid a police complaint over the concert row, claimed he was underpaid, the concert was poorly organised and damaged his reputation as a promoter.

The case has see-sawed over the years with the courts awarding decisions to both sides as they sue and counter-sue. The Criminal Court in September sentenced Champ to a year in jail with no suspension for defaming Chai over the dispute. He is out on bail as he prepares an appeal.

The Appeal Court’s decision last week overturns a Criminal Court decision in March last year which sentenced Woody and Jack to one year in jail, without suspension, and Chai to three years, without suspension. -

3. Actress looking ahead after miscarriage

Chompoo

Actress Araya “Chompoo” Hargate and her husband are hoping for good news in the New Year after their earlier attempt to start a family failed when Chompoo miscarried.

The couple are now trying a second time to have children after losing their first unborn child a few months ago.

Chompoo, who married millionaire businessman Nott Witsarut last year, talked about her loss in an interview with last month’s Hamburger magazine.

She said she pulled out of a soap opera early last year after discovering she was pregnant, but later lost the unborn child to natural causes.

Speaking to reporters last week, Chompoo said she was feeling better and looking forward to starting again.

‘‘It’s up to fate and destiny, but we will try again in the New Year,’’ she said, adding she would like four children.

Nott said Chompoo found out she had lost the child after she returned from a trip to the Cannes film festival in May, where she models fashion for a high couture label.

The pair’s mothers, who are friends, also spoke to reporters. Waree Norkaew, Chompoo’s mother, said her daughter lost the child when she was two months’ pregnant.

"The doctor told her the foetus was abnormally small, and asked to see her again,’’ she said. "When she went back again, she discovered she had lost it.’’

Mrs Waree said Chompoo had quit working on TV soaps so she could focus on building up her strength. She was sending healthy food to her daughter, including vegetables and fish.

Uraiwan Rangsi Singpiphat, Nott’s mother, said she was looking forward to holding her grandchild, but would just have to wait. ‘‘We are being strong for them, as they both work hard,’’ she said.