Teen’s account ‘littered with abuse’
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| Tiger |
The mother of a former child actor has complained to Technology Crime Suppression Division police after her son’s public appeal for sympathy with his plight as a struggling student drew online criticism.
Plairung Phitsanupoom, 55, whose teenage son Tanakorn, or “Tiger”, appeared in a television lakorn and movie as a youngster, went to police on Thursday after opening her son’s Instagram account and finding it littered with abuse, some from his school friends.
Earlier, Tiger, now 16, had published images in which he is working a second job to make ends meet. Tiger works part time at Chester’s Grill and posted images of himself looking ragged and worn, serving customers, washing dishes and carting out rubbish.
Mrs Plairung took the pictures so that Tiger could share them with a handful of friends on Instagram. They quickly spread on social media, drawing sympathy for his plight but also criticism from his classmates at the elite Satit Chulalongkorn School, who said he was disparaging its good name.
This is not the first time Tiger has gone before the media to seek help from the public. Six years ago, he and his mother appeared on television after news emerged he was reading poetry by a city bus stop to raise money to pay his school fees of 80,000 baht a term after his mother’s income as a flower garland seller was wiped out by the floods.
Tiger is recognised as a gifted student and has now passed exams for entry to Chulalongkorn University’s engineering faculty despite his young age. However, he worries about whether he will be able to pay his way at university.
While news of his plight moved some netizens to send him money, others, including his school mates, left webboard posts taking issue with his claims.
“As far as I can recall, no student has ever been forced to drop studies because he does not have enough money to pay fees, which are not as high as he claims anyway,” one wrote.
Chulalongkorn University said it pays needy students on scholarship 42,000 baht a school year, plus help with living expenses of 4-5,000 baht a month. Vice-chancellor Chaiyaporn Puprasert urged Tiger to claim the scholarship help.
Other critics were less charitable, saying Tiger earned poor grades and Satit Chula School took him under its wing even though he failed to pass the entry exam.
One student claimed he paid no fees at the school at all and, far from going without some meals as he claimed, was given free meals at school every day.
“Everyone knows Tiger as just another poor kid, nothing special. You have maligned the reputation of our school despite what it’s done for you. Are you game to come to school on Tuesday? Why don’t you just beg by the side of the road,” she wrote.
Mrs Plairung, who took Tiger with her to lay the police complaint and did a round of media interviews, said the comments were too much to bear.
“I would like to think kids at any other school would show sympathy towards his plight, but not here. The kids at his school are green with envy. He stands out and does well, so they target him for abuse. What kinds of friends are these?” she asked.
While police investigate, his mother’s remarks have prompted Tiger to offer an apology to the school.
“Satit Chula has gone out of its way to help me since I started there at primary level, with some teachers treating me better than their own relatives,” he said.
“I didn’t mean to damage its good name. My mother isn’t aware of all the facts but she is still my mother, so I wouldn’t want to call her a liar,” he said, admitting he would still like 20,000 to 30,000 baht to get on his feet.
Bubu threatens to sue critics
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| God, Bubu |
“If you attack me, I am entitled to attack you back,” Kamthorn “Bubu” Phonamkam wrote after one critic, expanding on the theme that he was a bad father, suggested he was also being kept by his famous wife.
“Open your eyes and read the news before you jump in to criticise,” he said. Bubu, who owns a seafood restaurant in Nonthaburi and a well-known tattoo shop on Khao San Road, insisted he was doing his bit for the relationship. He urged his critic to meet him at his restaurant and the two could sort out their differences. “Come, we’re waiting,” chimed in Tukky.
On the good news front, Bubu last week finally met his son, God, now 17, for the first time since Bubu deserted him and his mother two months after the child was born.
He posted pictures of the meeting in which God prostrated himself at Bubu’s lap. “Thanks to nature we didn’t have to communicate a great deal, we just understood each other,” he said. Tukky, who was present, took the images.
God and his mother earlier travelled from their native Chumpon province to Bangkok hoping to see Bubu after he spurned God on social media over New Year. He asked him for money on Facebook, but Bubu blocked him.
Through his manager, Bubu agreed to meet the lad but then declared he was too busy. Early last week he called the boy and they spoke on the phone. They finally met at his restaurant on Tuesday.
Mother and son’s public appeal through the media forced Bubu to admit he had the boy from a past failed relationship and had been sending him just 3,000 baht a month for the past five years.
God finished Mathayom 6 last year and wants to carry on studies as a photographer. After their meeting, Bubu said he would help pay for it.
God, meanwhile, apologised to his father for the negative coverage which followed the news that he was Bubu’s unwanted son.
The saga has led to raw emotions on both sides, with Tukky accused of trying to stop her husband from meeting God.
The Facebook site which aired God’s plight in the media, Maem Pho Dam, said a member of Tukky’s production team had called God’s mother, abusing her. The site’s admin, Queen, on Friday said Tukky had now been in touch with her and the two sides had cleared the air.
Actor slams nosy reporters
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| 'A', on the left |
Likay actor Chaiya “A” Mitchai has hit out at reporters digging into his private life after he reluctantly confirmed he has two adult children whose existence he had kept from the public.
A, who has pledged to take his family before the media on May 8, said he resented reporters digging into his household registration documents to find out who was living at his Ang Thong home. Reporters started prying after A initially declined to say if he had a family. “Am I a criminal? Did I kill someone?” he said last week as tears welled in his eyes.
A, who on successive days this month disclosed he has a daughter, Pornphatchanok “Pang” Somboon, 24, and son, Chutiphan “Champ” Somboon, 22, was forced to come forward after a reporter asked him about persistent rumours he had a secret family.
He said he didn’t want to keep the news from the public but did not see the need to share what was a private matter anyway.
He said both his children have performed likay with him on stage, and his long-term fans knew they were part of the same family. “I have tried to bring them into the open many times, but it never seemed right,” he said.
“Pang called me in tears. She was so pleased the day I disclosed she was my daughter. But she is not the only one happy with the news; the whole family is delighted, it’s like a mountain has been lifted off our chests.”
Reports say the children’s mother is A’s wife and manager, Kanladakorn Noiwat, or Noona-daeng Pojuna. She said her parents knew A’s parents and they met the first time when her mother took Noona to watch a young A perform. “Our eyes met and I felt we were destined to be together,” she said.
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