Wayward hi-so on ropes, Tik’s debt woes, Peck’s house rules

 ‘King Kong’ wants his revenge

Kae

Comic actor Rusameekae “Kae” Fagerlund has vowed to pursue an assault complaint against hi-so businessman Jirat “Champ” Petnunthawong after he glassed him at a Pattaya nightspot.

Champ, who has a history of trouble with the law, struck Kae in the face in a fit of jealousy on Sept 2 after he greeted a young woman who Champ had accompanied to the nightspot, model Raknapak “Namwan” Wongtanatat.

Witnesses say he fled without offering an apology, perhaps after realising that Kae, who trains in muay Thai and calls himself “Thai King Kong” was much bigger than him. Gone was his apparent concern for Namwan, his date for the night, who later offered an apology on Champ’s behalf.

Champ

“Champ misunderstood and thought Kae was hitting on his girlfriend,” one news report put it. “He also assumed Kae was straight.”

Kae, a Thai-American married to a Swedish man, greeted Namwan with a hug, which upset Champ. Namwan and Kae had worked together previously, Kae explained later, and he was offering a simple greeting.

Champ, best known for his public scrapes with his former wife and a long-running legal dispute over a failed New Year concert he launched in 2012, threw his drink in the actor’s face without warning and glassed him. The attack left Kae with a bloody nose and recurring headaches.

Kae said he tried to find who was responsible and record the incident on his phone, but security at the nightspot barred him.

While Champ later apologised for the incident, netizens have rounded on him for his poor behaviour, and Kae, while initially reluctant to take legal action, has now laid a police complaint.

Among the critics were Champ’s former wife, Nicole Patanapong, former runner-up in the Miss Maxim beauty pageant, who said Champ caused nothing but trouble for her family. “I hope you survive until your son is grown up and old enough to know how you are hated by half the country,” she said.

TV presenter Kanchai “Noom’’ Kamnerdploi added: “You get a fake hi-so name before your name and [think you can] hit anyone over the head, do you?” Outspoken DJ Paranyu “Tack” Rojanavudtitham, meanwhile, challenged Champ to a boxing match on the TV show 10 Fight 10.

In his apology on FB, Champ said he called Kae to say sorry and the pair agreed to meet for a meal. However, Kae said it was actually Namwan who apologised as Kae refused to talk to Champ.

“He should not be able to get away with a simple apology. My family are affected as well, as they are worried about me,” he said.

Kae said he has teenage nephews overseas. He also helps bring up a toddler nephew of his friend, DJ Sakuntala “Ton Horm’’ Teinpairoj, who accompanied him to offer support as he went before the media.

Further criticism for Champ followed when it emerged that he had transferred 2,486 baht to cover the cost of Kae’s hospital visit following the attack.

Businessman Anandadvip “Chai” Jayankura na Ayudhaya, whom Champ hired to promote the ill-fated Sydictive Element New Year party and concert in Phuket on New Year’s Eve in 2012, chimed in, suggesting Champ might like to pay a debt he was owed too.

Chai complained at the time he was underpaid, the concert was poorly organised and damaged his reputation as a promoter, which set off their row. Noting that Champ was quick off the mark to pay Kae’s hospital bill, right down to the last baht, Chai suggested Champ might like to pay outstanding damages of 2,760,886.24 which the Appeal Court awarded him in his dispute against Champ eight years ago.

“I think I have waited too long for you to foot the bill. Pay to the last baht, and we won’t complain,” he said, adding the hashtag #saveRusameekae which sprang up after the attack.

Meanwhile, Kae’s friend Ton Horm said Champ was fortunate to flee the scene when he did. “Kae was angry, so thanks for fleeing. If you hadn’t, no guard would have been able to restrain him.”

Champ’s millionaire family makes its money from hotels, asset management, and spare aircraft parts. As police announced they were preparing to call in Champ for questioning, Kae sounded a warning to the hot-tempered young man. “If you cannot control yourself in public you should stay at home and out of the public eye. You are a danger to society,” he said.

Noom gets sick of bail-outs

Noom

Actor Sornram “Noom” Theppitak has implored his wife to change her life after she admitted their marriage failed because she turned to online gambling and kept running up debt.

After Noom abruptly declared that he and actress Kanissarin “Tik” Patcharapakdeechot had quietly signed their divorce papers last January, Tik went before the media last week to tearfully admit it was all her fault.

She had entered their marriage with a pile of debt and carried on running up debts, forcing Noom to repeatedly bail her out. Her inability to keep up payments resulted in the seizure of a motorcycle, house and land.

In another case where she borrowed 200,000 baht from friends for an investment, she turned to online gambling to help her pay off the loan, only to end up owing twice the original amount. Once again, she turned to Noom for help.

He urged her to come clean but she carried holding back the extent of her problem, straining the marriage.

In June the couple narrowly dodged legal action after Tik agreed to sell to a city medical clinic imported sanitary face masks only to pull out of the deal after the government declared they were a price-controlled product. 

Tik

The nurse who ordered the masks complained of fraud after Tik failed to pay back her 900,000 baht deposit. Once again, Noom stumped up with the cash to get his ex-wife out of trouble.

Earlier, in January, Noom complained to police after someone withdrew 450,000 baht from his bank account without his consent. Tik now admits that was her.

In further revelations, Noom said his ex-wife also sold the gold items which their friends had bought for their young daughter when she was born, leaving just an empty locket.

“She even tried selling that, but I managed to get it back,” Noom said. Tik clarified that matter, saying she sold only a third of the 10 baht weight in gold, and had hidden the rest.

Pressed on whether she still owes money, Tik said she owed 400,000 baht to a well-wisher who lent it to her so she could buy 14 rai of land. Later in the week she admitted to a debt of 2.5-3.5 million baht. She apologised to all involved, saying she was willing to accept all criticism.

“It is fitting that I should lose the person I loved and my family, but I won’t make the same mistakes again,” she said in tears. Even if she had failed as a wife, she was still a good mum, she said.

Speaking to the media, Noom urged Tik to find a solid, reliable source of work. “Finally I hope she can come back and help look after our daughter. But at the moment she’s not in a state to do that.”

Stay clear of the big house

Peck

Businessman Sanchai “Peck” Engtrakul, husband of actress and TV presenter Tanyaret “Tanya” Engtrakul, has declared he will stick by his family after a veiled challenge by his young fling.

Tanya last week complained to the media about Ingnaphat “Ing Ing” Ophassirirath, saying she was overstepping the mark in declaring her feelings for Peck.

In a message to the couple’s young daughter Leeya, which Tanya made public, Ing Ing professed concern about Peck’s smoking habit, and urged the young girl to tell him to take better care of his health.

Ing Ing

Tanya said the young woman, who joined Peck’s firm on work experience three years ago, had visited their house accompanied by Peck.

“I asked if she wasn’t interested in marriage and Ing Ing said she enjoyed having older men look after her,” Tanya said. The actress said Ing Ing often criticised her on social media, as if to draw attention to herself, but the message to their daughter took her meddling to a new level.

Tanya said she knows what makes her husband happy and for the most part was willing to tolerate his indiscretions. Ing Ing, she said, was just one of his many admirers.

However, she expected him to keep his fanclub in line. In his case, Ing Ing was trying to stake a public claim to Peck, which she could not tolerate. “Don’t go meddling with the big house,” she said, referring to Ing Ing’s status as minor wife or admirer. “Take your share of the money and be happy with it. Don’t be greedy, as most of that must go to our daughter,” she said.

News reports said Ing Ing was a student and an online trader. She was also a presenter for a skin cream though the firm put a hold on the deal while the drama involving Tanya played out.

Tanya consulted celebrity lawyer Nitithorn “James” Kaewto about the saga. Peck, who keeps out of the public limelight, also spoke to lawyer James, who was able to help patch up the relationship.

Tanya

He declared on social media that husband and wife now saw eye to eye, and were prepared to bring the drama to an end for the sake of Leeya.

He posted a picture of him with Peck, who has a friendly hand on his shoulder.

“An elder I know told me he can’t put up with anyone fooling with the wife he respects. He knows it is better to look for pleasure in the thing he has rather than the things he lacks,” James said, referring to the hapless Ing Ing.

Ing Ing’s position looked increasingly untenable by week’s end. She initially complained that Tanya did not look credible, despite her seniority in years, but later apologised and conceded she had been too “fierce”.