Kao wants song scrubbed, Grab spurns sex, scam falls flat

 YouTube hit sparks row

Kao

A plucky teen singer has gone to court demanding that Thailand’s most popular YouTube hit be binned as his dispute with the music label behind it widens.

Kao Kreukphorn, 17, says he would rather the Intellectual Property Court order the country music hit, I Stopped Talking to Others in the District for You be scrapped than have his name associated with it any longer.

“I don’t want my face or voice to appear, helping them make a profit, so I would rather it was just taken down,” he said outside the court last week.

He wants the court to order the song and everything associated with it be deleted, including the music video. He was accompanied by celebrity lawyer Nitithorn “James” Kaewto, who said the court had called the next hearing for Nov 9.

Kao, who came to fame in the singing contest The Voice Kids Thailand, says he has yet to be paid his share of profits from the hit video, other than a 10,000 baht payment to cover costs. 

Talks with the music label behind it, Daimodthasodchuen, had failed to make progress.

Janey

Kao denied media reports that he was seeking damages of 3 million baht from the label or the young singer behind it, Ratchanok “Janey” Suwannaket, 25, who also wrote the song. His court action claims Janey and her label are exploiting his rights as a performer for their own gain, and have held back earnings which are rightfully his.

Lawyer James said he arrived at the 3 million baht figure in response to a journalist’s question about how much Kao might be able to claim. However, he said Janey had refused to open the music label’s accounts to show how much YouTube had paid out for the song, so Kao had not filed for civil damages.

“At the moment he just wants the song taken down. However, whether the two go back into talks is a matter for the future,” he said.

The music video has notched up 357 million views over the past 18 months, with Janey admitting in a Sept 24 interview that YouTube has paid out more than 4 million baht as her share of advertising revenue earned from the song.

Janey is said to have bought expensive cars and homes on the back of the song’s success. 

However, she was widely criticised earlier this year when reports came to light that she had given little of the proceeds to Kao, despite his co-starring role in the video.

The song is performed by Kao and Janey’s younger sister, Nareerat “Lilly” Chuealaem. The young woman plays a love-struck worker at a resort where Kao is staying as the guest.

Asked if he was sure about the step he was taking, Kao said: “I am not worried about the loss of over 350 million views. If she had spoken the truth from the start, none of this would have happened.” The young singer also denied reports he had spurned an offer of 1 million baht. 

James said he had heard the other side was prepared to pay 1 million baht but news of it emerged only after Kao had started his legal action.

“Earlier, an intermediary for Janey contacted me offering 300,000 baht as Kao’s share of the profits, later upping it to 500,000 baht,” he said.

“When I said Kao was unlikely to accept that amount, they asked me if the dispute would go away if they raised it further to 1 million baht.

“They said they would go back to Janey for further advice, but after that they went silent,” he said. After hearing nothing further, they went to court.

The lawyer said Kao’s mother had asked him to step in after the family’s approaches to Janey failed to make progress. When the song had reached 10 million views, an excited Kao called her to say how happy he was about the song’s success; however, hard-nosed Janey replied saying the song was not his but belonged to her sister Lilly.

“I also asked if I could make a male version of the song and upload it to my YouTube account, but she refused. I was disappointed, but decided she probably had the right,” Kao said.

Later, he asked Janey when she would pay him a share of the YouTube proceeds, but she shrugged it off. When the song had reached 100 million views, Kao’s father made contact, asking if she had forgotten about his son. Janie transferred a payment of 20,000 baht, which Kao returned, as he knew her heart was not in it.

Earlier, the family says, Janey assured his mother that she would look after him, but then reneged on their verbal agreement.

Kao initially turned down her offer to appear in the video, later relenting after the pair reunited on a TV show. However, he did not seek a contractual agreement covering his earnings, as no one expected it to be the huge success that it was. The video notched up more than 1 million views on the first day alone.

Kao’s family says Janey had offered him a 30-70 split, with Janey and her label taking the lion’s share, though Janey insists this arrangement was to apply only if Kao agreed to join the Nakhon Si Thammarat-based label as a performer in her stable. Kao, who since the song was made has moved to Bangkok, turned down her offer.

However, signs of a breakthrough have since emerged, with Janey telling an interviewer last week that if she was forced to choose between paying the young man his 30 per cent share and face the risk of the song being deleted, she would rather pay.

“At the moment we are waiting for court papers and gathering evidence. However, if I have to choose between paying 30 per cent and deleting the video, I would rather pay, because I don’t know if I can come up with another song which notches 350 million views in this lifetime.

“In my heart, I would like each of us to get an equal 1 million baht share and for the team who worked on the video to get the rest,” she added. The dispute continues.

Sex is off the menu

Propositioned for oral sex

A GrabBike rider is appealing to customers to stick to taxi services, after one customer called asking if he would perform oral sex instead.

A Facebook site last week posted a clip in which the Grab rider, identified as Mark, 25, is talking to the customer, who called on Sept 26 offering him 200 baht if he could perform fellatio on the driver.

Mark said he filmed the call to serve as evidence should his employer decide to penalise him for refusing the job. He said if the caller complained claiming he had turned down a job, his employer could act against him.

The Grab rider, who says he has worked for Grab for the past two years, said he was heading home to the Rama IX area when a call arrived at 1.48am on his phone app.

The customer asked for a motorcycle to be sent to his home in the Ramkamhaeng area. Later, he called Mark on the app, saying he didn’t need the motorcycle after all but would like Mark to turn up himself. He offered 200 baht, increasing that to 300 baht and finally 500 baht for oral sex after Mark demurred.

“I am a bit scared, as I have never done this before,” Mark tells the customer.

The man, who asks his age and other personal details, tells him not to worry as he had called out Grab drivers to perform the service before. “If you don’t mind, I might turn it down anyway,” Mark says finally, and their transaction ends.

He said it was the second time a customer had sounded him for sex. At the end of last year, he said, a drunken woman had hired him to take her back to her hotel.

“She held onto me tightly when she was on the back of the bike and when we arrived shoved money into my hand and tried to drag me into the hotel with her. I refused and drove away,” he said.

Mark said customers who contact Grab wanting drivers wanting them for sex make their lives difficult. “It’s a waste of our time, and could put our chances of getting work at risk,” he complained.

Farang romance scam redux

Manatchai

A young Thai has been nabbed for perpetrating a romance scam for which foreigners are better known, police said.

Consumer Protection Police last week arrested Manatchai Yaemsri, 20, in the Yannawa area on fraud charges. A second man, a friend of his who helped him hatch the scam, is also being sought but has fled the law. 

The warrant was issued by the Ang Thong district court on June 22 after the victim, Malissa (assumed name), 15, said he had conned out of a 40,000 baht payment supposedly for a gift which he had sent her from overseas.

Police say Mr Manatchai created a fake Facebook account in which he impersonated a foreigner working overseas. He chatted her up and close to her birthday offered to send Malissa a birthday present. 

Mr Manatchai sent a picture of a gold necklace and some US currency in a parcel. Some time later his friend called to say the parcel arrived but she would have to transfer 40,000 baht in postage fees. She fell for the bait and sent the money, but the parcel never arrived, and she was unable to contact Mr Manatchai again.

Malissa laid a complaint with Sam Kor police in Ang Thong. The court issued a warrant, and police tracked down Mr Manatchai to Yannawa where he was arrested. Media images showed police presenting the young man with a warrant.

Police have sounded their usual warning against youngsters falling in love on the internet with strangers.

It is unclear where Malissa found the sum of 40,000 baht or whether she had told her parents she was sending it.