Actress Jessaya "Aim" Wiangkate, above, says six suspects charged with extorting money from her are adding insult to injury by claiming she was involved in selling illicit drugs.
Aim asked to clear her name before police last week after the extortion complaint she earlier brought against a gang of six, including two policemen, took an unexpected turn.
Aim laid a complaint on Feb 8, alleging they forced her to hand over gold and cash totalling 240,000 baht at her condo on Jan 31. The actress says they turned up at her condo in Wang Thonglang district claiming they were investigating reports that she and her friends were gambling and taking drugs.
She let them into her condo, where she says the visitors robbed her.
The suspects handed themselves in over several days last week after Aim laid her complaint. They include two policemen, identified as Pol Sen Sgt Maj Phaiboon Yuenyan, of the Crime Suppression Division; and Pol Sen Sgt Maj Weerarit Duansoong, 42, of Pak Kret police station.
Police say suspect Pol Sen Sgt Maj Weerarit told them his friend Pol Sen Sgt Maj Phaiboon made contact asking if he would help with a drugs bust.
He knew they were about to raid the condo of an actress, but he didn't know her name.
"We met Aim downstairs, searched her and found one gramme of crystal methamphetamine. She took us back to her room where we extracted the gold and cash," he is alleged to have said.
The suspects allegedly took the gold to Ayutthaya to sell it, and split the proceeds.
Among the last of the suspects to hand herself in was a tomboy identified as Wareerat "Aof" Sengprasert, 28, who in remarks to police also alleged Aim was involved in drugs.
"Just because she's an actress doesn't give her the only right to have a say," she said.
"The truth is the truth. She sells ya ba from morning to night. When we arrived at the condo she came down to sell us drugs. We have posed as drug buyers three times. She sold them to us twice, and a friend of hers on the other occasion.
"Her boyfriend is in Khao Bin prison; his number is in my phone," she allegedly told police.
On Wednesday, Aim returned to the police station to give evidence clearing her name.
"I am not involved in drugs, and am planning to sue the suspects for claiming I am," she said. She also denied having a boyfriend in jail linked to drugs.
Aim says she spoke to Aof in the days following the robbery, as she suspected Aof might have been involved. She did not know Aof, but a friend of hers did.
She recorded a telephone conversation with Aof, which she presented to police.
In the recording, the woman identified as Aof admits she introduced the gang to Aim after herself falling victim to a shakedown attempt linked to drugs.
Officers allegedly involved in the Aim affair had earlier tried to extort money from Aof over her own supposed involvement in drugs.
"They asked me for 100,000 baht. I said I didn't have it. They asked me if I knew anyone who did. I said I knew an actress who sold drugs," Aof is said to have told Aim.
The suspects have been charged and released on bail. Aim said she is concerned about her safety, and is in hiding.
Reunited with her handbags at last
Actress and former model Sujira "Nui" Arunpipat has recovered two Chanel handbags stolen from her Mercedes in a smash and grab raid on Feb 4.
Sujira ‘Nui’ Arunpipat.
Police have rounded up a gang of four after a good citizen identified the alleged culprits who broke into her car parked outside her Lat Phrao home. They took an iPhone and the two handbags, valued at 200,000 baht.
A caller said he recognised one of the two men who broke into her car. He contacted Chokchai police after they offered a 50,000 baht reward.
Security camera footage showed two youngsters on a motorbike broke into her white Mercedes as it was parked outside her home in Sananikom Road. The theft took less than a minute.
The caller said the young men were part of a gang in Suan Luang that steals valuables to feed their drug habit.
The gang operates in Wang Thonglang, Chok Chai, Hua Mak, Min Buri and Prawet.
Chok Chai police contacted their counterparts in Hua Mak, and after lying in wait outside the gang's home for two days, raided the place.
Four youngsters were found inside taking drugs. The gang leader, identified only as "Not", managed to escape with Nui's iPhone.
Announcing their arrest, Chok Chai police said the gang had broken into cars to steal the valuables left inside by unsuspecting motorists on at least 20 occasions.
Welcoming the arrests, Nui said she would have to be more careful about where she left her belongings.
Wasn't he sleeping on the couch?
Actress Bongkot "Tak" Khongmalai admits she is two months pregnant, as she and her fiancee, billionaire Dtac founder Boonchai Bencharongkul, prepare to marry next month.
Tak said last week she was excited about the prospect of bringing a child into the world, as she didn't think he would arrive so fast.
She had entrusted her pregnancy to Bumrungrad Hospital doctors who have advised Tak to take care of herself.
"I'm arguing with Phi Boonchai often, as I'm starting to suffer mood swings. I want to eat spicy food, but he's forbidden it, as he's worried about the effect it might have on our child," she said.
Tak has pulled out of a soap opera she was making, even though many scenes have already been shot. Mr Boonchai paid the producers two million baht to help compensate them for the financial loss of having to ditch the footage and find a new lead actress to replace Tak.
Mr Boonchai, who has five adult children from his previous marriages, said he was looking forward to being a dad again. "My other kids have grown up, so it feels a bit strange. I have wanted an heir since last year, but thought that might have been too fast.
"No one in my family has entered the monkhood. If I have a boy and he shows an interest in that direction, I would like to pass on the Buddhist religion to him," he said.
Boonchai Bencharongkul and Bongkot ‘Tak’ Khongmalai.
