The topless painting act performed by a female contestant during a talent show broadcast on national television on Sunday was a prearranged, paid-for stunt to draw attention to the show, according to the contestant's friend.
The woman, whose name was withheld, said on Tuesday that she was a close friend of the 23-year-old contestant, Duangjai "Pond" Jansaunoi, according to a report on the Thai Rath newspaper's website.
She said it was jad chak (prearranged, a setup).
Pond was paid 10,000 baht by the "Thailand's Got Talent" production team to perform the act during the audition.
"Pond told me that a staffer from Thailand's Got Talent contacted her and hired her for 10,000 baht. That person then told her not to do anything else and to wait for a car to pick her up and take her to the studio. There, she was told to paint with ther bare breasts to raise the ratings," she said.
Pond's friend said she wanted to expose the truth because she could not bear to see her friend being criticised so heavily in the media.
Pond is not an independent artist, as she was introduced on the TV show, but is a nude model who poses for artists and as been working honestly, she said.
"Pond is under a lot of stress because of the heavy criticism from society. Pond is now alone and doesn't want to speak to anyone, but she won't shed a tear because she's a strong woman."
Reports said people had checked the contestant's home address as it appeared on "Thailand's Got Talent" but her name was not shown at the actual address.
The show, broadcast on Channel 3 on Sunday, featured Pond, who introduced herself as an independent artist.
She turned to a large canvas and painted a yellow outline of a person, then removed her shirt and bra and doused herself with paint before using her body as a brush to fill in the outline. She then turned to the audience and displayed her body covered in paint.
The act drew heavy attention, with comments for and against her posted on social media websites. Culture Minister Sukumol Khunploem waded into the controversy, joining the chorus of disapproval. She said the airing of this performance was inappropriate and could have an affect on young viewers.
Panya Nirunkul, president of Workpoint Entertainment Plc, which produces "Thailand's Got Talent", insisted on Monday that the content aired was carefully censored.
He said producers were unaware that the contestant would disrobe but checked the appropriateness of the content before putting it on air. They decided to blur the image. Viewers could barely see anything due to the strict censoring of the contestant's breasts, he said.
Mr Panya said he was ready to provide a full explanation to the Culture Ministry, and denied intending to boost ratings by airing nudity.
The clip below, uploaded to YouTube by DuangAesthetic, shows the Thailand's Got Talent contestant removing her shirt and bra, pouring paint on her bare breasts and rubbing her body on the canvas.