Look, he's real!
Savika ‘Pinky’ Chaiyadej and Paul Michio.
Actress Savika ''Pinky'' Chaiyadej has rushed her new boyfriend before the public after critics suggested her most recent love interest was a figment of her imagination.
Pinky took American-Japanese businessman Paul Michio before reporters at the 4th Nataraja industry awards in Bangkok last week.
While Pinky insisted they were still getting to know each other as friends, she said she would be happy to accept the title ''girlfriend'' if Paul wanted to bestow it on her.
''We're seeing each other 100%,'' joked New-York-based Paul, who is involved in computers.
Last month Pinky revealed she had stopped talking to her most recent love, a mystery Hong Kong businessman called Jason.
Pinky drip-fed to the media details of her online conversations with Jason, a supposed hotel entrepreneur, for months, but without giving his full name, or any other particulars that could identify him.
She now says she knows Jason was not the man for her, but denies trying to hoodwink the public.
The doe-eyed actress is still repairing her image after her fling a couple of years ago with married businessman Peck Sunchai.
Critics asked if she had made up the Jason story to distract the public's attention. Unkind journalists still throw her questions about supposed sightings between herself and Peck, which she denies.
Peck is married to actress Tanyaret ''Tanya'' Engtrakul, who embarrassed Pinky at the Nataraja awards by referring obliquely to her husband's affair.
Tanya took a best supporting actress award for her portrayal of Nopnapa, a woman crazed by her unfaithful husband in the Channel 3 soap, Rang Ngao.
''I just want to thank my husband for helping me reach the emotions of the character,'' Tanya told the audience.
Asked later about Pinky choosing the awards as the occasion to go public with her new friend Paul, Tanya said archly: ''It's what you would call stealing the scene''.
Pinky said she knew it was time to move on from Jason.
''Well, if he's not the right one, he's not the right one,'' she said. ''I feel as if Paul gives me total encouragement. I told Paul we are just friends, but in the future we could be more.
''It's all happened very fast. We have known each other for three years, but until recently didn't talk much as I was busy with work. We met just once a year.
''It turns out Paul was ready to get to know me. When I felt as if I had no one, I opened up to him, and he decided to come to Thailand.
''He turned up in Bangkok and we decided to go out together straight away.''
Paul, who barely looked at Pinky as she spoke at length to reporters, said he enjoyed being with her. ''I feel happy,'' he said simply.
Kelly's dad dilemma ends
Actor Rattapong ''Kelly'' Thanapat has abandoned his dispute with the father of his girlfriend, actress Atsadaporn ''Green'' Siriwattanakul.
Rattapong ‘Kelly’ Thanapat and Atsadaporn ‘Green’ Siriwattanakul.
Kelly last week withdrew a defamation suit he had laid with a Bangkok court against Green's father Chatrirath, who had asked the couple to cool their relationship until Green finishes studying.
Earlier, he visited Green's family to apologise for causing them bother.
Kelly decided to sue Mr Chatrirath after he sent a series of legal letters to Kelly's employer, Channel 7, asking his bosses to intervene in their personal dispute.
The court had set the first hearing for Monday, but Kelly said he decided to call it off after reaching an understanding with Green's parents.
''I should say at the outset that I respect Green's father and never set out to cause any misunderstandings or problems with Green's family,'' he said.
''I agree that Green should finish her studies first and that there is need to concern ourselves yet with the status of our relationship. I respect that decision, as we've always seen each other within boundaries.''
The next day, Kelly, Green and her mother went before reporters to discuss the dispute. Later that night, Kelly took the pair to the opening of an animated film in which he and Green supplied the narration. They invited reporters along.
Kelly's mum, who shed a tear as she spoke to journalists, said Green was caught in the middle of the row, and her public standing had suffered.
''It was painful watching the public round on Green for siding with Kelly over her own family and being an ungrateful daughter. Really, she's not like that. She loves her family very much,'' she said. ''They can still see each other if they like.''
Green said Kelly and her father had buried the hatchet, and her family would move on.
''I would like to apologise to mum and dad. This is a lesson for me,'' she said.
I'll stick with the pachyderms
DJ Paranyu ''Tack'' Rojanavudtitham is shrugging off a model's plans to sue him for defamation, saying he would rather spend his time helping elephants.
Paranyu ‘Tack’ Rojanavudtitham.
Wild man Tack says elephants get a raw deal despite being a national icon.
Known for his ornate body art and stripping off in fashion magazines whenever he gets the chance, Tack posted a picture of himself on Instagram last week wearing a large elephant tattoo on his back.
''I went into a tattoo shop and designed a graphic. I am also working on the block print for a series of T-shirts, featuring an elephant set against the national flag,'' he said.
''I will sell them and donate the proceeds to a foundation which cares for the beasts.''
Tack said he was unhappy to find on a recent visit to Chiang Mai, home of Lin Ping the Chinese panda, that locals are daubing paint on elephants to make them look like so-called ''elephant pandas''.
He was also upset to find a sign at the foot of an escalator appealing for donations to help save elephants.
''I didn't want to get on that escalator. Have things really come to this? Their plight is terrible,'' he said.
Model Omsawan ''Amie'' Sirikittirat has announced she is suing Tack for defamation after he accused her of trying to make a name for herself at his expense.
Amie earlier told journalists she had slept with 10 celebrities. Reporters linked her to Tack, who admits they met on a TV show once, but denies it went any further.
He advised her against trying to leech off others' fame. Amie says she will now sue him for one million baht.
Asked about the dispute, Tack said his posts about Amie stopped ages ago: ''I put up one picture. None of the other images were related to her, including the one of the shoe,'' he said.
''As for the picture of the middle finger raised in the air, that wasn't my finger. I liked the image, so put it up for show.
''I don't see why I should say sorry, as I have done nothing wrong.
''If you are in this industry, you have to be tough and resilient to criticism.''
Amie has laid a complaint with Lat Phrao police. Tack said he has yet to hear from anyone.
Aof's one million baht 'oops'
Singer Pongsak ''Aof'' Rattanaphong is seeking to recover his injured pride as he prepares to sue a former boyfriend who he says swindled him of one million baht.
Pongsak ‘Aof’ Rattanaphong.
Grammy performer Aof said last week he had changed his mind about pursuing action against the man, after earlier saying he had no plan to sue.
In April, Aof took the wraps off a poorly kept secret and declared he was gay. He said he was seeing someone, and showed off a ring that his admirer had given him.
A month later, Aof said he had ended the pairing after discovering the man for whose sake he came out of the closet had charged up unauthorised spending on his credit card.
Explaining his decision to take legal action, Aof said Thais are too quick to judge the victim in fraud cases.
''Before, when I saw stories about people being defrauded, I would react the same way. I asked how the victim could let it happen,'' he said.
''But now that I have experienced it myself, I know it can happen to anyone.''
His family and friends were shocked to hear he had been ripped off, and agreed he was too trusting.
''Mum and dad were angrier with me than the guy who stole from me. They said, 'How come you didn't see it coming?'''
''But they are behind me now.''
