Wedded blitz, Storm in a D-Cup, Boxers tell the story, Grand view slated

Wedded blitz, Storm in a D-Cup, Boxers tell the story, Grand view slated

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

Hostile reception

Chonsawat ‘Ae’ and Janie Asavahame.

Actress and model Janie Tienphosuwan's marriage to millionaire businessman Chonsawat "Ae" Asavahame appears to have gone down poorly with the public.

The couple's news they have registered their marriage after a furtive five-month romance upset members of her fanclub, crime-fighters and politicians alike.

Janie appears to have told few but her closest friends and family they planned to marry, though speculation was mounting that the pair were seeing each other.

Mr Chonsawat, chairman of the Samut Prakan Provincial Administrative Organisation and a motor racer, had dropped her at the set of her TV soaps, while Janie had published pictures of herself on Instagram in which she appeared to be sharing her bed with a man.

On Thursday, when the couple finally invited the media to the Asavahame family pile in Samut Prakan, the public _ hoping for a dose of celebrity fantasy and distraction from the country's political woes _ were intrigued.

Excited Thais crowded around the office TV as the couple announced that, two hours before, they had signed their marriage papers.

TV footage lingered over the sprawling family mansion, complete with a bubbling fountain, tarpaulins on the front lawn and giveaways for reporters.

"I like Janie because she's cute and she's the person I can happily sleep with every night," Mr Chonsawat said.

Janie said she wanted to apologise for not speaking out about the relationship earlier.

"Other people may see Ae as a different person than I do. I think he is a warm, calm and discreet person, and we'll see how it goes," she said.

The fairytale setting was not enough to detract from the criticism which Janie and Mr Chonsawat knew would follow their hasty union.

Mr Chonsawat held up a medical document showing that Janie, contrary to what some cynics might have thought, was not pregnant before marriage.

He said he hasn't lived in the same home as his former wife, renowned singer Nantida Kaewbuasai, for 10 years, though he admitted he had asked Janie to keep their relationship secret until he had time to tell her.

Nantida is on holiday with the couple's teenage daughter in the United States.

Mr Chonsawat's father is former deputy interior minister Vatana Asavahame, who is on the run from a corruption conviction.

Janie appeared recently in a family photograph with Vatana, thought to have been taken in Hong Kong. If she was embarrassed to be pictured alongside a fugitive sentenced to 10 years' jail for plundering the public purse, she didn't show it.

The Department of Special Investigation, which has taken an interest in the picture, says it will call in the couple for questioning.

Few of Janie's closest friends have come forward to pass on their best wishes. Many entertainers preferred to throw their support behind Nantida, who often tells the media she still loves Mr Chonsawat.

Some politicians are openly grumbling the public obsession with Janie's marriage all but drowned out news of the amnesty debate in parliament.

As fights broke out on Janie's fanclub pages, bemused news outlets did their best to fan the flames.

One website published catty reports pointing to similarities between black evening gowns worn by Janie and Nantida, and the fact that Janie appears to have closed her Instagram account in favour of one in which she now adopts her husband's surname.

Janie has yet to comment on reaction to her news.

Bra ad takes a twist

Even a Thai man can achieve a cleavage if he really wants one, the Wacoal brand suggests in a bra advertisement which has gone viral on the internet.

In the ad, a young woman undresses slowly and takes off her make-up as she cavorts around her bedroom.

The ad lingers on her cleavage as she takes off her shirt. The fake eyelashes and make-up come off next, followed by a wig.

Finally, the youngster takes off her bra to reveal that "she" is actually a man with a well-ripped, muscular body.

The ad keeps viewers thinking it is a woman undressing until the closing seconds, when the young man reveals himself bare-chested and raises his eyebrow to the camera. The message is that the mood boost-up bra, as it is known, can do wonders for a non-existent cleavage.

At the time of writing, the ad has racked up almost 6 million YouTube visits. The campaign has also spawned a behind-the-scenes video in which the young model poses for the camera. "Do I need to shave under my arms as well?" he asks his make-up crew.

"I'm a real man [straight]," the baby-faced model says for the benefit of the clip's viewers, should anyone be in any doubt.

Viewers are impressed with the ad. "It could only be Thai," one enthused. "They do the transvestite thing so well."

Actress given dressing down

Superstar Jirayu "James" Tangsrisuk has apologised for making an actress cry after he turned down her request for a fan photograph.

Jirayu ‘James’ Tangsrisuk, left, and Sujira ‘NuI’ Arunpipat, right.

Actress and former model Sujira "Nui" Arunpipat cried before reporters last week as she recalled the savage way the young star's fans had treated her when news of the "boxer shorts" incident first emerged.

Days before, Nui admitted she was embarrassed after James, who sprang to overnight fame in the soap Supap Buruth Jutathep, declined to pose for the picture, as he was in a state of near-undress.

Nui asked the young man to pose backstage at a promotional event for the 7-Eleven convenience store chain in which she was MC, and James himself the presenter.

Nui said she was easy-going by nature, and didn't hold any grudges. She admitted suffering a loss of "self", but said it was just one of those things.

James' fans rounded on her, however, accusing Nui of attempting to latch on to his fame.

James said Nui asked him for the picture while they were waiting to go on stage.

"I was wearing only a pair of boxer shorts, as I had just sent away my trousers to be refitted," he said.

"When Nui asked if I could pose for the picture, I opened the blanket I had draped over my legs and showed her I was wearing just a pair of boxers," he said.

"I didn't want to pose for a picture, as it would look impolite," he said. "People might see the picture with Nui in which I am wearing almost nothing and think ill of her."

James denied he was growing aloof, and said he was always willing to take direction from his seniors.

Nui, who is still reeling after her savaging by James' fans, said she had never encountered such an incident in her 10 years in the industry.

"As entertainers, we're supposed to pose for pictures when our fans ask, as a show of appreciation, no matter how we might be feeling on the day," she said in tears. "I wanted it as a mere memento. I really didn't him to pose him for a picture that badly."

Thaksin post triggers online storm

A young actress and singer has made a dramatic climb-down after her anti-Thaksin rant was criticised on the internet.

Panwarot "Grand" Duaysianklao has apologised for an Aug 5 tweet in which she urged former prime minister Thaksin Shinawatra not to return to Thailand.

Panwarot ‘Grand’ Duaysianklao.

"We have given our lives, sacrificed everything until there is now nothing left to give. What more do you want?" she wrote.

"This country of ours has endured bad things for years, beyond the point where we can forgive you. Don't set foot on this land again. Don't you have enough?

"You have caused this land of ours so much trouble. You want to destroy us forever, right? Have you forgotten whose land this is?"

Grand ended her message saying, "I love the King."

While her comments drew some praise for their outspokenness, many netizens resented her attempt to link politics with the monarch, and said she should keep her views to herself.

Several days later, Grand said she now regrets the remarks and claims she didn't mean to take anyone's side. She has deleted the offending tweet.

"I have to say sorry from my heart. Owing to the impulse of the moment, I did not consider the matter carefully, and lost it. The main thing I want to say is that I do not side with anyone. I just love the King," she said.

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