Trashing reputations for free
The former girlfriend of a teenage TV star who claimed he made her pregnant but wouldn't go public about it now admits she made up the whole saga, but has nothing more to offer than an apology for damaging his reputation.
Sawaphat "Mynx" Soonthornan, 23, last week admitted what she said the public had long suspected, that she had lied when she claimed her ex-boyfriend, Cholatorn "Captain" Kongyingyong, from the TV series Love Sick, had made her pregnant.
After weeks of see-sawing action in the drama, the pair came face to face at the Criminal Court in Ratchadapisek Road last week for the first hearing in a defamation action which Captain took against Mynx, after she declared in July that she had miscarried.
"I came out and said what most people probably understand, that I made up the story about the pregnancy," Mynx told reporters after a conciliation meeting at the court elicited her apology. In return, Captain agreed to withdraw his legal action.
"I did it because I love him. I was bound up with him emotionally in many ways and it came along at a time when I didn't want to lose him. I would like to say sorry to everyone for causing them bother as a result of my emotions of the moment. I came here today to apologise because I feel guilty about what I did," she added.
"I thought it might make him come back to love me. But I realise now this wasn't so. Once I started lying I knew I would have to keep doing it, but I never thought from the outset that this saga would be such a big thing."
The saga started in June when Mynx severed ties with Captain as her family accused the young actor of refusing to take responsibility. Captain eventually admitted the child was his, even though Mynx had yet to present any conclusive evidence she was pregnant.
While public sympathy initially swung behind Mynx, netizens started to suspect she was lying, even coining a popular hashtag on Twitter, Mynx Po Taek, which suggested she had fibbed and been caught out. The pressure culminated in her declaration in late July that she had "miscarried" -- a full month after she said it occurred.
Earlier, Mynx admitted she had asked a pregnant friend for a urine sample to present to doctors, though she denied this was intended to deceive them into certifying her as pregnant. In another bizarre twist, Mynx, wearing a surgical face mask to disguise her identity, was seen accompanying her mother to a private hospital, supposedly to sign up for pre-natal care, even though she knew she was not really pregnant.
She claimed that doctors declined, as she was not yet three months into term.
Later she declared she had indeed signed up for care, and even posted an image of herself appearing to carry a small baby bump. She also posted images of her pregnancy testing kit, though refused repeated demands to post blood test results or an ultrasound scan.
In the wake of her apology, netizens have hammered her on social media, with some delighting in resurrecting scathing remarks she made to defend herself. They include: "What kind of human being would take herself before the entire country and say she was pregnant if she wasn't?"
Reporters noted Mynx has been busy posting product reviews on social media, which raised questions whether consumers could trust her "reviews" if she was such an accomplished liar. Mynx, who had maintained a steady composure throughout, stammered through her reply, as her father, who was present next to her on the courthouse steps, abruptly tried to pull her away.
"The case is at an end and I don't have to pay damages. I will just have to meet people in the eye," she said.
Captain said he was relieved to get the confession, and thanked the public for sticking by him.
"I came to court today because I needed to find out the truth. She says she did it out of love. I am not angry, as everyone has his or her reasons for doing things," he said.
Random attacker on loose again
Piyada 'Biw' Piyachot
A comedian's daughter who was attacked in the street by a woman with a psychiatric history is appalled that the culprit has since escaped hospital and is now roaming the streets free.
Piyada "Biw" Piyachot on Thursday shared a clip and images showing the woman, who has not been named, strolling about a market in Prachin Buri. It comes days after the woman was caught on CCTV attacking Biw near the Ratchathewi intersection in Phaya Thai in broad daylight.
Biw was checking her phone as she walked along the street on July 31, about to call a friend for lunch, when the woman walked up to her and punched her in the face. Biw, who managed to stay upright, said she asked why the woman hit her, to which her aggressor replied: "Because you're my enemy." Later the woman offered a variety of excuses for the attack, including that Biw had stolen her boyfriend. Biw insists they have never met.
The footage shows the woman trying to flee, but Biw grabbed her arm. Her attacker then grabs Biw by the hair and the pair start tussling in the street. Biw said she was able to call for help from a condo security guard and alerted police.
"All I could think to do was to call the police, as a social danger like her shouldn't be walking the streets. If she had been carrying a knife I could have died," Biw said.
Biw, who sustained bruising to her head from the attack, said netizens had asked why she did not do more to defend herself. However, she could tell her aggressor was unhinged so did not want to inflict harm.
The young woman and her comedian father, Nong Chernyim, appealed to the woman's relatives to take her for treatment. Police, who confirm the woman has a psychiatric history, say they initially took her to Somdej Chao Phraya Hospital. They had trouble finding relatives willing to take her, though an elder sister eventually came forward.
Biw said: "Police say she has an extensive history of snatching people's belongings, running after people with a knife, assault, threatening to kill, arguing with family. She likes to carry a knife and once stabbed her dad.
"She is also a drug taker, hallucinates, and thinks people are after her. She has been treated for her condition but the doctor told her she was better and let her go home. However, she escapes," she added.
Nong said his family does not plan laying assault charges. However, he sought legal advice from anyone in a position to help, saying he was not sure how such cases normally end up.
"She might be mad, but is still able to use Facebook. She had an ID card made on July 20, but I am not sure if she had someone do it for her or if she was able to do itself. However, she carries a card saying she is a psychiatric patient," he said.
On Thursday, Biw updated the saga, posting images of the woman taken by a concerned netizen at the Plaza @ 34 in Prachin Buri. The clip, taken at night, shows the woman wandering from stall to stall, though she does not attack anyone.
Biw said she learned the woman had escaped from hospital. "It's that easy! So my contacting the police, getting her taken into care, was all for nothing? She's now made it to Prachin Buri! Please tell her relatives to go and catch her," she said.
Rocker's coming comeback
Sek Loso
Rocker Sek Loso's former wife, Wiphakorn "Kan" Sukpimai, is taking bookings for his next concert even though the ailing rocker, who is being treated for bipolar disorder, has yet to be released from hospital.
Kan, who has been visiting Sek in hospital, last week flouted hospital rules to post a hand-written note from her ex-husband in which he offers words of comfort after a recent drugs drama in her family, and asks her to help get his career back on the road. Kan's younger brother, Dech, was nabbed with the drug "ice" in his possession last month.
Kan admitted she broke the rules in posting the note, as it could be seen as breaching the patient's privacy. She said his doctors had ticked her off and she promised not to do it again. However, she insists he wrote it willingly and denies she is trying to make money in his name while his back is turned. "I am
Wiphakorn 'Kan' Sukpimai
merely worried about his fate and want to help get his life back on track. Most of all, I want him to go back to being a responsible father to our three children," she wrote in response to claims she was cashing in on his fame.
Kan, who runs a music label, said she used to arrange concerts for her ex-husband in better days, and at one point was raising 10 million baht a month for him. She says that since he fell ill in January, he has not taken on work, and his maintenance payments for their children have dried up.
Sek is being treated at Srithanya Hospital where he was admitted last month after a marathon Facebook live session sparked concerns he was going off the rails. Kan said Sek is on the mend, though she admitted doctors have not given a date when he will be released. "Even after he gets home he will have to spend two to three months recovering," she said. Meanwhile, Sek is likely to perform his first gig in Samut Prakan after Kan accepted payment from a nightspot owner there. He responded to the social media ad seeking bookings on Sek's behalf.
