Net hero's farewell, Sek's DNA riddle, ageing muso's asset grab

Net hero's farewell, Sek's DNA riddle, ageing muso's asset grab

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

Solo dad meets tragic end

A young man whose struggle as a single dad was embraced by netizens has died in a freak accident in Udon Thani, his life drawing praise from friends and family who recalled his memory at his funeral last week.

Chaloemkiad "Kho" Thipruecha, 23, died of head injuries on Jan 8 after coming off his motorcycle in central district and hitting the sidewalk eight days before. He is thought to have been speeding when he lost his balance.

Chaloemkiad 'Kho' Thipruecha

His death has shocked family, friends and netizens alike, after they followed his progress from typical teen, living a carefree life, to a hard-working single dad devoted to his young son, Nong Khaopun, now seven. His story was depicted in a Thai SBS documentary four years ago which propelled him to internet fame.

His mother, Kamphis, 67, said doctors, who had kept him alive temporarily with breathing equipment, asked if Kho would like to be an organ donor and after consulting family she agreed.

"He donated enough organs to extend another six lives," she said proudly from Wat Phothisomphon in Udon Thani, where his funeral rites were held.

Kho had a large fan following on the internet thanks to the TV documentary, Chiwit Jing Ying Kwa Lakorn, though as he acknowledged at the time, his story was far from unique.

At 17, he was studying trades and addicted to computer games, with few ideas about adult responsibility, when his girlfiend, Supanida "Milk" Bunsom, 14, fell pregnant with his child. Both families took turns helping the couple raise the child but the pressure of young parenthood grew too much for the couple, who argued and ultimately split up when Nong Khaopun was four.

Kho moved back to his mother's place where he took on the burden of single fatherhood, raising the child with her help. His own father had died and Kho realised he would need to carry on with his studies if he wanted to support the child.

Kho studied in the evenings and graduated with a diploma in motor mechanics, while his mother sold grocery goods from their shophouse home. The documentary shows Kho making the difficult transition from tearaway teen to responsible dad.

He would sleep with his young son, cook him meals, take him to school and pick him up again. He did the washing and other household jobs, and took the child out at weekends, leaving little free time for himself and friends. The little boy still saw his mother, but Kho and Milk were no longer close.

Kho said he felt odd doing the school round when he himself was so young, as most parents he met at the gate were adults. "They must have thought I was the boy's older brother," he said.

"Even after Milk was pregnant we still did not lay any plans for the future," he said, recalling their early time together. "I was still playing games outside maternity when Khaopun was born." They later married, though the union did not last. "No third hand was involved, but when we were together we didn't enjoy life as a couple any more," he said.

Milk's side of the family helped with Khaopun's school costs as they did not want to sever the bond completely. Kho grew into the role of single dad, taking his young son everywhere and bonding with him.

"I am sure no teen wants to be a dad. But when he arrived I really enjoyed his company and wanted to spend every day together, just like he was my girlfriend. I felt as if we could not be apart, and was always ready to change to be a better dad," he said.

In touching scenes at the funeral, social media images showed Khaopun making a beeline for Kho's casket to hold his father's hand. On the day of his cremation, he walked around the pavilion holding a framed photograph of his dad as he bade a final farewell.

Kho's mother, Ms Kamphis, said Khaopun is aware his father is dead, and starting to come to terms with his loss. She will take over the burden of raising the child. His former girlfriend, Milk, said she realised only after Kho had died that he still loved her and was waiting for the chance for them to reunite as a family. "I can see now that all the nagging was really because you were worried about me," she said.

Kan sees off challengers

Rocker Sek Loso's ex-wife is threatening to take his second wife, Paphada "Sandwich'' Chotikawanitch, to court to prove whether Sek is father to her young son Leon as she claims.

Wiphakorn "Kan" Sukpimai has fallen out with former Channel 7 actress Sandwich, months after they declared they were happy under the same roof jointly caring for the ailing rocker as he makes a comeback from bipolar disorder. Sek also has three children by Kan, his first wife.

Wiphakorn 'Kan' Sukpimai

In August last year, Kan and Sandwich teamed up to evict Sek's live-in partner, model Apisaya "Eve" Pattanaworasap, from the family home, with Kan declaring they would now be a family of seven -- Kan, her three kids, Sandwich, Leon and Sek. Kan and Sandwich were close for a time, with Kan talking about hiring her as her secretary. They have since fallen out, though Kan insists she is still willing to help raise Leon.

She is threatening legal action to force Sandwich to submit Leon to a DNA test to prove the child's paternity, while also seeking damages for emotional distress, and the 50,000 a month payments she claims Sek forked out for Sandwich's upkeep.

In October 2017, Sek came under fire when he asked his fans to welcome Leon, then aged three months, while admitting he had stopped seeing his mother, Sandwich, whom he met the year before, in favour of Eve, the 2009 Miss Maxim beauty contest runner-up. That relationship also failed to last, and Kan appears to have manoeuvred herself back into pole position as his spouse.

Critics say Kan's DNA row with Sandwich, in which the ex-actress has said little publicly, is simply a ruse designed to ensure Sandwich stays out of Sek's life. In a social media message bubbling over with hostility towards Sandwich, Kan last week asked her and Eve to leave their family alone.

"They claim they will move on, but also issue legal threats, and try to contact Sek. They carry on every day even though Sek has chosen me and the kids. Please leave our lives, and have some pity for us as a family," she said.

"The whole country is asking why are you being so vague about your own son. I feel sorry for the boy. This is terrible ... you are thinking only of yourself," she said, referring to the paternity row.

Paphada 'Sandwich' Chotikawanitch

Earlier, Sandwich's father complained on social media that Sek had acknowledged his paternity when the child was born, after both he and Leon had their blood tested. He asked Kan not to meddle in their lives and vowed they would raise the child alone.

Kan responded that Sek was obliged to sign the child's birth papers at the hospital as it was the manly thing to do. He had told Sek to come to terms with the fact the real dad is probably someone else.

"You and Sek had sex a couple of times at most and wore protection. Do you fall pregnant that fast?" she asked Sandwich via social media.

Sek, Kan claimed, had also asked Sandwich to get the boy's DNA tested, but she has refused. Sek, however, has stayed out of the row.

Meanwhile, the rocker's oldest son, Sua, who has taken on the role of Sek's manager, says the row is stressing him out so much, at times he no longer wants to be on this earth. He was getting abusive messages aimed at his mother even though he was not involved. The drama continues.

Young flesh conquers all

Thai national artist Chonlathee Thanthong has renewed plans to seek a divorce from his wife of 27 years, teacher Siriwimol "Poom" Thongma, 53, after he started a relationship with a woman 52 years his junior.

Chonlathee Thanthong

Poom turned up at the Kanchanburi Family Court last week to reveal Chonlathee, 82, had sent her legal papers on Oct 31 last year in which he sought civil action laying claim to all their marital assets including the house, land, and copyright to his music which she holds at their home.

She was shocked to get the papers as he had abandoned an attempt to divorce her only last July, when he came under fire on social media after admitting he has a live-in partner, Ruksakun "Kade" Jaengprasong, 30. While insisting they were together merely as "teacher and pupil", and he had no plans to remarry, he also admitted he hadn't spoken to his wife since he left their marital home in May the previous year.

He originally threatened to dish the dirt on their troubled union in which he claimed Poom assaulted him and belittled his ancestors. After a five-hour conciliation meeting he scrapped the divorce plans, though declined to say whether he would go back to Poom.

Siriwimol 'Poom' Thongma

Poom said last week Chonlathee was still living with Kade, and refusing to return home. She dangled a set of house keys before the cameras, saying they were still hanging in their usual place should he change his mind. Chonlathee sent his lawyer to withdraw the civil suit, and replace it with papers in which he seeks a divorce and pursues the civil claims at the same time. Unbowed, Poom said she wanted to keep their family assets for the couple's two children, and would counter-sue Kade for putting her in this position.

"I am now laying claim to the assets he has taken with him to live with this woman. I want him to come back and live with me and the two kids," she said. The drama continues.

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