Rapper out of moves, Ying Yae's Korea joke falls flat, Songkran in more trouble

Rapper out of moves, Ying Yae's Korea joke falls flat, Songkran in more trouble

TJ demands answers over post

SOCIAL & LIFESTYLE

A young woman put up a spirited defence when a tattoo-clad rapper turned up at her shop demanding to know why she wrote a social media post criticising him.

TJ Jirayuth

Chanok "Pla" Saisakul has alerted Pathum Wan police after rapper TJ Jirayuth, or UrBoyTJ, turned up at her clothes shop in Siam on Wednesday in what she said was a threatening and unpleasant manner.

TJ turned up after she left a post at a celebrity gossip site. The post said TJ liked to flout brand name goods and tricks others into buying them for him. He was in debt to his mates and stopped mixing with those who refused to lend him things. Worse, he dismissed his odd behaviour by claiming he was depressed.

In response, Pla said she also had experience dealing with the singer, when he visited her shop one day early last year.

"He looked good in the clothes he tried on, so I asked to take a picture. He demanded a copyright fee for the picture and asked if he could keep the clothes without paying for them," she wrote.

"Don't you know who I am?" he asked her. She said she didn't, but found out after he left the shop. Unimpressed, she wrote: "So you think you're this famous, do you? How can you put on such airs?"

The social media post had a real-life follow-up on Wednesday night when the rapper and two or three friends turned up at her shop.

"They scouted the place briefly then approached the counter," she wrote.

"He asked me over and over 'Do you have a problem with me?'

"We argued for 7-10 minutes, with no substance to the conversation whatsoever, while his friends filmed the encounter.

"I knew who he was but didn't let on. I asked him to identify himself, but he kept repeating the question. In the end his manager stepped in and said 'You can't make sense with a woman like her'. Eventually they left."

Pla said she alerted police later that night. "I was alone at the time and scared. His manner was threatening and they came looking for trouble.

"A real man wouldn't come in a gang. And here you are claiming you are depressed! I have a depressed guard waiting for your next visit," she wrote at the gossip site as she recounted TJ's visit.

"The shop has three CCTV cameras. If he wants to release his clip of the exchange, he's welcome, but my boss and I will release our footage after that," Pla said.

Writing later on Facebook, TJ said he simply went to ask Pla why she had written the post. "I wanted to discuss it face to face rather than on social media. I deny ever exploiting my fame by asking for clothes in an inappropriate manner," he said, referring to his earlier shop visit.

"As I left the shop, I heard her call out 'You're a public figure, but if you can't take criticism, try something else'.''

Pla, who published an image of TJ and his friends outside the shop, gesturing at the CCTV cameras, said she didn't want any more trouble. "I will have to be more careful what I say on social media," she added.

YouTube clip draws ire

Presenter and "pretty" promoter Nonthaporn ''Ying Yae'' Theerawattanasook says Thais are slow to forgive after she made a YouTube clip making fun of Korean stars' looks, setting off a firestorm of criticism.

Nonthaporn 'Ying Yae' Theerawattanasook

Ying Yae, who was once married to a cosmetic surgeon who helped improve her appearance, declared her life was in tatters last week after a backlash against the broadcast, in which she and a co-presenter made fun of 10 Korean stars' looks.

Stung by the reaction, the presenter deleted the clip and said she had also abandoned the TV-style show, which adopts a new theme every week and in the past has lampooned Thai stars for their looks as well.

"I did it in fun and did not mean to hurt anyone's feelings or trample on their dignity. I have said sorry, but netizens keep hammering me on social media, and are even criticising my parents," she complained after the saga made it to the top of the Thai Twitter rankings.

Stars in the industry whom she respects had joined netizens in condemning her. Worse, one report said angry fans have n ow revived the clip and subtitled it in Chinese and Korean for wider distribution in the region, suggesting the backlash will carry on for some time yet.

Her comments about actor Gong Yoo (The 1st Shop of Coffee Prince, Guardian) earned the strongest ire. "His face looks like someone who is undergoing cosmetic surgery but the doctor is called away and doesn't come back to finish the job," she joked, adding his neck was too long, and his chin too small.

Among the critics was presenter Opal Panisara, who said: "It's not funny making fun of other people's looks. Fans of his won't find it funny for sure. We are supposed to respect each other's differences, aren't we?"

She was joined by singer and pianist Saksit "Tor" Vejsupaporn, who insisted: "Gong Yoo is an idol of mine. He's smart, and chic."

Actress Narinthorn Na Bangchang also waded in, saying Ying Yae could hardly criticise others for going under the cosmetic surgeon's knife, as she had done so herself.

"You look like you have had surgery done from the head down. So how can you be so critical of others? For no good reason, you hand a knife to someone so he can stab you with it," she said.

Ying Yae, who reckons the drama is karma for bad things she has done in the past, said she would take a break from social media and hope the fuss eases enough for her to show her face again.

Aff gives husband marching orders

Actress Aff Taksaorn's family is letting her estranged businessman husband know that any parting between the pair won't be an easy one.

Aff says she wants a divorce from Songkran Techanarong, who appears to be holding out. The couple have a three year-old daughter, Peamai, whom Aff raises alone in Bangkok after the couple split a year ago.

As the divorce saga bubbles on, with Songkran yet to talk to his wife about her plans, Aff's father Anusorn last week left a few pointed messages to him on social media.

One message chided Songkran for taking Peamai to a boxing ring on Father's Day; another for failing to buckle her into a car seat when they go on travels together.

The saga started innocently enough, when Songkran posted a picture of himself in the boxing ring. "I might take a few knocks today, Father's Day ... when my boxing instructor saw me, he took Peamai into his arms [to look after her]. If not, you could have counted down from 10 half way through the round," he joked.

Aff's father promptly retorted: "Daddy Songkran ... are you trying to instil something in Peamai by taking your daughter to a place like that? Please consider whether its appropriate." Later, he added: "When you are taking my granddaughter about, you have never put her in a car seat ... it's just not worth it [the risk of an accident]," he said.

Songkran apologised if he had done anything to upset Mr Anusorn. His fans said he simply wanted to introduce Peamai to another aspect of sport, and no intention for her to absorb violence.

Others said his father-in-law had a right to be worried, and had posted similar comments in the past when unhappy about the way his daughter was raising the little girl.

By week's end, Songkran had rallied, posting a cryptic exchange in English between a father and his son, in which the boy remarks on how "heavy" is life seems, but his father gives him the courage he needs to carry on. "Happy Father's day to every father that sacrifices everything for the happiness of his child," he said.

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