A surprise visit by two little-known but key people in actor Tridsadee "Por" Sahawong's closely guarded private life has intrigued his followers at the city hospital where he is battling dengue fever.
The plight of people’s hero Por has been front-page news fodder since he was admitted to Ramathibodi Hospital on Monday in a critical condition.
‘Por’ and his daughter Nong Mali.
The many fans and relatives who have visited the hospital to lend their support were intrigued on Friday to be joined by his wife, Bow, and their two-year-old daughter, Nong Mali.
Few other than those in his close family circle knew Por was married, still less that the couple have a child.
Talking to the media, Bow said Nong Mali had been crying for her father for days, as she missed him. It was the first time before the cameras for little Mali, whose formal name is Pakwan Sahawong. She wai-ed Por’s followers after visiting her dad’s bedside.
Filling in some of the details, Por’s manager said the actor and Bow had now registered their marriage, after earlier reports they wed quietly in Chon Buri. Por had said in an earlier interview that he hoped to have a child before marriage, so he could take her along to the wedding.
Earlier, Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva also dropped into the hospital to lend his support for a speedy recovery.
Accompanied by former Democrat spokesman Chavanond Intarakomalyasut and former Songkhla MP Sirichok Sopha, his visit took Por’s retinue by surprise, as no one knew the men were close.
"I have turned up to support Por like the many other members of the public who are cheering him on," Mr Abhisit said.
He had spoken to Por’s parents, who thanked the public for turning out in such large numbers to express concern for their son.
Asked how he knew Por, Mr Abhisit said the actor, who hails from the Northeast, once fronted a television show on strengthening Thailand for the Democrat-led government when he was prime minister.
"We talked about Por's concern for farmers as it was a matter he’s interested in," Mr Abhisit said.
While some netizens have criticised Mr Abhisit for making a cynical grab for publicity, others take a more generous view. They say it is no surprise Mr Abhisit should take an interest, as Por was a farmer in his spare time and had also donated land to people in rural areas.
Actress files complaint over footage
Actress Usamanee "Kwan" Waitayanon has laid a police complaint after a Facebook site published a doctored clip, purportedly of her and an actor having sex.
Arisa ‘Looktarn’ Ville.
The Channel 7 actress visited Technology Crime Suppression Division police on Thursday to complain about the clip, which she says mischievously edits scenes from an interview she gave from the set of a soap opera 10 years ago, and marries them with images of a couple in bed.
An accompanying caption, in racy newspaper headline style, also refers to actor Chakrit Yamnarm and his wife, actress Wirithipa "Woonsen" Pakdeeprasong. "Kwan denies having sex with Chakrit in leaked clip, Woonsen furious!" it said.
Denying it was her in the sex clip as claimed, Kwan said the Facebook owner was trying to gain publicity at her expense.
"Even though actresses are public figures, we are not figures of fun for keyboard warriors. I would like us to respect each other so we can aspire to higher things. I would also like those in social media to respect the law. It's not an untamed frontier where anything goes," she said.
This is the second time Kwan has been linked to lewd social media images in less than a month. In late October, her mother Prani Poolkert laid a complaint with police after indecent images of her daughter circulated on social media.
She said a malicious party took an image of her daughter, wearing an evening dress to an industry awards function, and doctored it to make it look indecent.
Asked if Kwan was being targeted in an internet smear campaign, police said the two cases appear unrelated. Officers are investigating.
Looktarn forgives dead photographer
Actress Arisa "Looktarn" Ville says she has forgiven the man who took pictures of her naked in bed, apparently out to the world.
Looktarn, back in Bangkok after a two-month stay in the United States, says she laid a complaint against the party responsible shortly after the fuss broke.
One of the images shows her stark naked; in another, she is lying under bed covers. No attempt has been made to obscure her naked parts, or disguise her face.
When the images first appeared in July, reporters who noticed the facial similarity asked if it was Looktarn. Her manager denied it.
Speaking to reporters last week, the actress admitted it was indeed her in the pictures, though she would not be drawn on the details.
"I didn’t know what was happening, and was struggling to regain my senses," she said.
"I have now heard the person responsible, against whom I laid the complaint, has since died.
"While I have forgiven him, I am still taking action against those who spread the images on the internet and attempted to link me to a certain leading man."
Citing legal advice, she declined to say if it was a case of blackmail or whether she was drugged. "The incident was upsetting, but I feel better after my stay in the US, as I have family there."
Despite the embarrassment, she was still prepared to take acting work in Thailand, though she intends splitting her time between here and the US.
Lookmee 'well protected' in film
Actress Ratsamee "Lookmee" Phaksawat says she was well protected for saucy love scenes in a new erotic thriller, despite acting virtually naked.
The erotic horror film Tiger Women, starring Gumpun Bazoo, Irvin "Charm" Osthananda and Lookmee, contains love scenes filmed in a jungle waterfall.
Lookmee, who was heavily painted in tattoos for her role, but otherwise appears to be fully naked, said she was actually wearing more than what appears to viewers in the R-rated movie.
"I wore a G-string, and caps over my nipples," she said. Her mystical character, a tiger woman, has lived in the forest for years.
"It’s the sexiest role I have taken, but Sua Saming, my character, is also strong, which suits my personality," she said.
"I also knew director Atsajun 'Bom' Sattakovit, and many members of the cast, so felt comfortable with them," she added.
She said leading man Gumpun was also protected for his sex scenes.
"He wore something to 'save' himself too [cover for his private parts]. It was so huge, I barely felt a thing against my body," she joked.
Revealing he wore a sock wrapped around his member during the movie’s many love scenes, which he also performs with Charm, Gampun said the movie, while daring, won’t come as a shock to many Thais.
"Thais have seen erotic movies in this vein before," he said. "The movie does have some logic, it's not like it opens and we start having sex immediately," he insisted.
Gampun, no stranger to working at the erotic end of the industry, said he is getting plenty of stares since the movie opened this month.
"The love scenes were actually hard work," he said. "We filmed in 8C temperatures, heading into the cold season, sitting in the waterfall from early morning until night.
"Director Bom didn't let any scene pass easily. If all my love scenes were included, they would make up 30% to 40% of the movie."
Ratsamee ‘Lookmee’ Phaksawat and Gumpun Bazoo.
