TANGMO AND CASH, BORN TO BE WILD, SEK BACKS DOWN
Actress speaks out for fraud victims
Actress Nida “Tangmo” Patcharaveerapong is acting as a mouthpiece for victims of a serial fraudster who impersonated celebrities online to dupe fans into parting with their money.
Tangmo went before the media with Patrol and Special Operations Division police in Bangkok last week as they announced the arrest of Pongsakorn “Neng” Kruepimai, 19, for swindling her fans out of deposits for online merchandise.
Police say they have charged Neng with fraud on seven previous occasions. He has at least 50 known victims in Bangkok and the provinces stemming from 30 fraud cases, but each time escapes the courts as his victims are willing to settle for partial refunds or because they think pursuing him through the courts is not worth the effort, they say.
Tangmo says her case is different as it involves a Computer Crimes Act offence. Police have charged him with lying to authorities, fraud, and perpetrating fraud online, carrying a fine of up to 100,000 baht and jail time of up to five years. They say he has admitted the offence.
Described as a “kathoey troublemaker” in media reports, Neng, who was caught in Buri Ram, has outstanding warrants against him including one in Pattani.
He offered merchandise including brand-name bags, smartphones and cosmetics.
The suspect revived an Instagram account Tangmo had once opened but later cancelled. Claiming to be Tangmo’s manager, he posted pictures of the goods for sale, and asked fans to transfer deposits to a store. After his victims parted with their money he would call the shop, cancel the order and ask for a refund.
Tangmo said she has known about the impersonator’s activities for the past six months, though she believes he first tried to defraud her fans online last year. She said the fraud had cost her work opportunities, and made life difficult for her manager.
“No victims came forward the first time,” she said.
“He disappeared for a while and started impersonating other celebrities. Finally he came back to set up a social media account in my name.”
She had been contacted personally by about 10 victims, some of whom were students with little money. “Some of his victims saved for weeks only to lose their deposit when he failed to deliver the goods.”
Tangmo warned the suspect against embarking on a career which would only lead him to ruin.
“Unlike previous victims, I am not willing to settle the matter with mediation or a refund, as his offending has gone on long enough,” she said.
“I will act as a mouthpiece for his victims, and hope they come forward to lay more complaints.
“He might have some technique to make victims feel sorry for him, such as crying, to get him out of a scrape.”
The Technology Crime Suppression Division is handling the case, which has yet to go to court.
Pat pregnant to motorcycle racer
Actress Napapa “Pat” Thantrakul is four months’ pregnant to a motorcycle racer she agreed to marry after he proposed to her on national television at a racing circuit in Buri Ram.
Pat took her lover, Akkarakit “Benz” Worarortcharoendech, before the media recently to announce they plan to start a family after he proposed to her at the Chang International Circuit in Buri Ram on Sept 11.
Benz mounted the podium for photographs, despite having failed to win a racing prize that day, and presented a beaming Pat with a bunch of violets and a ring. He says he hatched the plan only the night before, and asked Pat to catch a flight to the northeastern province to watch him race.
Pat denies they staged the event for the media, insisting it was a genuine surprise.
“It was a special moment in one woman’s life. I didn’t ask him to do it; if it was set up, we would have done a better job,” she said.
“I turned him down the first time he asked to marry me. I had told Benz previously I would only get married if I was pregnant.
“Two months ago when he proposed the first time I told him to wait, as the baby hadn’t shown up on ultrasound and I didn’t know if I was pregnant.”
A doctor confirmed Pat, 31, was pregnant with a baby boy several weeks ago.
Benz, who has known Pat for seven years, said his plan to get down on bended knee almost fell apart when he failed to win a prize, but with the track manager’s connivance he mounted the podium anyway.
The two can’t say when they will marry, but admit it is not a priority, as they are saving money to start their family.
Rocker settles with Bee
Rocker Sek Loso has settled a damages claim with an assault victim as he hopes to avoid a possible jail term when the case goes before judges next month.
Sek, accompanied by his former wife Wiphakorn “Kan” Sukpimai, entered talks at the Criminal Court in Ratchada recently with Kan’s former aide, Chanokporn “Bee” Boonpeng, whom Sek attacked in April.
Bee had earlier demanded damages of 1.7 million baht to end the dispute, but in the end settled for 500,000 baht.
In August prosecutors took Sek before the Criminal Court to hear charges of assault causing serious injury after he admitted beating Bee in the Ram Intra area in April.
He and his co-defendant, Somchart “Chart” Poonsri, who allegedly helped in the attack, initially denied the charges, with Sek saying he would rather have his day in court than pay up.
Accepting the case, the court sent the matter to its conciliation division, where Sek changed his mind and the two sides were ultimately able to reach a deal.
At the time of the attack, Kan criticised Sek for assaulting her former aide. She posted an image of him kicking Bee, who was admitted to hospital.
Sek and his former wife have since made up, with Kan now blaming Bee, a persistent critic of Sek’s on social media, for helping drive them apart.
Speaking outside the court, Sek said he had learned his lesson. “I am not a hot-head any more, as I want to avoid further trouble with the law,” he said.
Kan said he acted as a neutral party in four-hour talks. “The other side wanted someone to help. The problems of the past have many causes, but our lives are much smoother and happier now,” she said, referring to Sek. The pair live apart but help raise their three children.
The court will hear Sek’s case on Nov 17. He hopes news of the settlement will persuade judges not to jail him, which police say otherwise seems a certainty, given the severity of the charge.