Quick glance at annum Gangnam

And above all, these were the standouts.

l Woman of the Year: Chermarn “Ploy” Boonyasak

The actress rode a roller-coaster in 2012, her portrayal in the media contrasting sharply with what we see on the big and small screens. 

After a public accusation of tax-dodging led to a row with an event organiser and a tantrum with her own manager, Ploy was attacked on Instagram for posting photos of her smoking. She ripped them all out but fumed, “I understand that good news is not good business and no one wants to portray me as an angel. I’d just love to see people stop reading all the nonsense gossip news.” 

People can complain all they want. Ploy remains as big a star as ever, so she’s still among the top-paid celebrities for public appearances. 

l Man of the Year: Sorrayuth Suthassanajinda.

The “saint” who helped people during the terrible flooding last year and was portrayed as Superman on the cover of Matichon, did a 180-degree turn this year.

The Channel 3 news host was accused of embezzling MCOT advertising revenue. Lots of folks demanded he quit while the investigation continues. Lots of other people maintained he’s the best thing since … well, Superman. 

There’s much more to come in 2013, including a possible showdown with mainstream journalism. Sorrayuth declared he’s no longer a reporter and quit the Thai Journalists Association, which was questioning his ethics. Thaksin Shinawatra could not be more provocative.

l Foreign Artist of the Year: Psy (Park Jae-sang)

The 34-year-old South Korean singer topped teen idol Justin Bieber on YouTube when a billion people watched his “Gangnam Style” video. Half a billion then posted parody videos.

l Most Famous Twitter Debut: Pope Benedict XVI

The Vatican finally plugged the pontiff into the social media early this month – as @Pontifex – and 1.3 million followers instantly appeared. Some sort of miracle, presumably.