Still gazing at the odd star

Supakit Pathomsriviroj just finished paying a Bt60-million income-tax bill, according to Manager Online, suggesting he’s a very wealthy man, but it’s not clear whether he’s Thailand’s wealthiest astrologer or just doing much better in the real-estate trade.
Famous as Morkrit Confirm the fortune-teller, the 27-year-old last year swapped his star charts for zoning maps and still ended up with assets including a Bt20-million car in a Bt100-million stable of vehicles.
Supakit tells the online edition he also collects Buddha amulets, as well as old books about telling fortunes – and gold bars. Oh, and he owns 30 satellite TV channels too.
While admitting that his fame helped pave his path into – what would you call it, “legitimate” business? – Supakit claims he never made a bundle from organising tours, publishing books or selling “auspicious” objects like other astrologers. They’re “hypocrites” flogging amulets at 7-Eleven, he says. “I would feel ashamed of myself!”
Maybe he ought to be reminded, though, about pitching Champ IT mobile phones that could “grant the owner’s wishes”.
As we all know, superstition is addictive, and Supakit isn’t entirely through with Morkrit yet. He’ll still tell your fortune via SMS on satellite TV, “for free” apart from the usual Bt9-per-minute charge. However, “I think I’ve had enough,” he says. “I’m tired of people calling me a con man.”
And the people are tired too.

Tweet for me
We predicted as soon as the gates opened in the Bangkok governor’s race that independent candidate Suharit Siamwalla would nail down the Twitter vote, and, at risk of sounding biased, we’re going to declare him the winner right now.
Yes, the other candidates have also made good use of the social media, but only the tweets from @suharit are garnering fans. Questions submitted to @Sukhumbhandp (Sukhumbhand Paripatra) @PongsapatBKK (Ponsapat Pongcharoen) and @Seree-pisuth (Sereepisuth Temeeyaves) are answered with the broadest of generalities. Suharit gets specific.
If politicians don’t answer people’s questions even when they desperately need their votes, we’d probably never hear from them at all once they get elected.