Husbands become gossips |as Janie-A saga darkens

The pictures went round the Internet to the accompaniment of speculation that her husband, politician-businessman Chonsawat “A” Asavahame, had inflicted them. 

Her friend Paula Buttery confirmed that it’s Janie in the photos, “but I don’t know if this is from a soap-opera set or what”. 

Then came a leaked Line-app conversation among the husbands of the actresses who comprise the “Angel Gang”, of which Janie is a member. Alicia Hiranyapruk’s hubby Puri and Phiyada “Om” Jutarattanakul’s mate Sara “Art” are among those gossiping about Janie’s problematic marriage, with mention of beatings and her losing out to A on an expensive car they’d bought together. 

The boys came in for some criticism for gabbing like old hens and Om publicly apologised for Art’s poor choice of words, yet we still haven’t heard anything from Janie, who’s supposedly fleeing to the United States soon. She was expected to hold a press conference today, but that plan was cancelled yesterday. 

Online pundits say Janie ought to stay in Thailand and, if she is indeed the victim of domestic violence, take the fight to the cops and the courts. But, as the story unfolds, it seems like Janie will opt for a quiet divorce and then leave the country until all this blows over.

 

Next time with feeling

However, kickboxing actor Thatchakorn “Tony Jaa” Panom went abroad and still managed to end up in hot water. He was taken to task in the social media for reacting poorly to the death on July 20 of his mentor, Panna Rittikrai. 

The Internet Movie Database lists Panna as “the man behind Thai action star Tony Jaa”, The Hollywood Reporter calls him “a long-time mentor of Tony Jaa”, and other media frankly refer to him as Jaa’s “master”. But “TJ”, as he’s now calling himself, was too busy filming “Fast and Furious 7” in Los Angeles to return to Thailand and pay final respects to Panna. Quite a few fans raged about his ungratefulness on his Facebook page. 

Others rose to Jaa’s defence, saying that, because of his work obligations, it was ridiculous to expect TJ to fly to Thailand for a funeral. There was that nagging matter of Jaa’s expression of condolence on the page, though. He obviously hadn’t written it himself, and it sounded more like farewell to a co-worker rather than a statement of respect to the man who’d “made him”. “Rest in peace, my old friend,” it ends – rather flippant given their profound relationship. Panna basically “created” Tony Jaa. They lived together for more than a decade. Jaa apparently didn’t even send a wreath for the funeral or any money to make merit. Four other students of Panna became monks in his honour. 

Thankfully no one said anything at the funeral, but the anger was unleashed later on Facebook. His “cold” reaction drew such heavy criticism that Jaa (or his page’s administrator) had to beg for an end to the hostility. In such a time of sorrow there should be no attacks or bickering, he pointed out. There was no threat to block the hostile fans, but he said it upset him.