BANGKOK — A viral scandal in the Thai entertainment industry that has been trending on social media for 2-3 days has escalated to involve political figures with the luxury necklace.
Wasana “May” Inthasang, a female entrepreneur who owns beauty products and supplements companies, is seeking to recover assets worth 62 million baht from actress Arisara “Dew” Thongborisut after discovering that her luxury items were being resold.
Among these items is a special Lotus Arts De Vivre Zambian Emerald & Diamond collection necklace valued at 26,440,000 baht ($784,000), which reportedly ended up in the hands of a minister with the initial “P.”
Ministers “P” Denied Involvement
On March 20, five ministers whose names begin with “P” denied any involvement, including Deputy Prime Minister and Energy Minister Phirapan Salirathavibhaga, Finance Minister Pichai Chunhavajira, Commerce Minister Pichai Naripthaphan, Minister of Education Permpoon Chidchob, and Labor Minister Pipat Ratchakitprakarn.
While the political controversy was brewing and before journalists could complete their inquiries with all ministers bearing the initial ‘P’, an unexpected development occurred.
The necklace was sent by a woman name “Toon” to the hot topic talk show “Hone Krasae” (Riding the Wave) to be returned to businesswoman May. Show host Kanchai Kamnerdploy then displayed the necklace on the program.
Luxury Gone Wrong
Dew Arisara is the latest Thai celebrity to face financial difficulties after previously living a luxurious lifestyle, which she regularly flaunted through posts on Instagram. She was also formerly in a relationship with politician Pai Lik, Secretary-General of the Kla Tham Party, and though they have broken up, they still maintain a close relationship.
Pai Lik, who was the first politician to immediately deny any involvement with the luxury necklace, revealed that he was one of the people who had previously warned her about her lavish lifestyle.
Conversation on Digital-Age Values
Although Dew Arisara hasn’t been implicated in pyramid scheme businesses like The iCon Group case or linked to online gambling cases, she admitted during an interview on the “Riding the Wave” show on March 19 that all her business ventures have failed completely, and she has set a bad example for society as someone who spent money extravagantly beyond her means.
Her dramatic reversal of fortune has become a widely discussed topic in society, including by the Department of Mental Health, Ministry of Public Health, which has published guidelines for modern parents raising children in the digital era to avoid being captivated by luxury.
These guidelines especially emphasize teaching children to truly understand the online world, to be mindful when following others’ stories, and to focus on building self-worth rather than trying to please others around them.
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