A ONCE-PROMISING entertainer’s dreams are falling apart – following his physical assault on a motorcyclist.
Acharanat “Nott” Ariyaritwiko, 28, said yesterday that he was just protecting his dream after a video went viral on social media. It showed him repeatedly punching motorcyclist Kittisak Singto.
He said owning the yellow Mini had been his dream since he was very young. In a later public appeal he asked that he not be judged on a 180 second clip.
This attempt at public image damage control came after he received hugely negative media coverage, which started immediately after the clip of the assault appeared on the Internet on Sunday.
However his appeal appeared to draw |little sympathy as he begged for understanding.
GMM TV yesterday cancelled all of its contracts with Acharanat, effective immediately on the grounds that his actions ran contrary to the company’s policy requiring its TV hosts, actors and actresses to set a good example to young people.
An association of news hosts and journalists also said it would withdraw its “Exemplary Thai of the Year 2016” award from Acharanat over the scandal.
The association also stated that his name will be removed from their hall of fame.
The statement said Acharanat apparently overreacted when the accident occurred and did not qualify as a good example for the public.
The accident reportedly took place on Friday in Bangkok’s Bang Rak district. The motorcyclist told police that his motorcycle bumped into the yellow Mini Cooper because a taxi lightly tapped him from behind. He said that he then tried to follow the taxi but stopped after hearing loud shouting from the Mini Cooper driver.
He then said that he made a U-turn and parked his motorcycle on the opposite lane in the hope of explaining things to him.
He said Acharanat continued shouting at him, dragged him by his jacket collar and punched him in the face several times. The 25 year-old revenue office employee then said that Acharanat forced him to lay prostrate before the yellow Mini Cooper and apologise to it.
This was despite the fact that he had already offered the tv star a personal apology.
At the police station on Friday, both sides apologised to each other and no complaint was lodged.
Mr Singto said that initially, he didn’t want to lodge a complaint against him because he was a celebrity and he had promised to provide compensation.
But after the clip of the assault appeared in the media, his family could not accept his action, so they decided to pursue a criminal complaint against Acharanat on Sunday.
The victim’s nose was broken and his face was swollen and bruised when he appeared on Sunday.
Comment from the Buriram Times : “Get out of that one Acharanat !”
(Thanks to the Nation, Thailand)