“I was just protecting my dream,” Acharanat “Nott” Ariyaritwiko, 28, said yesterday, after a video went viral on social media showing him repeatedly punching motorcyclist Kittisak Singto.
He said owning the yellow Mini had been his dream since he was very young. “And please don’t judge me from just a 180-second clip,” he said in a public appeal.
Acharanat’s attempt at public image damage control occurred after he received hugely negative media coverage, which started immediately after the clip of the assault appeared on the Internet on Sunday.
But his appeal appeared to draw |little sympathy as he tried to plea 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 good examples for young people.
“All his works with the firm are cancelled immediately,” GMM TV announced in its statement.
Acharanat was an actor and the host of a TV variety show employed by the media powerhouse.
An association of news hosts and journalists also said it would withdraw its “exemplary Thai of Year 2016” award from Acharanat over the scandal.
“His name will be removed from our hall of fame,” the association announced via its statement yesterday.
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. Kittisak 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.
“I made a U-turn and parked my motorcycle on the opposite lane in the hope of explaining things to him,” said Kittisak, a 25-year-old employee at a revenue office.
He said Acharanat continued shouting at him, dragged him by his jacket collar, punched him in the face several times, and also forced him to lay |prostrate before the yellow Mini |Cooper and apologise to it.
“This is even though I offered him my apology,” he said.
At the police station on Friday, both sides apologised to each other and no complaint was lodged.
“Initially, I didn’t want to lodge a complaint against him because he’s a celebrity and he promised to provide compensation. But after the clip of the assault appeared in media, my family could not accept his action,” Kittisak said, explaining why he decided to pursue a criminal complaint against Acharanat on Sunday.
Kittisak’s nose was broken and his face was swollen and bruised when he appeared on Sunday.