SLAP FEST CALLED OFF; TRADER’S REVENGE; COP TURNS

A durian tycoon in Chumphon who last week offered 1 million to anyone who could slap an employee who had started a relationship with his married son is no stranger to causing social media stir.

- 

Anon Rotthong, 65, known to fans online as “Pa Non,” outspoken owner of the Pa Non & Pa Orn durian-buying house in Thung Tako district, took to Facebook offering 1 million baht to anyone who could “slap” a woman he accused of wrecking his son’s marriage.

The durian wholesaler’s online outburst over his son’s alleged affair was replete with drama, including the “slap-for-hire” offer, angy netizen reactions, and finally, a public act of forgiveness.

In his post, which went viral before being deleted, he claimed the woman, an office clerk at his business, started a relationship with his nephew and later turned her attention to his son — starting an affair with him despite knowing the son was married.

The saga has strange echoes of another highly publicised offer which Mr Anon made via social media in March 2019, when he offered 10 million baht and ownership of the family business to any man who took his daughter's hand in marriage.

Once again, Mr Anon made the offer on Facebook, then abruptly called it off, days later after young suitors here and offshore swamped his family with offers to marry his daughter Kansita (Kan), then 26.

Critics accused him of duping the public to draw publicity to his business, with one high profile lawyer suggesting disappointed suitors file complaints with police.

Back to his latest online shenanigans, Mr Anon said originally that he was prepared to go to jail if the slap-for-hire offer ended in legal action.

“My daughter-in-law is a good, hardworking woman,” he said. “I can’t stand to see someone like this destroy our family. I'd rather die than let it happen. Whatever it costs, I'll pay,” he said in his FB post.

He claimed his son had previously received 6-7 million baht from him to start a business but instead spent much of it on the woman.