Pageant contestant denies any wrongdoing amid suspicions of conflict of interest

Sep 30. 2020

Miss Universe Thailand (MUT) contender Chayathanus "Cheraim" Saradatta, who is in the eye of a storm over alleged conflict of interest, told a media conference on Tuesday that she would not back out of the beauty pageant after entering the next stage with 29 other contestants.

She said she would leave the decision on whether she should continue to the contest organisers.

There was a question mark over her continuance in the contest after it was discovered that a phone number on Chayathanus’ Instagram account was that of her manager Sithichai Reoviroj who is also working for the pageant organisers.Cheraim claimed that she did not have a personal manager initially but she used to seek advice from Sithichai for a health problem.She said the reason she chose Sittichai to manage her career was because she used to contact him in the past and sometimes he also gave her jobs.

Asked about suspicions that Sittichai may have told her about the questions she would be asked during the contest to help her prepare, Cheraim said that she was not given any advance information and she had no advantage over the other contestants.

She emphasised that she did not want to give up her legitimate right to take part in the contest and she would let the pageant organisers decide on her fate. She said she hadn’t decided yet if she would register for next year's contest.Sittichai revealed that he had joined the MUT organisers as a freelancer. He attended staff meetings three times but did not pass on any information to Cheraim. He said he only arranged her schedule and found jobs for her. However, he admitted that he had not told the organisers about his involvement with a contestant.

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Miss Universe Thailand favourite sacked for installing a ‘spy’

Sep 30. 2020

Chayathanus Saradatta (middle)

Miss Universe Thailand favourite Chayathanus “Cheraim” Saradatta was removed from the contest on Wednesday for using an insider for her personal benefit.

Piyaporn Sankosik, executive director of TPN 2018, organisers of the Miss Universe Thailand pageant, held a press conference to announce the contestant’s removal, saying all contenders had to follow the rules and regulations detailed in the contracts they signed.

Piyaporn Sankosik (middle)

She also pointed out that the contracts clearly state that no outsiders can be brought in as a mentor and that the organiser reserves the right to disqualify a contestant if she violates the rules.Piyaporn also said she has evidence to back the dismissal in case Chayathanus wants to take the case to court. She explained that she has CCTV footage of the “outsider”, Chayathanus’s manager, attending more than three meetings.“Cheraim called to say she will have her personal manager, who has been looking after her for two years, to come and meet me. But when the day came, I was shocked when I saw him. [He was a TPN staff member] She claims she is not well, but still wants to participate in the contest. She won’t take part in activities, but wants to enter the final round because her costume is ready,” Piyaporn said.

She said Chayathanus’s manager, Sithichai Reoviroj, was the only TPN staff member who has not signed his contract, adding that this case came to her attention when a journalist asked why this particular contender was being given more attention. As a member of TPN staff, Sithichai often shifted the media focus to Chayathanus.“She is a well-behaved, smart girl and we love her, but rules are rules,” Piyaporn said.Meanwhile, in a television interview, the contestant said she accepted the decision and apologised for not reading her contract carefully. Her manager, meanwhile, claimed to have never seen the contract.

https://www.nationthailand.com/news/30395399