A Thai man, claiming to be the owner of a sushi restaurant in Iceland, told Senator Porntip Rojanasunan to leave the restaurant because she was not welcome there.
The senator was visiting Iceland’s capital Reykjavik with a group of friends, including Bhumjaithai party MP Mallika Jirapunvanit. She posted stories and photos about her trip, which started on September 21. Her mission for going is to see the Aurora Borealis (northern lights).
The man in the restaurant, whose name is not known, has a Facebook account called “Ari Alexander”. He did not give a reason why he wanted Porntip to leave the place, saying only what she has damaged Thailand tremendously.
The incident came to light as “Ari” Facebooked lived from his car as he was driving to the restaurant. He said he heard that “that person” he hated was there. He was also heard saying that, if he could, he would hit that person with his car.
He said he used to like her so much when he was young, he bought her books. Now, however, the person has tarnished the country.
When he arrived at the restaurant, he found the person, presumably Porntip, and said, “that’s her, that’s her.” He then approached the woman and was heard telling Porntip to leave the restaurant. “You do not belong here, get out of my restaurant,” he said in English.
Porntip was about to walk away when she asked the man to be calm and speak nicely. one of her friends and Mallika came to stand next to her and tried to calm the man down. He however answered, “everybody in the group is welcome, but not that woman.” The group then walked away.
Somebody then asked him whether he was the owner of the restaurant and he said yes.
He posted the video clip on his Facebook page and it went viral. The clip received mixed reactions, with some commenting that she deserved it, while others did not agree. His Facebook page has now been closed.
It is believed that the drama happened because Porntip used to say in interviews and wrote on her Facebook page that she opposed Move Forward party’s campaign to review Thailand’s lèse majesté laws. She abstained from voting in supporting Move Forward’s then leader Pita Limjaroenrat to be Thailand’s prime minister.
“My daughter told me to vote for Pita and the Move Forward party in the May general election, but I refused,” she wrote. Move Forward supporters posted Porntip’s address on social media and urged them to look for Porntip and her family.
Porntip did not mention about the incident on her Facebook. On September 30, her last day in Iceland, she wrote, “my mission completes as I saw the northern lights from my hotel.”
