Thai supermodel "Yui" admitted to mental institute

[webfact]

Supermodel "Yui" admitted to mental institute
The Nation


A file photo of Rojjana Phetkanha dated 2003-06-03.

BANGKOK: -- The Social Development and Human Security Ministry has extended its assistance to famous Thai model Rojjana (Yui) Phetkanha, who was admitted to a mental institute on Sunday.

The former supermodel was found wandering on Phetkasem Road, carrying a plastic bag. She was apparently disoriented and confused. She was admitted to the Somdetchaopraya Institute of Psychiatry.

Social Development and Human Security Minister Pavena Hongsakul visited her at the hospital.

Pavena told reporters that the ministry has contacted her family and checked if it is able to take care of the model. The ministry is also ready to provide a shelter and treatment, if her family cannot.

"She talked sensibly to me and said she wanted to meet her brother," Pavena said.

Rojjana is the first Thai model to make it big on the world stage. She was born to a farmer’s family in Ubon Ratchathani. Joining the model world 16 years ago, she was a covergirl, the face of a Chanel perfume and shuttling between New York, Paris, London and Milan. But with fame and fortune came parties and drugs, which led to her downfall.


-- The Nation 2013-09-02

[jaltsc]

The modeling business is one of the toughest for survival. Even those born and raised in an urban environment have difficulty surviving the parties, booze, and drugs (both illicit and those used to maintain a stick figure appearance). So, for someone born and raised in a poor, rural environment, with no exposure to that kind of lifestyle, it has to be almost impossible to resist all the pitfalls when everyone around is telling you how beautiful you are and offering all the temptations which lead to a monumental downfall. She probably needs more than just her family taking care of her, since we are constantly seeing the failures of many actresses who try and recover on their own. Hopefully there are some professional mental health services in Thailand that can provide the treatment she needs.

[NongKhaiKid]

No disrespect to this poor lady, I sincerely hope she gets treatment and can recover.

However if she wasn't famous would she have been visited by a cabinet minister who offered help if her family cannot afford to take care of her ? There are many families who are plagued by the curse of mental health problems and just have to get on with it.

Another bandwagon opportunity for an official to get publicity.

[uty6543]

Why is The Nation showing us a photo of her more than 10 years old?

[Tywais]

Another bandwagon opportunity for an official to get publicity.

Do you know anything about Paveena? She helps underprivileged all the time, you won't see it as it is not high profile and it is the media that makes these high profile cases more public.

[NongKhaiKid]

Another bandwagon opportunity for an official to get publicity.

Do you know anything about Paveena? She helps underprivileged all the time, you won't see it as it is not high profile and it is the media that makes these high profile cases more public.

So a former supermodel is under privileged or is she now poor and penniless because she blew all her cash or drugs and partying ?

I'm not saying Paveena doesn't do go but I'm sure she doesn't mind the publicity either.

How did the media find out she went to hospital or in other words who told them and that would include members of her staff along with many others.

[btunes]

Another bandwagon opportunity for an official to get publicity.

Dude.

Highly unlikely.

[greg71]

We are all masters of our own destiny,the weak are weak.

[chooka]

Why is The Nation showing us a photo of her more than 10 years old?

I don't think that is actually a pic of her, the woman in the photo is definitely not model material. Very plain and boyish looking.

[trainman34014]

Why is The Nation showing us a photo of her more than 10 years old?

I don't think that is actually a pic of her, the woman in the photo is definitely not model material. Very plain and boyish looking.

But, but......the boys look like girls and the girls look like boys.....that's why such large numbers of them don't appear to know just exactly what they are supposed to be !

[johnlandy]

I find it rather sad but it does show how one day a celebrity might be on top of the world and the next (figuratively speaking) you're at the bottom of the barrel.

I used the story to demonstrate to my teenage step daughter the frailties of life.

BTW, Paveena was well known long before becoming an MP and if the publicity generates support for her foundation why no go for it?, at least someone wins.

[AlanL1275]

She watched too many Thai Soap Opera's.

Hope she is well soon.

[johnnie20110]

No disrespect to this poor lady, I sincerely hope she gets treatment and can recover.

However if she wasn't famous would she have been visited by a cabinet minister who offered help if her family cannot afford to take care of her ? There are many families who are plagued by the curse of mental health problems and just have to get on with it.

It affects a lot of people in Thailand. Most of which are ill-equipped to deal sufficiently with the debilitating aspects of mental illness.

The prevalence of schizophrenia at ages 15-59 in the Thai population was 8.8 per 1,000

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2936278/

Hopefully, Pavena's intervention is a jump start for helping the other millions of other Thais with mental illness who are in need of assistance, but who aren't ex-celebrities.

Unfortunately, history is not on the side of that hope.

Edited September 2, 2013 by johnnie20110

[Psych01]

Drew Barrymore and other child instant stars, springs to mind, did anyone in the relevant governments help them?

I do hope she gets well soon, but instant fame does do strange things to the individuals involved.

[mayday49]

Nongkhai , It is time to make a DOCTOR Appointment ... please ...

[johnnie20110]

Why is The Nation showing us a photo of her more than 10 years old?

I don't think that is actually a pic of her, the woman in the photo is definitely not model material. Very plain and boyish looking.

It is her.

Her modeling prime was a decade earlier.

By all accounts, she was stunningly beautiful then.

There is a current photo of her which details her current status on the streets in today's Thai Rath.

[eddie61]

We are all masters of our own destiny,the weak are weak.

disagree: none of us are masters of our destiny

[pedro01]

Why is The Nation showing us a photo of her more than 10 years old?

I don't think that is actually a pic of her, the woman in the photo is definitely not model material. Very plain and boyish looking.

You mean the picture of her with "A file photo of Rojjana Phetkanha" written underneath?

[cekipa]

I feel sorry for her. Fashion world traps models into drug and drinking habits. Naomi Campbell got out of it through a rehabilitation center. I wish Yui the best recovery thanks to the Ministry.

[cekipa]

We are all masters of our own destiny,the weak are weak.

It is true as long as we ALL get the same opportunities which is not the case

[CelticBhoy]

I just watched the Youtube clip and the background music is Whitney Houston.

How fitting.

[harrry]

I feel sorry for her. Fashion world traps models into drug and drinking habits. Naomi Campbell got out of it through a rehabilitation center. I wish Yui the best recovery thanks to the Ministry.

No mention of drugs here. Sounds fairly typical of someone with a psychiatric problem. I wish her all the best. Pavena is one of the few pollies I respect here as at least what she does is real and positive.

[Emptyset]

We are all masters of our own destiny,the weak are weak.

Well, should you ever develop a mental illness - or a physical illness for that matter, since presumably you're just as culpable for that too - I guess the only correct response will be, as the Thais say: 'som nam na'. You wouldn't have it any other way, would you?

[Siripon]

She used to have coffee coloured skin and beautiful long hair. It's hard to believe it is the same girl in the file photo. I do hope she hasn't been using skin tone whiteners, or even worse something like Michael Jackson used.

[Baerboxer]

We are all masters of our own destiny,the weak are weak.

Thank you. I'll show your comments to my disabled son. His destiny was chosen before he was born,

One day you may think differently, or at least think before writing macho <deleted>.

There is no way of knowing what triggered this lady's mental illness. May have been the modelling and associated life style, could be a genetic condition triggered by something or just waiting to happen.

Hope you don't find yourself with some debilitating health condition, because you are the master of your destiny after all.

[chooka]

Is Thailand still using the term "Mental Institution" or is that just the media?

I thought use of the term was banned as it was derogatory and demeaning.

[jack1964]

This is the first time I've heard of this person, so curiosity got hold of me and did a Google search under images for

Rojjana (Yui) Phetkanha.

For some reason, I got this pic.

I guess too much partying and drugs will do this to you:

There is funny, then not so funny. I wish you would remove that photo. To rise then fall is not really something we should find humour in. (Especially depicting her as a monkey) Could happen to anyone of us at any time, and I am sure we would be hoping for a bit of compassion as well. (And I am never this serious)

[chooka]

We are all masters of our own destiny,the weak are weak.

Tell that to all the brave men and women returning from war zones who gave their lives to their country and now are suffering a mental illness such as PTSD (nothing to be ashamed of) Go to them and tell them that they were weak.

[Yunla]

"Culture is not your friend." (Terence Mckenna)

Modern society including Thailand has robbed women of their natural state, and made them into automatons which are chiselled and chipped away at until they look "right", right being a variable integer that changes from one season to the next. All my friends who work in showbiz or modelling are on a raft of antidepressants and painkillers and appetite suppressants to try to be the desired automaton, the beloved machine that the fickle and uncaring media demands. And worse still, the ladies who observe the media try to emulate this frankenstinian mold, to become as the media automatons are. It denatures and robs women of our innate magical powers that we are all born with, to be healthy and to raise a healthy child and to meet a caring partner. Those things are mutually exclusive to working in the Biz, the media is a snarling chimera which devours people whole and spits out the pieces on the way to the next victim.

My prayers go to this lady and I hope she finds her equilibrium, and embarks on a life where both her feet are planted on solid ground every step she takes.

Edited September 2, 2013 by Yunla

[Docno]

What the Nation, with its usual incisive reporting, has neglected to mention is that this lady was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder almost 10 years ago. The last line of the article certainly nudges the reader to conclude that her disorientation was due to drugs when it may have very well been something else.

http://www.thesundaytimes.co.uk/sto/Magazine/a_life_in_the_day/article859907.ece