A well-known Thai celebrity chef, Yuwadee Chaisiripanich, 54, also known as Chef Aoi, has been arrested for alleged fraud involving the sale of gold and diamond jewelry valued at around 2 million baht.
Chef Aoi, the owner of a popular noodle shop franchise, was apprehended in Bangkok while serving food at a booth in a shopping mall on Srinakarin Road, Prawet district, police revealed on Tuesday. The arrest followed a complaint filed with cybercrime police at Bang Bon station. The complainant’s identity has not been disclosed.
According to the complaint, the victim, a fan of Chef Aoi, had initially contacted her to discuss investing in her restaurant franchise. As they became acquainted, the victim mentioned needing to sell gold, diamond jewelry, and amulets—worth approximately 2 million baht—to raise funds for the franchise. Chef Aoi allegedly offered to facilitate the sale. The victim, trusting her due to her fame from appearances on Top Chef and Iron Chef Thailand, agreed.
However, months later, the victim discovered that Chef Aoi had used the valuable items to sustain her own food business, police said. Chef Aoi reportedly admitted to the offense, claiming that she had sold the jewelry to a TV producer but had not yet received the payment. She stated that she had initially given the victim 500,000 baht from her own funds.
The chef also explained that her business had faced financial difficulties after a widely-publicized dispute with a former franchisee aired on the talk show “Hone Krasae,” drawing significant attention on social media. She told police she had no intention of fleeing and had been trying to gather the funds to repay the victim.
Police confirmed that the investigation is ongoing.
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