Thai celebrity chef Yuwadee Chaisiripanich, also known as Chef Aoi, has been arrested for allegedly defrauding a fan in the sale of gold and diamond jewelry worth about 2 million baht. The 54-year-old chef, who owns a popular noodle shop franchise, was taken into custody while serving food at a shopping mall booth in Bangkok’s Prawet district.
The arrest followed a complaint made to the cybercrime police. The complainant, whose name was withheld, claimed to be a fan of Chef Aoi and had initially contacted her to discuss buying into her restaurant franchise. Over time, the two became close, and the victim decided to sell gold, diamond jewelry, and amulets to raise money for the franchise, trusting Chef Aoi to broker the sale.
According to police, Chef Aoi admitted to selling the jewelry to a TV producer but claimed she had not received the payment yet. She had given the victim 500,000 baht from her own funds but was unable to pay the rest due to financial troubles. The chef explained that her business had suffered after a public dispute with a former franchisee aired on the popular talk show “Hone Krasae,” leading to significant social media attention.
Police said their investigation is ongoing.