Yesterday, 6 Aug 2026 GMT+7, the Nonthaburi Provincial Court read its judgment in the case involving Tom Rachaneekorn Punmanee, a former famous actress, who filed a lawsuit against Pin Leelak, also known as Mrs. Phipphan Srichaiyan, an executive of Leelak Hospital and three others, totaling four defendants, over a facial cosmetic surgery case demanding 50 million baht for damage caused to her face and impacts on her daily life.
The court ruled that Pin Leelak must pay 7.7 million baht in compensation, while Tom Rachaneekorn appointed her lawyer to attend the judgment hearing on her behalf, as previously reported.
Recently, Tom Rachaneekorn held a press conference after winning the case, saying,
“My first feeling upon winning is relief. We fought for three years, during which I was a social pariah, misunderstood by many who didn’t know the full story or the truth. Only the two parties truly know what happened. I was constantly attacked and never knew the truth. Speaking out felt like throwing mud back and forth, so I remained silent.
Now I feel at ease and like a normal person again. I no longer walk the market wondering if people hate me. I wore a mask for two to three years because I lacked self-confidence. I am truly grateful that justice exists because of our fight.
I believe the reason we won is simply the truth—what happened to me, what people saw, and what they didn’t see. That’s enough for me.”
When asked about the possibility that Pin Leelak might appeal, Tom said, “That’s her right; anyone can do that. But everything depends on the evidence. They claimed evidence was submitted late, causing court delays. We have no power to postpone the court; we submitted everything on time, as required. We can verify the submission dates. The claim of late submission actually means it was already under investigation. Our lawyer explained this in English; when asked in Thai, it was confusing, so we had to translate. We are following the process properly.”
Regarding the compensation of 7.7 million baht from the initial 50 million baht claim, Tom said, “They said the amount should be that, but we knew from the start the court wouldn’t grant the full amount. We claimed what the court would reasonably award. The defendant publicly stated they would pay 50 million baht—that was their statement.
My previous lawyer claimed 50 million baht based on damages including work and other factors. Honestly, even 50 million wouldn’t cover my treatment costs. We didn’t talk about beauty but about the damage caused by the abnormal use of my face’s image. The treatment isn’t just for a year or two; it will last a lifetime.
I don’t know if I will fully recover. I am still undergoing treatment. I cannot open my mouth fully or regularly because it causes pain around my eye socket and temples. Eating is abnormal. The doctor prescribed physical therapy, but recovery is uncertain.”
Regarding a mediator, Tom said, “No one examined my physical condition, so I can’t call anyone a mediator in this case. But I do have doctors treating me. There was legal action regarding some comments filed at the police station. That was done but it’s unnecessary to discuss. It was a trivial matter, no charges or fees involved. I just want to say people shouldn’t do that. It was a lesson that sometimes you can consume content but shouldn’t get too involved. The real world is better; social media isn’t always good for us.” (smiles)
The lawyer stated, “What helped us win was the facts and the evidence we presented to the court. We fought based on the truth. A difficult aspect for Tom was the medical proof. This is a consumer case, and the law places the burden of proof on the doctor to show no negligence or wrongdoing. The court preliminarily found negligence on the doctor’s part.
The final evidence submitted was a medical certificate. This was necessary because the doctor who treated Tom after the incident could not attend court, so we submitted what we had to show she was examined and the opinion of another doctor thereafter.
We were not worried during the entire trial, which lasted three to four full days. Were we concerned about the defendant’s evidence outweighing ours? Not at all. I know which evidence to counter and which to rely on. I was never worried.”
The opposing party said if they lost, they would pay Tom 50 million baht. I don’t know if that still counts. (Asked if the 7.7 million will be paid or the 50 million, the court decides based on what is appropriate. The court has standards for damages.
If the defendant files a counterclaim for more than 50 million baht, I am not concerned. Lawsuits are not filed arbitrarily; claims must be supported by evidence. Anyone can say anything. We are not afraid. The counterclaim was mentioned at the Criminal Court. This case is complex and detailed. I only took over three weeks before the trial and had to study everything thoroughly, including treatment and procedures.”
When asked if she wanted to share anything, Tom said, “Right now, I feel like a burden has been lifted from my life. As I said, I was a social pariah. Some people insulted me with harsh words like ‘ungrateful’ and ‘liar’—words that stayed with me for years though I did nothing wrong. I spoke honestly, but sometimes being truthful was twisted into being a liar. It was very difficult for me during these three years.
Now I feel somewhat freed. I hope the rest will be handled by the justice system. I am just happy to stand again and finally say what I have wanted to for so long.”
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