Boonrawd Brewery Company fired Sunit, a member of the Singha beer family and company executive, on May 19 following allegations he sexually abused his younger brother Siranudh Scott during their teenage years [1, 2]. Siranudh, 29, is an environmental activist and founder of Sea You Strong, focusing on marine conservation in southern Thailand [1, 2, 3].
Siranudh posted an emotional video in early May accusing Sunit of repeated sexual abuse and declaring he no longer wished to be seen as a Singha heir [1, 2, 3]. He said, "Everyone in my family knows it because they listened to the tape I recorded of his confession. I don’t want to stay in a family that doesn’t value me or have empathy for me. I can’t live with this kind of people" [1].
Sunit denied the sexual abuse claims, calling them "disgusting and awful," but admitted to rough play and bullying during their youth [1, 2, 3]. He said, "In order to ensure fairness for all parties, I hereby resign from my duties as an employee and executive... until the matter is clarified and conclusively proved" [1].
Boonrawd Brewery expressed deepest regret to Siranudh and is cooperating with authorities investigating the allegations [1, 2]. The Bhirombhakdi family, which controls Singha Beer, ranks as Thailand’s 15th richest with a net worth estimated at US$1.75 billion by Forbes [1, 2].
In early June, Siranudh appeared on the prime-time talk show Hone-Krasae where he tearfully described family estrangement amid the scandal; the episode has over 2.4 million YouTube views [3]. The accusations first gained widespread media coverage in Thailand following Siranudh’s May 9 video and audio release [1, 2, 3].
Sunit’s resignation from all company roles remains in effect while investigations continue. Authorities are working to clarify the allegations.
