One of Thailand’s most prominent business dynasties was caught in a bitter public dispute after marine conservationist Siranudh “Psi” Scott accused his elder brother of sexually abusing him, leading to his ouster from the family business.
Mr Siranudh Scott, a fourth-generation member of the Bhirombhakdi family behind the Singha beer empire, made the allegation in a Facebook video posted on 9 May.
On Tuesday, Sunit “Pi” Scott was “dismissed” from all positions in the conglomerate, parent company Boonrawd Brewery said in a statement.
Bhurit Bhirombhakdi, CEO of the company and cousin of the Scotts, posted Mr Sunit Scott’s resignation letter online.
“In order to ensure fairness for all parties, I hereby resign from my duties as an employee and executive,” the letter read, “until the matter is clarified and conclusively proved.”
This came days after Mr Scott spoke through tears in his Facebook video about years of unresolved trauma and a family environment that he said failed to support him.
The 28-year-old alleged that he was sexually assaulted multiple times during his teenage years and claimed relatives were aware of it.
“Everyone in my family knows because they heard the tape where he admitted it,” he said, referring to his brother Sunit “Pi” Scott, according to the Bangkok Post.
“I don’t want anyone to call me a Singha heir. People do not know the truth.”
Mr Siranudh Scott said he could no longer stay within a family structure that, in his view, had dismissed his suffering.
“I don’t know what to do. I know I cannot live like this,” he said. “I cannot stay with a family or a clan that does not value my humanity or understand my pain.”
On 13 May, Mr Siranudh Scott uploaded an audio recording which he described as his older brother’s confession, The Nation reported.
He alleged the abuse began when he was around 10 or 11 years old and continued over several years, leaving a lasting emotional impact.
His brother strongly denied the allegations.
In a video posted on the Facebook account Mild Jiravechsoontornkul on 12 May, Mr Sunit Scott described the accusations as “not true” and said he was deeply distressed by them.
He said he had “never intended to do anything of that nature to anyone”, particularly his younger brother, and expressed sadness that Siranudh Scott believed otherwise.
Addressing the audio recording, Mr Sunit Scott said it stemmed from old arguments and what he characterised as childish teasing between siblings.
The older brother said he had apologised over the matter and never expected that conversation to be secretly recorded.
He chose to respond publicly, he said, because the controversy had started affecting his wife and children, and because he felt compelled to protect his dignity as a father and head of the family.
The feud widened after Lapassalan “Mild” Jiravechsoontornkul, the older brother’s wife, shared what she claimed was critical evidence on Instagram amid a separate disagreement over family inheritance.
The post included a land title deed reportedly naming both brothers.
Mr Sunit Scott rejected his younger brother’s allegation that their mother had filed legal action to reclaim a house unfairly. According to him, the decision followed concerns that property had been damaged and outsiders allowed into the family home, leaving relatives feeling unsafe.
Mr Siranudh Scott, who is of Thai-Scottish heritage, is widely recognised for his marine conservation work and environmental activism. A graduate of the California Institute of the Arts, he founded Sea You Strong, a project encouraging coastal communities in southern Thailand to collect rubbish from the beaches.
Nicknamed “Thailand’s Aquaman”, he drew national attention after swimming nearly 30km between Ao Nang and Koh Poda in roughly six hours to promote marine conservation efforts.
He also used film and digital media to raise awareness about ocean pollution. In his short film Merman, in which he portrayed a mythical sea creature, he highlighted the damage caused by underwater waste while promoting conservation among younger audiences.
He previously served as an adviser to the director general of Thailand’s Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation.
