Doubts over Dr Prakitpao Thomthitchong's admission to Srithanya Hospital, a mental institution, mounted yesterday, after evidence showed that he was sent there while preparing to sign divorce papers.

Prakitpao runs a tutorial business that reportedly earns him more than Bt100 million a year.

Backed by his mother and elder brother, his wife Alisa has insisted that Prakitpao is mentally ill.

Pemmika Veerachatraksit, who has been very close to Prakitpao for nine years, had complained to police that Prakitpao was forced to undergo mental treatment despite being perfectly sane.

Thawatchai Kaewkongka, an assistant district officer at Nakhon Pathom's Buddhamondhol District Office, confirmed that Prakitpao showed up for the divorce at 10am on February 19. Hours later, he was admitted to Srithanya Hospital as a mental patient under murky circumstances.

"I was shocked when I saw news reports that he was sent to Srithanya," Thawatchai said.

Prakitpao had produced documents required for the divorce like his national identity card and household registration when they met last Monday, Thawatchai said.

"He just forgot to bring along the marriage certificate. So, he said he would go home to get it and come back. His house is not far from our district office," Thawatchai said.

Prakitpao never returned.

"Instead, his mother showed up saying that the family had already talked it over and didn't want the divorce anymore," Thawatchai said.

Buddhamondhol District chief Sujin Chaichumsak said Prakitpao had told him about the divorce plan.

Another official at the office, who asked not to be named, said he knew Prakitpao well and did not believe he had mental problems.

Pemmika, 24, had told police that Prakitpao called her from the hospital asking for help last Tuesday. Yesterday, a hospital employee said Prakitpao borrowed his cell phone but he didn't know whom Prakitpao was calling.

Pemmika's fight for Prakitpao's release from the hospital attracted media attention.

Police acted on her complaint and the Criminal Court has summoned Srithanya Hospital's director, Dr Kiatipoom Wongrajit, and Prakitpao to a hearing tomorrow.

Prakitpao's wife Alisa is seeking to have the court summons annulled.

Kiatipoom yesterday said he would report to the court tomorrow.

He also said Public Health Minister Mongkol na Songkhla had advised him to ask a neutral agency to form a panel of psychiatrists to give a second opinion on Prakitpao's mental state.

"So, I have written to the chairman of the Royal College of Psychiatrists to help establish a panel," Kiatipoom said.

At Srithanya, Prakitpao is under the charge of Dr Paitoon Samudsin who declined to predict whether his patient would report to the court along with Kiatipoom.

Paitoon spoke to the media for the first time with the consent of Prakitpao's mother.

"He remains paranoid and afraid that someone is going to harm him," Paitoon said. Prakitpao could appear very normal to other people and only those close to him could detect that he was acting strangely, he said.

Prakitpao was found with a very high level of ephedrine in his urine upon his admission to Srithanya on February 19, Paitoon said, adding that ephedrine, though included in some medicines, could cause death in some cases.

He said it should be investigated how Prakitpao came to have such a high level of ephedrine.

"As for the treatment, it's best to leave paranoid patients in peaceful and safe circumstances," Paitoon said.

Pemmika earlier claimed that a friend of Prakitpao's elder brother had given Prakitpao the drug that turned him into a dazed individual.

Prakitpan, an elder brother of Prakitpao, yesterday admitted that he knew a doctor at Srithanya but he said it was a deputy director of the hospital himself who took up Prakitpao's case.

He also denied Pemmika's claim that Prakitpao upset his family when he asked to take control of the Applied Physics tutorial school late last year.

"This is our family business. But for more than 10 years, my younger brother has come in to help. All of our family members are happy about his help. He has indeed worked hard and if he wants a larger share of the profits, I couldn't agree more," Prakitpan said.

He suspected ill-intentioned people had plotted against his family.

"Once my brother's wife received a phone call that my brother has already prepared a will to give his inheritance to the caller," Prakitpan said without naming anyone.

Prakitpan said he had the right to be worried that if those ill-intentioned people took Prakitpao away and Prakitpao died, that will would take effect.

"I have to put up a fight not allowing them to take my brother away," Prakitpan said.

He said out of kindness, Prakitpao allowed Pemmika into his home when she was still a secondary-school student after she claimed that she had family problems.

"Back then, she did not use this name," Prakitpan said.

Dr Taweesilp Wissanuyothin, the Public Health Ministry's spokesman, said psychiatrists were usually asked to stand as expert witnesses in inheritance disputes involving the mental capacity of patients who were old already.