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Published on September 19, 2007

Most people probably know him from his appearance in a series of DTAC television commercials that started years ago. One prominent spot showed him appearing in markets to speak with people on the street, in order to show that DTAC cares about everyone's problems.

And he obviously gained even more popularity after the commercial that featured DTAC staff as "good people".

Getting to be famous comes at a price, though.

After years of not going shopping, he recently visited Siam Paragon. Alone in the shopping mall, he met a Thai man who approached him and asked whether he was well. Puzzled, Brekke held a casual conversation with him.

The man also asked Brekke how Thana Thienachariya, DTAC's chief commercial officer, was, as if the man were acquainted with Thana.

Then the man asked Brekke if he was hungry. "No," Brekke responded, still baffled.

"I'm hungry. You have money?" the man said. Brekke said yes and gave him a Bt50 note. The man took it, smiled and disappeared.

On meeting Thana at the office, Brekke gave him the description of the man and asked whether he knew him. "No" was the answer.

And weeks later, Brekke encountered the same man in the same shopping mall. He was approached like the first time and asked for money like the first time.

But now, he did not give the man any money. And lingering in his mind was a question about why that man had approached him for money.

"Is it because of our attempt to be 'good people'?" he asked. Yeah, and you could have been excellent had you given another Bt50 the second time around.

achara_d@nationgroup.com