The Court of Appeal's recent ruling to drop the murder charge against Noppadol Thammawattana has helped him reconcile with some of his siblings.
Aside from clearing his name, the ruling yesterday brought several relatives back to his side.
Noppadol's younger sisters Kaneungnij Thammawattana and Naruemol Mangkorn-panich presented him with a flower garland and asked him to forgive them.
They said they had misunderstood him for up to 11 years.
The apology was made in public as part of the press conference called by Noppadol.
"We are here together not for image making. It's just that my sisters have now understood me," he said.
Noppadol was a prime suspect in the alleged murder of politician Hangthong Thammawattana in September 1999. The family has a huge fortune, including the lucrative Yingcharoen Market near Don Muang. It has also been plagued by many killings.
Hangthong was found dead in his luxury home with a gunshot wound to the head. His brother Noppadol was charged with murder five years later, but despite three autopsies, forensic experts differed over whether the MP's death was suicide or a deliberate killing.
The Court of Appeal decided last week to drop the charges against Noppadol, citing a lack of adequate evidence.
"The evidence and court rulings have cleared my name," Noppadol said yesterday.
He said he hoped his other relatives, apparently referring to his brother Parinya, would be feel differently.
"Greed might have eclipsed the conscience of some of my siblings," Noppadol said. His younger brother Parinya now oversees Yingcharoen Market.
Naruemol said she felt so sorry for what had happened to her family, and claimed she had been duped into giving up control of family properties.
"I am so sorry that I took sides with the wrong guy and left my elder brother Noppadol as a suspect in the eyes of society for so long."
Kaneungnij also criticised Parinya for raising rental fees vendors in the Yingcharoen Market must pay. Many vendors from the market showed up to express support for Noppadol. They said they wanted him and his sisters to take over running of the market.
Noppadol also criticised Khunying Dr Porntip Rojanasunand, who is director of Central Institute of Forensic Science, alleging that she had tried to frame him after she conducted the second autopsy on Hangthong's body, when the case was reinvestigated.
Porntip hit back yesterday, challenging Noppadol to file a court complaint against her if he really thought she done wrong. "I've never said that Noppadol killed Hangthong. But clearly, Hangthong didn't kill himself," Porntip said.