Ananda Everingham still recuperating from motorcycle crash

Sometimes it takes awhile for news about Thai celebrities to filter into the realm of the English, and this is one of those cases.

And with the help of Lyn of Lyn's Lakorn Blog, I'm finally able to piece something together.

On November 26, a few weeks before the release of his latest movie, Happy Birthday, and just after he had returned from an appearance at Goa's International Film Festival of India, actor Ananda Everingham was seriously injured in a motorcycle crash in Chiang Mai. His bike hit another bike and he was thrown from his ride. He required immediate surgery for a shattered foot.

Visitors in the hospital included Happy Birthday director Pongpat Wachirabunjong and singer Louis Scott. Such celebrity-studded occasions would usually mean photos of an actor laid up in a hospital bed, which seem to be customary for the Thai press, but Ananda begged that no pictures be taken. Smart dude.

He's up and walking around again, obviously, since he's been picking up awards trophies for his work on Happy Birthday.

At the Subhanahongsa Awards, he told reporters that if he can run and jump without feeling pain, he won't need surgery. If he needs surgery, it would take him two months to recuperate, which includes physical therapy.

This should not affect his biggest upcoming project, Insee Dang (Red Eagle). Directed by Wisit Sasanatieng, it's scheduled to start shooting in three to four months. He's to play the lead role in this action film about a masked vigilante crimefighter. It's a reboot of a classic Thai film series from the 1950s and '60s that starred Mitr Chaibancha. It would be Ananda's biggest role yet.

Ananda was quoted on Wednesday by Soopsip in Daily Xpress as saying the motorcycle wreck "ruined my chance of starring in an action film".

But I think he was being self-deprecating, which is one of Ananda's underappreciated gifts -- a refreshing trait in a land where self-deprecation, irony and sarcasm are not generally recognized.

Other upcoming projects include High Society with Aditya Assarat and Kalayaan with Filipino director Adolfo Alix Jr. Both of those are still in development.

In the meantime, Ananda's doing voice acting for an anime, playing a smooth-talking sex-trade trafficker in Intersection, a public-service short by MTV EXIT and USAID.

According to Soopsip, Ananda's also planning to release an autobiographical photo book, telling his life story so far in family snapshots (should be some good ones -- his father is adventurous photojournalist John Everingham). Edit: Soopsip was wrong. Actually, it's going to be a photo book of the 99 days after the wreck.

Through it all, Ananda's been supported by his girlfriend, actress-model Jeed Saengthong.

According to Lyn, Ananda turned up at one of Jeed's recent appearances and presented her with a bouquet of flowers.

And at the Subhanahongsa Awards, Ananda gave an acceptance speech, offering his thanks to the cast and crew of Happy Birthday. Lyn's Lakorn's has more:

Lastly he looked over to his longtime girlfriend, actress Jeed Saengthong, thanked her for always giving him support and encouragement, and to conclude, he looked straight at her tenderly and said "I LOVE YOU".

Sweet right? Apparently not everyone thought so, some were annoyed by his love proclamation. He is telling his girlfriend he loves her which he probably does every day or maybe every other day. Nothing spectacular. Must I tell people to chill every gosh darn day! Come on everyone, “Relax don’t do it, When you want to go to it”. I really don’t know what that means, just sing along anyways.

Yes, that's right. At a ceremony when there were actresses sashaying around in revealing gowns, the most upsetting thing to the culture nannies and squares was a public pronouncement of affection by Thai cinema's top leading man.

Well, if Ananda can make it through rehabbing his injuries, he should be able to handle the petty criticism.

(Thanks Lyn!)