Kraisorn Leelamekin is suing his own son Petch for suggesting he is a sexual deviant.

He is also consulting psychiatrists about whether his son's behaviour warrants medical treatment. Kraisorn says doctors have told him that Petch's behaviour is 'dangerous'.

Kraisorn says he is taking legal action on the advice of doctors, and reckons it is for his son's good.

'I can't accept people looking at my family or me in disgust,' he said yesterday, while adding that he was prepared to sue anyone who made the claims, not just his son.

'The suit is not aimed at my son, but if he does not stop this kind of talk then the legal action is likely to affect him too.'

Claims that he behaved inappropriately towards his son were first made by Petch's girlfriend and her mother a few days ago.

They quickly become the latest twist in the ongoing saga of Petch's stormy relations with his Dad, which has preoccupied the Thai media all week.

Kraisorn was married to the former queen of Thai country music, Poompuang Duangjan. They had one child by that marriage, 22-year-old Petch, who left home at age 18 and has barely spoken to his father since.

The legal spillover of the row, which started with a family argument between Petch and his mother's family at a Suphan Buri temple last week, is not confined to Petch and his Dad.

Petch's girlfriend is demanding an apology from Kraisorn's new wife after she claimed the girl liked to sleep around and tried to poison Petch against his father.

She says she will sue unless an apology is forthcoming. Petch moved in to live with his girlfriend and mother soon after leaving his father's place 3-4 years ago.

On Thursday, Petch left the monkhood after a brief stay. At the time of last week's row at the temple, he was still in monk's robes, and did not want to bring the institution into further disgrace by entering another slanging match.

After early Thursday, however, he was back in civilian life, and could say what he liked.

Nonetheless, when he met journalists, Petch looked surprised to be asked about his girlfriend's claims that Dad was deviant, and had behaved inappropriately towards him.

Petch, who was still catching up with the news, declined to put a word to what happened between them, but said the unnamed activity started when he was 12.

When he asked his father about it, Dad allegedly replied that it was just 'natural'.

Kraisorn says many doctors have called him offering advice that Petch could be mentally ill. He has invited them to meet the press on Monday in Chiang Mai.

'I am not saying he is ill myself, but the doctors who have contacted me, from both Bangkok and Chiang Mai, say his conduct is not normal, and he is showing signs that he may be dangerous,' said Kraisorn.

'However, they said they needed a complainant or aggrieved party to come forward before they could speak publicly. That's why I have started legal action.

'Under the law, I am an aggrieved party seeking redress. Now, the psychiatrists and psychologists can came out and talk. The real purpose of this legal action is to encourage Petch to seek medical help.

'I am not trying to punish Petch - he's my son, so I am always willing to forgive. This suit clears the way for doctors to invite Petch to seek medical treatment - or even for police to seek a court order making allowing doctors to take him in for psychiatric assessment.'

However, Kraisorn vows he will also take legal action against Petch's girlfriend and mother, who made the allegations against him without evidence to back their claims.

Kraisorn appealed to Petch's girlfriend and her mother to let the boy go, so he can seek help.

He reckons they have played on his mind, as a cabal of students did to a wealthy tutorial school owner, Prakitpao Thomthitchong, a couple of years ago.

Prakitpao, also a former medical doctor, was admitted to care for bipolar disorder after allegedly transferring millions of baht worth of assets to the group.

Gay activist Natee Teerarojjanapong, of the group Gay Politics, will join Kraisorn's press conference with the psychiatrists on Monday. He's the one in the middle of the picture, Kraisorn on the left, and his son on the right.

Kraisorn says he knows Natee personally, as someone who attempts to help young gays in the North.

He's sure his son hasn't turned out that way, and nor has he, but he is inviting him along for whatever input into the working of a young person's mind that he is able to offer.