* B" v5 W! ~6 a. u" S2007-02-19+ d, e$ b6 f$ y5 @, h% i' b
# _ B; g6 {7 Q4 |" t% d, i+ i4 T0 a 7 I5 }+ B! M. u6 B" zLittle black dress lands actress in one big mess+ }! j5 g+ ^; d& G/ b
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BANGKOK - A young actress' skimpy dress has sparked a national outcry in Thailand, fuelling debate in opinion pages and chat rooms and earning her a public reprimand.3 k. M% N( R+ {. E8 O C
7 q; ]- h$ k X2 s. y3 pThe black dress in question was long, body-hugging and split from Chotiros Suriyawong's cleavage to her hip by an eight-centimetre wide slit held together by thin strips of fabric. ) M8 ^. v1 b* P v/ l " C: q8 [8 X# ? R: pMs. Chotiros, a 22-year-old liberal arts major at Thammasat University, one of the country's most respected academic institutions, wore it at the Feb. 9 Golden Swan awards ceremony, Thailand's equivalent of the Oscars. / _& v9 d$ v( g: |3 I2 I 2 @- Q3 [6 t2 \2 Q7 o1 k! p. ^The dress is said to have been inspired by Elizabeth Hurley's infamous Versace safety-pin dress, which grabbed the spotlight for the British beauty when she wore it to a London film premiere in 1994.1 g0 Y+ p- _8 v
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For Ms. Chotiros, a relative unknown with mainly small roles in low-budget films, the little black dress brought unwelcome attention. " t% g7 C6 t4 y1 {1 L4 n' o9 _9 K* z. T: {
She was reprimanded by her production company and ordered by her university to do community service and make a public apology for her attire. ) d: n a8 h5 e } ! l- P: D' V6 W/ V"I feel very guilty about what happened. I want to apologize," said a teary-eyed Ms. Chotiros at a news conference earlier this week. "I didn't know it was going to be such a big deal."