“Pepsi,” whose real name is Thepsiti Thapthimthong, became the breakout star on season 3 of Bravo’s “Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip” in Thailand. But some fans aren’t happy about the way some of the cast treated the bubbly 51-year-old employee, who is the lead concierge at Villa Aye.
Five days into the trip, Pepsi was exhausted by the way the housewives fought with each other. He gave a tearful confessional after Gizelle Bryant accused the other cast members of stealing her bottle of Clase Azul, a luxury tequila. Bryant wanted to search each of the cast member’s rooms to find the bottle and enlisted Pepsi to help her. Candiace Dillard Bassett, however, loudly objected to her room being searched.
“That is not my personality. I love to see people together,” Pepsi told a Bravo camera. “Right now I don’t see any solution.”
He then addressed the whole cast.
“First I have to say I’m not happy,” Pepsi told them.
“There was some yelling at the house that he was a witness to,” Porsha Williams said, providing context for the group.
Pepsi was drained by the way the housewives continuously fight and makeup. “After you shouting, after you fight, two minute, ‘Hey, hey give me a hug! Okay, we are tame. We are tame. We are tame,'” he said.
“I don’t care what is the real or fake,” he continued. “Everything that I do for you, that is not fake. That is real from my heart.”
“Let me tell you something. Just one thing. Pepsi always beside you,” the concierge added. “Always find you a solution. That’s inside my heart. I love you all.”
Candiace apologized to Pepsi, saying she knew she was one of the people who were “yelling outside.” The other women started apologizing, but Gizelle Bryant wasn’t interested in issuing a mea culpa.
“I’m not apologizing for right,” she whispered to Porsha Williams. “He don’t live here. He don’t own this house. He getting a check.”
“Pepsi’s not built for this. We need a coke or a sprite,” Bryant added in a confessional.
Fans On Reddit Defended Pepsi
Multiple threads on Reddit were created about Pepsi after he broke down on episode 6 of “RHUGT.””Pepsi was hired to fill a certain role and that’s fine,” reads one of the most popular comments. “But that doesn’t mean Gizelle can just walk all over him and not treat him with respect.”
Most people took a specific issue with Bryant after she said that Pepsi didn’t own the resort and was getting paid to take care of them.
“She’s awful, she thinks because someone is a service worker (who SHE DID NOT PAY even) that she can treat them however she wants. She’s a massive snob,” one person wrote.
“He’s crying because you all are being disrespectful and weirdos and this is his JOB. I’m glad Gizelle continues to show her ass and who she really is,” another agreed.
Others said Bryant’s complaint about the missing bottle reflected poorly on Pepsi.
“When you fuss over something missing, it’s the staff that gets in trouble. Either they look bad like one of them took it, or they get in trouble bc one of their guests is unhappy, etc. So wrong of her to push this! And for what? She looks like an idiot,” they said.
“Also Thai culture places a huge emphasis on hospitality and these people in service positions take a great deal of personal pride in satisfying the needs of their guests. He was so distressed in his confessional, it’s clear he’d taken it very personally and I was so sad for him,” a social media user added.
Pepsi Responded to the Social Media Chatter
Pepsi issued a brief statement via Instagram on April 15.
He wrote:
To all my Supporter
Giselle She is so nice with.me
But her personnel. Im find
Giselle i have a Good memory with you. You so kind to meLove you.3000
Pepsi
Bryant responded in the comments section, writing: “Love you Pepsi!”
Since “RHUGT,” Pepsi is now a bartender for MSC Divina Cruise Line, according to Bravo TV.
New episodes of “RHUGT” season 3 are released every Thursday on Peacock.