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A magnificent view of the
house
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| Dear Mom and Dad, |
How are you
doing? Hope you're fine. I'm having a great time
in Bangkok, Thailand. Nim and her family are taking
good care of me. I'm writing this letter in accordance
with your wish to report what I've done during
my vacation.
Yesterday, Nim and I paid an impressive visit
to a traditional Thai house in Bangkok which is
designated by the Department of Fine Arts as a
Home of Important Person. You know I like
this style of old house a lot. And this one was
a home once occupied by a VIP, not Thai houses
displayed in exhibitions. I was kind of excited
to get inside it. This house, in Soi Suan Phlu
(Betel trees), formerly belonged to M.R.*
Kukrit Pramoj, the 13th Prime Minister of Thailand
(1974-1975). Before I go into details of the home,
I'll briefly tell you his background. |
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The garden in front of the
cluster of
buildings.
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| M.R. Kukrit Pramoj
was born in 1911 as a member of a princely family
on his father's side (Brigadier General Prince
Khamrob) and one of the most prominent families
(Bunnag) on his mother's side. When he was fifteen
years old, M.R. Kukrit went to study in England.
He graduated with an honours degree in Philosophy,
Politics and Economics (PPE) from Oxford. M.R.
Kukrit, was a man of many talents. He used to
be a lance corporal in the Thai army in WWII.
In 1988, he was promoted to major-general. He
changed his career from banking, university lecturing,
writing to politics. In 1950, he established and
was the sole owner of the Siam Rath, a
Thai evening newspaper most influential for decades.
Also, the once powerful political party, Social
Action, now defunct, was set up by him in
1974. |
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The portrait of the house's
owner
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| That's not all,
Mom. M.R. Kukrit was also excellent in many kinds
of art such as writing and khon performing.
Khon is the highest form of dance drama
in Thai classical dramatic arts. It was him who
set up Khon performing troupe at Thammasat
University, one of the leading higher educational
institutions of Thailand. He also co-starred with
Marlon Brando in a Hollywood film The Ugly
American. |
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Inside the
Thai-style pavilion
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Another accomplishment that
marked his genius was the fact that he was awarded
the title of National Artist in the field of literature
by the National Culture Commission in 1985. When
M.R. Kukrit became very ill in 1987, his Siam
Rath readers and his former students showed
concerns about his health. And they lost this
great statesman when he passed away in 1995 at
the age of 84.
The Kukrit 80 Foundation has opened the
house to the public in order to offer a glimpse
into a traditional Thai life, as well as the simplicity
of M.R. Kukrit's way of life. During his heyday,
journalists would crowd his house every time the
national politics became turbulent because many
political crises were solved here. Moreover, a
number of Thammasat students came here to practise
khon. Indeed, this residence always welcomed
all comers since M.R. Kukrit himself was always
open to new challenges.
Situated on a five-rai (nearly two acres) parcel
of land, M.R. Kukrit's home consists of a cluster
of five separate traditional Thai houses on stilts.
They were bought from different places, taken
down to pieces, and then put together at the present
site. All houses are connected to each other by
an open platform at the centre. A large Thai-style
pavilion used for public functions is connected
to the living cluster by a naturally-arranged
garden which boasts famous collections of trained
trees or Mai Dat in Thai. Their appearances
are similar to but larger than the Japanese bonsai.
On the ground floor of the cluster, which is paved
with ceramic tiles, is a dining table which was
used not only to have meals but also to receive
guests. There is also a wooden desk where M.R.
Kukrit sat to write his articles and novels. Many
biting traces on the chairs show how much he loved
his dogs. A Chinese painting depicting him and
his two dogs, Sua Bai and Sam Si
is hung not far from the dining table.
The upstairs is divided into a bedroom, a living
room, a library, a room for recreation and a room
for Buddha images. Each room, actually, is a small
house (ruen in Thai). Walking up the stairs,
on the right-hand side is the principal house
named Ruen Khun Ya (Grandmother's House),
serving as the official reception room. |
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This is the largest and was the first house among
the five that M.R. Kukrit bought. Here, I noticed
three pieces of gold leaf on one of the door.
The guide explained that, during the time M.R.
Kukrit was the Prime Minister, there once was
a police invasion because of some misunderstanding
in his policies. |
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Ruen Khun Ya
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| They
not only destroyed his properties, but also fired
into the house and the bullets hit this door.
After that, oil oozed from it. No matter how often
the maids cleaned it, there still was oil. Therefore,
everybody assumed that this happened because the
spirit of the old lady who was the previous owner
of the house got shocked from the shot. Finally,
the phenomenon ceased when M.R. Kukrit invited
monks to the house to chant auspicious verses
and to receive a meal as well as other offerings. |
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The display
of ceramic
collections at Ho Khwang
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Dad,
have you ever heard about this? Oil oozes from
wood! How strange! Nim must have read my mind.
She told me this was one of Thai superstitious
beliefs. No one can prove it but no one totally
denies it. So, Thai people do whatever makes them
feel comfortable, like having monks chanting sutras
in the house as it is a way to make merit as well.
Many precious items are kept in this house. The
most interesting objects is the lion-leg bed assumed
to have been used by King Rama II for taking a
rest in daytime. The King used to sit here directing
his dancing troupe. (King Rama II was a performing
art genius. The dramatic performances directed
by him were regarded the most harmonious ones.)
Next, I walked to the smaller house on the left
called Ho Khwang where M.R. Kukrit used
as a private place for relaxation. |
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A corner in the library
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Collections
of ceramics are on display. And oh! I almost forgot,
the room for Buddha images is on the right of
Ruen Khun Ya. Although I don't know much
about Buddha images except for the one in the
meditation posture, I do admire their serene beauty.
Nim elaborated on the meanings of each attitude
to me, so I got a clearer understanding about
Buddhism. Anyway, I'm not going to explain the
details in this letter as it would surely make
the story too long.
Let me get back to the residence. Now comes the
turn of my favourite room, the library. The guide
told me that the books on the shelves were only
part of the whole. Many kinds of books, ranging
from fictions to philosophy are the sound evidence
of his wide interests. |
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The bedroom
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Opposite
the library is the bedroom which is very ordinary,
so anyone expecting to see luxurious furniture
must be disappointed. The guide said that the
bathroom was inside too but it couldn't be seen
from the door.
Greenery is the definition of the residence's
surroundings. A lot of Thai plants, flowers and
trees of which I couldn't remember the names are
around the house, even on the upstairs. Nim and
I lingered in the garden for some time, strolling,
chatting and admiring the oriental flowers. It
is quite hard to believe that this peaceful house
is situated in the heart of Bangkok.
Well, I hope you will like this home too. I also
enclose photos so that you will see how magnificent
the home is. Anyway, I feel so tired now, I'd
better go to bed. I'll tell you more in my next
letter. |
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With love,
Your Betty.
3 May 2003
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*The
king's children are titled Chaofa (or
Chaofachai for a prince and Chaofaying
for a princess). A Chaofa's children
are Phra-ong Chao (which is also used
for a king's son from a mother who has no royal
blood). A Phra-ong Chao's children are
Mom Chao, whose children are Mom
Ratchawong (M.R.), whose children are Mom
Luang, whose children become commoners, who
then use such family names as "na Ayutthaya"
as a sign of their royal ancestry. Actually,
M.R.Kukrit was a great-grandson of King Rama
II and an uncle of the present King
- The home can be reached from Soi Sathon
3 or Soi Narathiwat 7. For skytrain riders,
please get off at Chong Nonsi Station.
- Open to the public on Saturdays, Sundays,
and official holidays. Special visits on weekdays
can be arranged by making appointment in advance.
- Admission fee: 50 baht per person, 20
baht for pupils and students in uniform
- For more information, Tel: 0 2286 8185
Fax: 0 2679 3630.
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