M R Kukrit Pramoj – an illustrious son of Thailand

M R Kukrit Pramoj
an illustrious son of Thailand

M R Kukrit Pramoj (1911 – 1995) a former Prime Minister of Thailand led a long and illustrious life. A man of many talents, he was a banker, soldier, journalist, writer, traditional Thai dancer, university professor, actor, radio narrator, TV commentator, politician and the 13th Prime Minister of Thailand.

The title M R stands for Mom Rajawong, a royal title granted to direct descendants of former kings. M R Kukrit Pramoj was the great grand nephew of King Rama II.

His royal background provided the insight into life in the royal court that was to be reflected in his writing. But he didn't lack the common touch either. His characters of ordinary people reveal a profound understanding of their lives, aspirations and weaknesses.

Educated in Bangkok before proceeding to Trent College and Queen's College, Oxford University, he started his career as a civil servant in the Ministry of Finance and later went on to banking.

In 1945, M R Kukrit Pramoj started the Progress Party, the first political party in Thailand. The Siam Rath, a Thai daily was initiated by him and he continued with the paper after his retirement from politics.

He was instrumental in rewriting the Thai constitution in 1974, a year after the October Revolution. Later, he founded the Social Action Party in 1975 and entered parliament in the same year.

Of his literary achievements, he is best remembered for Four Reigns, the 1953 Thai classic which stands out as the crowning glory in Thai literature. He has written more than 30 books but the only other book that's been translated to English is Many Lives.

Some of us may remember him and Marlon Brando in the 1960's film "Ugly American" which was based on the book of the same name.

In the film, he played the role of the Prime Minister of an imaginary Asian country embroiled in a Communist insurgency. His role in this film was portentous.

He was to become the 13th Prime Minister of Thailand in March 1975 during a painful period in Thai political history when the nation was still reeling from the trauma of the October Revolution in 1973.

1975 was also a crucial year for Thailand.

In April 1975, the victorious North Vietnamese had entered Saigon, the Americans were gone, the Khmer Rouge were rampaging in Phnom Penh.

With the Vietnamese days away from Bangkok, M R Kukrit made the momentous decision to go to China. He had a historic 58-minute meeting with Chairman Mao Tse-Tung. On 1 July 1975, the day after the meeting, formal diplomatic ties were established between Thailand and China.

An avid patron of the arts, M.R. Kukrit Pramoj, who was actively practising traditional Khon dance in his younger days, initiated the Khon Thammasat Troupe to promote a better understanding and appreciation of this ancient dance form. The masks for the Khon dancers are still on display at the M R Kukrit Heritage Home.

In Oct 1995, M R Kukrit Pramoj died after a prolonged illness. With his passing, Thailand lost one of her most illustrious sons. But his legacy remains, the legacy of his heritage home, in the wisdom of his books and his efforts in the preservation of the traditional arts.

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