Kukrit Pramoj - Early Years

Early Years

Of royal descent, M.R. Kukrit Pramoj was born into an aristocratic family. Like all upper class Thais of his generation, his parents sent him and his siblings to boarding schools in England including Trent College. He finished his Bachelor's degree in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics (PPE) from Queen's College, University of Oxford. Upon returning to Thailand, his first job was in the field of banking; but his true vocation was his mastery of many forms of arts, including politics and journalism. Shocked by the portrayal of their revered nineteenth-century king, Mongkut, in the musical The King and I, Kukrit and his brother, Seni Pramoj wrote The King of Siam speaks in 1948. They sent their manuscript to the American politician and diplomat Abbot Low Moffat who drew on it for his biography entitled Mongkut the King of Siam (ISBN 974-8298-12-4), and in 1961, donated the Pramoj manuscript to the Southeast Asian Collection, Asian Division, Library of Congress. He wrote passionately for Siam Rath (Thai: สยามรัฐ Siam Kingdom), the newspaper that he founded. As a means of showing how Thai society adjusted to life in modern society, in 1953 he began a series of stories on the life and times of fictional Mae Ploy (Thai: แม่พลอย). who as a young girl enters the service of a princess of Rama V's Royal Household, and dies the same day as Rama VIII. These were later collected in Si Phaendin (สี่แผ่นดิน) and translated in English as Four Reigns. His unique sense of humour offered a satirical view of his age.

As a scholar, he also wrote many non-fiction works ranging from history and religion to astrology. Most notable are his epics and many short stories portraying various aspects of life and documenting contemporary history. His Many Lives (หลายชีวิต) Lai Chiwit) was also translated into English. He was a leading authority on traditional Thai culture and had a polymathic range of interests from Thailand's classical dance to literature. Most famous for his literary works, he was named a National Artist of Thailand for literature in 1985, the inaugural year for the honor. And he received The Special Commemorative Prize of The Fukuoka Asian Culture Prizes in 1990, the inaugural year for the prizes again. His works encompass many subjects from humour to drama. He was also known as a staunch loyalist and served the monarchy for his entire life. He is considered one of the great statesmen of Thailand.

His former home is now a heritage museum which is preserved; paying homage to his life and Thai traditions.