Former Prime Minister, distinguished statesman, an accomplished poet and writer and Thailand's "National Artist"
M.R. Kukrit also excelled in the arts and was an accomplished poet and a prolific writer. He was very well-read and became one of the leading authorities on traditional Thai culture and a respected amateur performer in classical dance and drama. For his literary and artistic achievements, the illustrious and respected statesman was awarded the title of "National Artist" in the field of literature by the National Culture Commission in 1985. What is of great interest about the home is that it is a complex of authentic traditional Thai-style houses that have been lived in, rather than Thai houses that have been constructed specifically for display. M.R. Kukrit's home offers significant clues to a way of life of the Thai aristocracy, an aspect of Thai society that is fast fading from the scene in everyday life in Thailand. Today, M.R. Kukrit's residence is one of Thailand's most fascinating heritage homes and has been registered as a "Home of an Important Person" by the Department of Fine Arts, Ministry of Education.
Driven by his passion for the arts, traditional Thai classical dance and drama, and Thai culture per se. During the peak of the influx of western cultural influences in the 1960s, M.R. Kukrit attracted a following of Thammasat University students who shared in his mission to revive traditional Thai art and culture and the Khon Thammasat Troupe was born. (Khon, the masked dance being the highest form of dance drama in Thai classical dramatic arts.) The main objective of Khon Thammasat, which still functions to this day, was not to produce professional dancers but to cultivate a new generation intelligent audience which M.R. Kukrit believed to be the only way to keep the tradition alive. M.R. Kukrit was also an author and actor of modern stage and television plays. He was invited to act opposite Marlon Brando in a full-length Hollywood film: Ugly American which was a skit on Southeast Asian and US politics. As a writer, his work was numerous and varied. He wrote in prose as well as poetry. He started and was sole owner of "Siamrath", the most influential opinion-paper in Thailand during his life time. He was a daily columnist for Siamrath as well as a contributor to other newspaper and magazines for 30 years. His creative writings included short stories, novels, stage plays and poetry. His scholarly works on Thai as well as Asian cultures are used as reference material in colleges and universities. He is also well-known for his interpretation and presentation of Buddhism for a modern audience, having spent sometime in the monkhood himself. M.R. Kukrit passed away in 1995 at the age of 84.
Conversely, the house has also been stormed by angry mobs dissatisfied with the policies adopted during his premiership. Young army men and student leaders had called on him for advice on political and social issues, while others marched to the house to present funeral garlands, as a gesture of their disapproval. The home is virtually a history book in itself. Being a man of artistic temperament and fine taste, M.R. Kukrit home also includes a good collection of arts objects, and last but not least, the owner being inordinately fond of plants and flowers, his collection of decorative plants such as Mai Dat and other rare plants are among the items of interest and attractions. The Traditional Thai House and Its Architectural Style The heritage home sits on a two-acre plot of land and reflects the owner's background and complex personality. As it stands now, the living quarters comprises five separate small one-room teak houses on elevated poles, connected by an open veranda, with the ground floor left open in the characteristic architectural style of traditional Thai houses. There is also a large hall for public functions a short distance away from the living quarters with a walled-in garden connecting the two structures creating the illusion that the complex is one single structure. Each of the individual structures are authentic traditional Thai houses, over 100 years old, that were transported from various areas of the central plains of Thailand at different points in time. The individual houses were dismantled, transported to their present site and reassembled in the traditional technique of Thai architecture. The first house was acquired in 1960 and had taken the owner over 20 years to complete all of the buildings to perfection as witnessed today.
The house on the left-hand side as we go up the front staircase is the bedroom. On the right, there are three separate houses - the largest one considered the centre of the whole group was used as the official reception room. The small house at the further end is the private sitting room. Another small house by the front staircase was the family shrine. A larger house opposite the bedroom was the library and at the end of the veranda is a small bird pavilion overlooking the pond and the large garden behind. The open ground floor was used as the living area for dining, an informal sitting room, with one area on the left converted into an air-conditioned meeting room, and on the right as a pantry and comfort rooms for guests. The lay-out of these buildings, as directed by M.R. Kukrit, kept to the traditional way of life of old Thailand but with allowances for modern comforts such as air-conditioning and a fully-equipped modern bathroom, added on without spoiling the external appearance. The ground floor, for example, still offers the impression of the clear space of traditional Thai houses. The only incongruous feature is the small two-storied room to house an elevator which was installed when the elderly statesman's condition became too fragile to mount the stairs, evidence that this was indeed a former home. The large hall in front was acquired at a much later date for use of more public functions such as religious ceremony, training of Khon Thammasat and formal reception and banquets for important visitors, Thai and foreign.
The Thai gardens, with its famous collection of sculpted miniature trees or the Mai Dat in Thai which looks similar but is not the same as the Japanese bonsai, the miniature mountain (Kao Mor) on the veranda and in the walled-in garden. A western style garden at the rear of the house with a big lawn is surrounded by trees and shrubs, mostly fragrant species, took far longer to nurture. M.R. Kukrit was also known for his "green fingers" and personally tended to the flora in his care right up to his very last days. LOCATION M.R. Kukrit's Home is situated at 19 Soi Phra Pinit, South Sathorn Road, and can be reached from Soi Sathorn 3 or Soi Narathiwas 7. Many bus routes pass along South Sathorn: air-conditioned bus nos. 35 and 37, ordinary buses: 17, 115, 116 and 149. Bus no. 62 pass along Soi Sathorn 3 and no. 77 along Narathiwas Road. For the sky train, disembark at the Chong Nonsee Station. All proceeds from the entrance fees, the sales of refreshments and books written by M.R. Kukrit are donated to the Kukrit 80 Foundation under the Patronage of H.R.H. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. The objectives of the Foundation are the conservation and promotion of Thai cultures, especially the classical dramatic arts. The Foundation's activities include scholarships to promising students in Colleges of Dramatic Arts, monthly grants for old, sick and needy artists, and subsidies for the training and performing of Khon Thammasat Troupe. The house is open for the public on Saturdays and Sundays and official holidays. Entrance fee is 50 bahts for adult and 20 bahts for students and school children in uniform. Special tours on other days can be arranged by appointment. English speaking guides are available upon request. CONTACT INFORMATION
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