Thanadsri Svasti

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Siam
Died27 August 2019(2019-08-27) (aged 92)
Bangkok
, Thailand
NationalityThai
Occupations
  • Food writer
  • singer
  • radio and television broadcaster
Notable work"Shell Chuan Chim"
Spouses
M.L. Pra-on Malakul
​
​
(m. 1952; div. 1958)​
Rojana Svasti Na Ayudhya
​
​
(m. 1962; died 2019)​
Children
  • Mom Luang
    Sirichalerm Svasti
  • Mom Luang Permvut Svasti
  • Mom Luang Parson Svasti [th]
Parents
AwardsNational Artist

Mom Rajawongse Thanadsri Svasti[a] (Thai: หม่อมราชวงศ์ถนัดศรี สวัสดิวัตน์, RTGS: Thanatsi Sawatdiwat, 28 May 1927 – 27 August 2019) was a Thai writer, singer, broadcaster and actor, best known as a culinary expert and for his food writing, especially the "Shell Chuan Chim" (เชลล์ชวนชิม) food guide.

Thanadsri grew up in the royal

Suntaraporn band. As a singer, he recorded over 200 songs. He had a brief television acting career, before becoming known as a food columnist—"Shell Chuan Chim" was extremely influential and propelled the businesses of many restaurants—and a radio and television presenter. In recognition of his musical career, he was named a National Artist
in performing arts in 2008.

Early life

Thanadsri was born on 28 May 1927[b][2] at Phetchabun Palace in Bangkok. He was the second of three children, and the elder son, of Prince Chalermsri Svastivatana[c] and his wife Mom Charoen.[d][3] As a grandnephew of Queen Savang Vadhana,[e] Thanadsri was brought up in Sa Pathum Palace in the company of princes Ananda Mahidol and Bhumibol Adulyadej, both of whom would later become kings.[f][4] Thanadsri grew up observing the culinary practices and traditions of the royal palace, his paternal grandmother Mom Lamun being head of the Sa Pathum palace kitchens and his mother also working the royal kitchens for Queen Saovabha Phongsri.[g][5] He attended Rajini School until the age of ten, and then went to the Horwang Secondary School of Chulalongkorn University before graduating secondary school from Debsirin School.[6]

Thanadsri's father had wished for him to follow a military career, but following the

abolition of absolute monarchy in 1932, the country's military colleges refused to admit people of royal bloodline.[7] Thanadsri instead attended Thammasat University (then known as the University of Moral and Political Sciences), finishing pre-collegiate studies at the university's preparatory school in 1942, just as World War II reached Thailand.[2]

Music and media career

At Thammasat, Thanadsri had broadened his social circle, and was exposed to the hardship faced by many of his friends. He began singing for money with them, and soon joined the

Suntaraporn band, having been introduced by the band leader Eua Sunthornsanan's wife, who was a classmate. Thanadsri toured with the band as classes were put on hold during the war, and began singing on stage. He became a regular singer for the Publicity Department's (now the Public Relations Department) nine-o'clock wartime radio broadcast, often standing in for Eua himself.[5]

Following the war, Thanadsri worked briefly as a clerk for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and travelled to England to study law. (He did not complete his undergraduate degree at Thammasat.) However, he was more occupied by nightlife and entertainment, and neglected his studies, of which he joked that instead of graduating as a barrister, he became a bartender.[7] While in London, he also worked as a radio broadcaster for the Thai-language programming of the BBC.[1]

After returning from England, Thanadsri pursued a career in the growing media industry. He continued singing with Suntaraporn, and made over 200 recordings throughout his lifetime.

Channel 4 Bang Khun Phrom, Thailand's first television station, as the lead actor in the country's first televised soap operas in 1956. He also served as a scriptwriter, presenter and producer.[3] Later, from the late 1970s, he presented several radio and television programmes, including the talk show Khrop Chakkrawan (ครอบจักรวาล) and the student quiz show Kanbin Thai Khai Chakkrawan (การบินไทยไขจักรวาล), both of which he presented for over twenty years.[5]

"Shell Chuan Chim"

Thipsamai in Bangkok, with the Shell Chuan Chim sign (top-left)

Thanadsri is probably best known for his food review column, "Shell Chuan Chim", which was first published in 1961. Prince

Matichon Weekly.[9]

Thanadsri travelled throughout the country, visiting restaurants and recommending venues that offered great-tasting food, writing under the pen name Thanat So (ถนัดศอ). The column became known as a guarantee of excellence, and was extremely influential; many businesses became great successes thanks to Thanatsri's reviews. Recommended establishments were allowed to put up the Shell Chuan Chim sign; its distinctive bowl logo was adopted in 1982.[1][9]

Thanatsri penned the weekly column until January 2012, when Shell ended the programme. After that, he continued writing under a new column name, "Thanadsri Chuan Chim".[9] Aside from the review column, he also broadcast and wrote extensively on food and Thai cuisine.[10]

Family and later life

Thanadsri's first marriage was to Mom Luang Pra-on née Malakul, with whom he had two sons: Mom Luang

Sirichalerm and Mom Luang Permvut. They later divorced, and Thanadsri remarried to Rojana née Suanrat. They had one son together: Mom Luang Parson. He and his family lived at Sukhothai Palace during his early married life.[7] Two of his sons, Sirichalerm (better known as McDang) and Parson, have taken after their father and pursued careers in the culinary industry.[5]

Late in life, Thanadsri had a stroke and was diagnosed with dementia; he was declared legally incapacitated in January 2019.[11] In August, he was diagnosed with cholangiocarcinoma and died on 27 August 2019, aged 92, at Paolo Hospital in Bangkok.[6]

Recognition

Thanadsri is recognized as having been an expert in Thai cuisine and for his contributions to the musical arts and broadcast industries. In recognition of his musical career and contributions to the luk krung genre, he was named National Artist in performing arts (modern Thai music) in 2008.[2] He also received several awards for his work in television, and received honorary doctorates, in journalism and in communication arts, respectively, from Thammasat University in 1985 and Dhurakij Pundit University in 1996.[2][10] As a National Artist, he was made a Companion (Fourth Class) of The Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn in 2009.[12]

Notes

  1. mom luang are Thai honorific hereditary titles
    denoting a royal bloodline.
  2. ^ Some sources say 1926.[1]
  3. ^ Chalermsri was a son of Prince Svasti Sobhana, himself a son of King Mongkut (Rama IV, r. 1851–1868) and half-brother of King Chulalongkorn (Rama V, r. 1868–1910).
  4. Mom
    is a title for a commoner wife of a prince.
  5. ^ Savang Vadhana was a sister of Svasti Sobhana, and a consort to Chulalongkorn.
  6. ^ Ananda and Bhumibol were both grandsons of Savang Vadhana.
  7. ^ Saovabha was the highest-ranking of Chulalongkorn's four queens.

References

  1. ^ a b c d "National Artist MR Thanadsri Svasti passes away". Bangkok Post. 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  2. ^ a b c d e "ศิลปินแห่งชาติ: หม่อมราชวงศ์ถนัดศรี สวัสดิวัตน์". National Artist website. Ministry of Culture. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  3. ^ a b "สิ้น "ม.ร.ว.ถนัดศรี" ศิลปินแห่งชาติ". Thai News Agency (in Thai). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  4. ^ "Royal Companion". Bangkok Post. 20 October 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d "เปิดตำนานอาลัย..คุณชายนักชิม "หม่อมถนัดศรี" ศิลปินแห่งชาติ "ผมใช้ชีวิตแบบง่ายที่สุด"". Manager Online (in Thai). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  6. ^ a b "ปิดตำนานเชลล์ชวนชิม "หม่อมราชวงศ์ถนัดศรี" ถึงแก่กรรม". Thairath Online (in Thai). 27 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  7. ^ a b c อรวรรณ บัณฑิตกุล (May 2003). "ชีวิตที่เกินคำบรรยาย". Manager (in Thai). Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  8. ISBN 9789814217125
    . Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  9. ^ a b c ม.ร.ว.ถนัดศรี สวัสดิวัตน์ (26 February 2012). "ตำนาน 50 ปี เชลล์ชวนชิม". Thairath (in Thai). Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  10. ^ a b Thai PBS (17 May 2015). สยามศิลปิน : "หม่อมราชวงศ์ถนัดศรี สวัสดิวัตน์" ศิลปินครอบจักรวาล (in Thai). Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  11. ^ "ประกาศศาลเยาวชนและครอบครัวกลาง เรื่อง ศาลมีคำสั่งให หม อมราชวงศ ถนัดศรี สวัสดิวัตน... เป นคนไรความสามารถ..." (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette. 136 (29D): 33. 18 April 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 28 August 2019.
  12. ^ "ประกาศสำนักนายกรัฐมนตรี เรื่อง พระราชทานเครื่องราชอิสริยาภรณ์อันเป็นที่สรรเสริญยิ่งดิเรกคุณาภรณ์ เนื่องในโอกาสพระราชพิธีเฉลิมพระชนมพรรษา ประจำปี 2552" (PDF). Royal Thai Government Gazette (in Thai). 126 (17B): 1. 5 December 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 15 February 2010.
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