Somchai Asanachinda

Somchai Asanachinda, also known as So Asanachinda^[1] and S. Asanachinda^[2], (16 November 1921 – 19 September 1993) was a Thai actor, journalist, screenwriter, director, and film producer. He has been a pioneer in the Thai stage plays, television dramas, and films for over 50 years. He was honored as a National Artist in Performing Arts (stage plays, films, and television dramas) in 1990 and was also honored as a Burapasilpin in the filed of performing arts in 2015.

S. Asanachinda was born on November 16, 1921 in Bangkok^[3] and grew up in Chiang Mai, following Phraya Anubanphayapkit (Pun Asanachinda), the Deputy Governor of Chiang Mai Province from 1928 to 1938 (currently the Governor), who was his uncle.

Graduated from Suankularb Wittayalai School and Prince Royal's College.

S. Asanachinda married Somjai Savetsila, daughter of Phraya Wanphruekphicharn (Thongkham Savetsila), who was the half-sister of Air Chief Marshal Siddhi Savetsila, a former Privy Councilor, in 1950.^[4] They had seven children.

In 1970, he held the position of President of the Artists Association of Thailand.

He began his career as a teacher at Amnuay Silpa School, then joined the civil service in Chiang Rai Province as a cooperative clerk. In his free time at night, he wrote short stories and submitted them to the magazine "Supaburut-Prachamit", which was published by Wit Suthasathian, Kulap Saipradit, Malai Chuphinij, and Chote Praepan. His first short story, "My Life in a Blurred Painting," was published as the main story of the issue. He was then invited to work for a newspaper, so he resigned from the civil service and started working for the "Bangkok Daily" newspaper, working with Issara Amantakul, Sakchai Bamrungpong, Usana Phloengtham, Prayat S. Nakanat. However, the business soon went out of business, so he moved to the daily novel newspaper "Wanchan" as an editor and publisher. After three months of publication, the newspaper lost money and went out of business.

When he lost his job, he went to stay at Wat Mahannapharam until the coup d'état of 8 November 1947 led by Lt. Gen. Phin Choonhavan. He was invited to be the editor of a daily newspaper supported by the coup group called "8 November" until the coup group arrested nearly 20 journalists and imprisoned them, including Isara Amantakul, the editor-in-chief of the "Ekarat" newspaper, whom he respected personally. He therefore wrote an editorial to severely attack Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the Prime Minister at that time, and announced his resignation, using the newspaper's headline, so that his colleagues would not suffer.^[4] He wrote short stories to make a living.

He entered the acting industry in 1949 after losing his newspaper job, playing the role of "Mom Chao Niranritthamrong", the hero of the stage play "Datchanee Nang" by Sakkasem Hutakhom (Ingorn), replacing Surasit Sattayawong, the original hero who suddenly withdrew.^[a][4] The stage play was a success and established him as a star in the entertainment industry ever since.

S. Asanachinda was both a writer and a director of the distinctive 16mm Thai film era. His studio, S. Asanachinda Films, was located at the foot of Tha Phra Bridge in Thonburi.

The owner of innovative ideas from the era during the 1960s–1970s with the nickname "Banana Rope, Red Pants" from the popular characters in the action gangster series One on Seven and Seven Battles, which had many sequels, Thai science fiction detective films with the cutting-edge submarine, Stingray, which was inspired by the Stingray, a puppet adventure film on TV in the 1960s, and Thai folklore supernatural fiction such as Daughter of the Sun, etc. Every story was successful, making money and having a large audience.

S. Asanachinda died on September 19, 1993, from emphysema caused by smoking. The royal cremation ceremony was held on February 6, 1994, at Wat Makutkasatriyaram Ratchaworawihan.^[5]