Arwut, designer of royal funerals, passes away
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A prominent craftsman in the classical Thai arts, Air Vice Marshal Arwut Ngernchooklin, who was the chief designer in charge of the last three grand royal funerals, passed away yesterday morning of liver cancer. He was 70.
His funeral, held at Wat Debsirin in Bangkok, was granted full honours with an octagonal urn.
The service is under the seven-day patronage of Their Majesties the King and Queen and members of the Royal Family from today. The date of cremation has not yet been scheduled.
The Royally hosted bathing ritual was held yesterday.
Arwut was in charge of three grand royal funerals – for HRH Princess Sri Nagarindra the Princess Mother in 1996, HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana in 2008, and HRH Princess Bejaratana in 2012. He was honoured as a National Artist in Architecture in 1998.
Born on March 22, 1942, Arwut served in the Royal Thai Air Force as a designer for nine years, holding the rank of Flight Lieutenant, after his graduation from Silpakorn University. He later worked at the Fine Arts Department until he became the director-general in 2001, and served an extra year as a special expert on classical Thai arts for another year.
He carried his military rank even after leaving the Air Force and was promoted honourably in parallel with his civilian career, to his final rank of Air Vice Marshal.
