In memory of a true 'people's writer'Published on May 6, 2006

Allow me to be very personal this time. This month marks the 96th birth anniversary of a great yet humble writer, one I strongly identify with. Even though he passed away 38 years ago, Por Intalapalit's name still comes up when people in my circle discuss the great writers of older days.

His "Sam Kler" ("The Three Buddies") comedy series was for decades the most widely read books.

We would read his work while sad, depressed, even afraid, and it would give us hope, happiness and a positive outlook on all the troubles in the world. Por gave so much but gained so little. And ironically, he labelled himself as being among the lowest ranks of writers, claiming he was no more than a cheap pulp-fiction writer of tear-jerker novels.

Calling himself a "10 satang" writer (in reference to the cover price of the cheap novels of his day), Por did not socialise with other writers, for he believed he was too low class, writing merely to earn a living.

He measured his work in quantity while overlooking his amazing quality. By the time he died, he had penned more than 1,000 books in the "Sam Kler" series. His son Ruetai recalled that at one time, Por would have to write 20 pages a day to meet his deadline.

But little did Por realise that his work created much more of an impact than he could ever have imagined. "Sam Kler" still sells today. His fans, young and old alike, share an inclination to read his many titles over and over again tirelessly.

Countless young readers have been inspired by Por's writing, among them veteran Thai Rath newspaper columnist Zoom (Somchai Krusuansombat). He started reading Por when he was 12 years old.

Myself, I grew up reading the series, especially during school breaks and before Japanese comic books became available. We loved the three main characters: Phol, Nikhorn and Kim-nguen. These three buddies - later four, with the arrival of the scientist Dr Direk - were cleverly, humourlessly and consistently portrayed.

The four buddies experienced all the adventure a man could ask for. They would fly jet fighters into war. They would fight in a boxing championship. They would hide in a harem and make passionate love to the sultan's girls behind his back. Disguise themselves as servants in a mansion whose owners have the most beautiful daughters. Fight monsters deep in the forest. Find themselves in mysterious jungles governed by and populated with only women. Go to heaven. To hell. Play in a major soccer tournament. Become invisible and have all kinds of fun. Battle ghosts. Etc, etc.

Despite the wide variety of story content, each of the "Sam Kler" books would have the identical immediate effect: it made you laugh.

The series' gags and humour attracted readers of all ages, who unwittingly absorbed the essence of the stories. No wonder writer-journalist Isra Amantakul praised Por as the driving force behind the Thai publishing industry at that time. "He awakened in young people a desire to read," said Isra.

No writer in the 1960s and 1970s ever agreed with Por's own ardent conviction of the cheapness of his novels. He even coined a word through one of his "Sam Kler" characters, "choey", which has since become widely used to mean "old-fashioned".

Despite its entertaining style, the "Sam Kler" series carried two main themes: patriotism and compassion. The three buddies plus Dr Direk always became entangled in the key military events of the day.

Por's compassion was reflected throughout his stories. The buddies had a lot of sympathy for poor people. Kim-nguen was accepted as a friend of Phol and Nikorn only after the two made the millionaire promise to have some compassion for the poor. "It is particularly noteworthy that the characters in the series, despite their wealth, do not like arrogant rich people," said columnist Zoom.

Perhaps because of the writer's own poor, humble background, the buddies, despite their wealth, maintained a simple lifestyle. Yes, they lived in mansions with lots of servants, but apart from that, they were quite down to earth. They did many things that rich people would never have done in real life, which some critics attributed to the writer being unfamiliar with the lives of the rich.

For Por, he simply did his duty as a writer. He was sincere in his work, and his modest way of thinking led him to great stories and characters, with no intention to educate or promote any specific values. He died believing he was a low-class writer, but to his admirers and friends, he was by all means a champion. Veteran writer Arjin Panjapan said he reserved only one title for Por: "A genuine people's writer".

And if I had to pinpoint what it was he lacked that made him succeed financially, it would have to be arrogance. But then again, that's why he's one writer who remains so close to my heart.

Published on May 6, 2006