Kukrit Pramoj, a former Prime Minister of Thailand who steered the country through a difficult and politically dangerous period after the end of the Vietnam War, died yesterday in Bangkok. He was 84 and had been hospitalized for heart disease and diabetes.
Mr. Kukrit -- who was usually addressed with the noble title of Mom Rajawong because he was the son of a royal prince -- was one of Thailand's most colorful, outspoken and versatile characters. He co-founded a newspaper and wrote political commentary, mastered classical Thai dancing and opened a school to teach it to younger generations, acted in a film -- "The Ugly American" with Marlon Brando -- and remained an unashamedly opinionated elder statesman until the end of his life.
It was as a defender of nascent Thai democracy in the 1970's that Mr. Kukrit is best remembered by historians of contemporary Southeast Asia. Prime Minister for only 14 months in 1975-1976, he faced the collapse of South Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia to Communist movements, which many believed would soon threaten Thailand.