Thailand
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Page creation 30/06/2009, revision 04/02/2010
All rights reserved DSinAsia 2006-2010, except otherwise indicated
The report, published in four
instalments in this leading
English-language Thai
newspaper (April 26th to 30th),
is written by the driver himself, a
well-known Thai citizen named
So Sethaputra.
Driving all the way to the
Federation of Malaya (the
former name of Malaysia, up to
1963) with a normal passenger
car was deemed barely
thinkable, one significant portion
of the road being still under
construction. This did not deter
So, who decided to take up the
challenge, with his wife and his
5-year old son on board.
instalments in this leading
English-language Thai
newspaper (April 26th to 30th),
is written by the driver himself, a
well-known Thai citizen named
So Sethaputra.
Driving all the way to the
Federation of Malaya (the
former name of Malaysia, up to
1963) with a normal passenger
car was deemed barely
thinkable, one significant portion
of the road being still under
construction. This did not deter
So, who decided to take up the
challenge, with his wife and his
5-year old son on board.
So, educated as a geologist in Manchester, definitely adds a subtle and delicious touch of
British humour to his writing. The first day is spent cruising from Bangkok southbound:
"Driving rather slowly - not more than 80 km per hour even on well paved roads - in order to
conserve the car for future trials, we reached Huahin (Hua Hin) before midday. Here the asphalt
pavement ended, and though with the superb suspension of the DS19 we could go at 125 km an
hour, as we proved it on the return journey, we thought it wise to reduce speed to 40 km. My wife
and I took turns at the wheel, but I slyly contrived it so that her turn came when the road was worst.
Complaining all the way, she drove the section from Huahin to Prachuab (Prachuap Khirikhan).
After that the road improved considerably, but it was my turn. When she accused me of
ungentlemanly behaviour, I tried to divert her attention to the scenery, but there was little to see.
So I discussed international politics."
British humour to his writing. The first day is spent cruising from Bangkok southbound:
"Driving rather slowly - not more than 80 km per hour even on well paved roads - in order to
conserve the car for future trials, we reached Huahin (Hua Hin) before midday. Here the asphalt
pavement ended, and though with the superb suspension of the DS19 we could go at 125 km an
hour, as we proved it on the return journey, we thought it wise to reduce speed to 40 km. My wife
and I took turns at the wheel, but I slyly contrived it so that her turn came when the road was worst.
Complaining all the way, she drove the section from Huahin to Prachuab (Prachuap Khirikhan).
After that the road improved considerably, but it was my turn. When she accused me of
ungentlemanly behaviour, I tried to divert her attention to the scenery, but there was little to see.
So I discussed international politics."
The first night is spent in Chumphon , the second
in Renong (Ranong), an area of interest for So as
he explains his views about the centuries-old
plans for a canal in the isthmus of Kra.
(...) "We woke up at five the next morning. While
my wife was packing up, my boy and I went to the
garage to have a last look over the car.
Everything to prepare the car for the ordeal was
done the previous afternoon. Tires inflated to the
proper pressure. Radiator full, crankcase full,
battery full. All loose nuts and screws within reach
had been tightened. Belts properly tensioned.
Petrol filters cleaned. No visible signs of leaks in
the cooling system, petrol line, or the unique
hydraulic system of the DS 19."
"I also checked the tools and the various
paraphernalia that might be required in an
emergency. Spare ignition coil, spare bulbs,
spare condenser, set of new spark plugs, spare
belts, and tubing of various sizes. Tire repair kit,
tire pump and gauge, screw tapper for repairing a
broken crankcase, wire rope for towing, soldering
kit, chains for the driving wheels, adhesive tape,
leak mending preparations and cement, and
wires. Last but not least important, drinking water
and plenty of cigarettes."
in Renong (Ranong), an area of interest for So as
he explains his views about the centuries-old
plans for a canal in the isthmus of Kra.
(...) "We woke up at five the next morning. While
my wife was packing up, my boy and I went to the
garage to have a last look over the car.
Everything to prepare the car for the ordeal was
done the previous afternoon. Tires inflated to the
proper pressure. Radiator full, crankcase full,
battery full. All loose nuts and screws within reach
had been tightened. Belts properly tensioned.
Petrol filters cleaned. No visible signs of leaks in
the cooling system, petrol line, or the unique
hydraulic system of the DS 19."
"I also checked the tools and the various
paraphernalia that might be required in an
emergency. Spare ignition coil, spare bulbs,
spare condenser, set of new spark plugs, spare
belts, and tubing of various sizes. Tire repair kit,
tire pump and gauge, screw tapper for repairing a
broken crankcase, wire rope for towing, soldering
kit, chains for the driving wheels, adhesive tape,
leak mending preparations and cement, and
wires. Last but not least important, drinking water
and plenty of cigarettes."
(...) "Faster, faster," our passenger cried from the back seat. "At this rate we shan't get to the
stream in time." I stepped on the accelerator, went headlong into the trough of a dried-up stream,
put on the brakes quite suddenly, and jolted the boy onto the floor. The bends also were quite
sharp, necessitating hard braking and rapid acceleration every two or three seconds.
Acceleration on the DS19 was not brilliant, but the car had power disk brakes, requiring only a
very slight touch of the brake button (not pedal)."
"I don't quite know how I did it, but we reached the second tidal stream in an hour. Alas, the tide
was already high. Our passenger got out of the car and went into the water. It was knee-deep."
stream in time." I stepped on the accelerator, went headlong into the trough of a dried-up stream,
put on the brakes quite suddenly, and jolted the boy onto the floor. The bends also were quite
sharp, necessitating hard braking and rapid acceleration every two or three seconds.
Acceleration on the DS19 was not brilliant, but the car had power disk brakes, requiring only a
very slight touch of the brake button (not pedal)."
"I don't quite know how I did it, but we reached the second tidal stream in an hour. Alas, the tide
was already high. Our passenger got out of the car and went into the water. It was knee-deep."
"There were still more than 90 km of difficult driving to do, but
from now on the road changed its character. For the most part
earthwork on the road had been completed and temporary
bridges built. Most of the bridges, however, were in a rotten
state and would probably go down if we attempted to cross
them. Here the help rendered by our passenger proved
invaluable. He examined all bridges that we proposed to cross
and pronounced on their condition. Mostly they consisted of
two rows of logs, set wide enough for highway construction
lorries to pass, but too wide for our narrower track. Our
passenger had to walk in front of the car and gave me the
signal to go either to the right or to the left to keep the four
wheels on the logs."
(...) "Apart from the shaky bridges, the troughs, the humps, and
the diversions, the surface of the road itself was something of
a problem. Loose earth on the road was sometimes 18 inches
thick and the wheels sank into it as if it were quicksand. On the
level or downhill, you could let the loose earth scrap the
underside of the car without much harm if you drove slowly, but
going uphill the driving wheels would slip and the steering
would become queer. I think we owed our safety to the
front-wheel drive of our car."
from now on the road changed its character. For the most part
earthwork on the road had been completed and temporary
bridges built. Most of the bridges, however, were in a rotten
state and would probably go down if we attempted to cross
them. Here the help rendered by our passenger proved
invaluable. He examined all bridges that we proposed to cross
and pronounced on their condition. Mostly they consisted of
two rows of logs, set wide enough for highway construction
lorries to pass, but too wide for our narrower track. Our
passenger had to walk in front of the car and gave me the
signal to go either to the right or to the left to keep the four
wheels on the logs."
(...) "Apart from the shaky bridges, the troughs, the humps, and
the diversions, the surface of the road itself was something of
a problem. Loose earth on the road was sometimes 18 inches
thick and the wheels sank into it as if it were quicksand. On the
level or downhill, you could let the loose earth scrap the
underside of the car without much harm if you drove slowly, but
going uphill the driving wheels would slip and the steering
would become queer. I think we owed our safety to the
front-wheel drive of our car."
So also has the opportunity to experience first-hand the
legendary stability of the Citroen DS:
(...) "My wife was now driving. I cautioned her that on a road
like this the tires would get heated owing to the severe
flexure. She reduced speed to about 30 km an hour, but that
did not prevent trouble. Soon we smelled something burning,
and on stopping the car found that the left rear tire had gone
flat. Both tire and tube were completely ruined. The most
alarming thing about it was that there were neither bumps nor
noises nor sways to indicate a flat rear tire, and if the same
thing happened again we would ruin another tire and tube. In
fact, we did ruin another tire and tube on the return trip. I
wished the suspension of the car were not so good."
legendary stability of the Citroen DS:
(...) "My wife was now driving. I cautioned her that on a road
like this the tires would get heated owing to the severe
flexure. She reduced speed to about 30 km an hour, but that
did not prevent trouble. Soon we smelled something burning,
and on stopping the car found that the left rear tire had gone
flat. Both tire and tube were completely ruined. The most
alarming thing about it was that there were neither bumps nor
noises nor sways to indicate a flat rear tire, and if the same
thing happened again we would ruin another tire and tube. In
fact, we did ruin another tire and tube on the return trip. I
wished the suspension of the car were not so good."
"From Bangkok to Malaya by Car" is the title of the report of one of the very first attempts to drive
overland from Thailand to Penang, on the Malay peninsula, published in the Bangkok Post in
April, 1958. The car was... yes, a DS19. What else.
overland from Thailand to Penang, on the Malay peninsula, published in the Bangkok Post in
April, 1958. The car was... yes, a DS19. What else.
Little is mentioned about So's choice of a DS, which must have been a most unusual car in
Thailand back in 1958, or about his personal relation with this particular car. But in his detailed
account of his trip, he does mention the part played by the car, and by the driving experience. I
selected and reproduce hereafter in full length a few of these mentions.
Thailand back in 1958, or about his personal relation with this particular car. But in his detailed
account of his trip, he does mention the part played by the car, and by the driving experience. I
selected and reproduce hereafter in full length a few of these mentions.
Left: "The author's car, a Citroen
DS 19, against the back ground of
a mosque in Alor Star" (spelled
today Alor Setar ; from hereon, I
indicate the current city name in
brackets). "The party which made
the journey consisted of Mr.
Sethaputra, his wife, and their
five-year old child."
Below: theZahir mosque in Alor
Setar (Malaysia) today.
DS 19, against the back ground of
a mosque in Alor Star" (spelled
today Alor Setar ; from hereon, I
indicate the current city name in
brackets). "The party which made
the journey consisted of Mr.
Sethaputra, his wife, and their
five-year old child."
Below: theZahir mosque in Alor
Setar (Malaysia) today.
Above: It took a mere seven days for So and his party to
reach the famous port city of Penang (a.k.a. Pinang),
just south of the Thailand-Malaya border. The most
challenging road section, being still under construction,
was situated between Renong (Ranong) and Takuapa
(north of Phuket). No mention is made about the route
used for the return trip, except that the road along the
railway track, on the eastern coast facing the Gulf of
Siam, "(would) not be passable, even with American
aid, for two or three more years." The trip covered 3,614
km (about 2,260 miles) in total.
reach the famous port city of Penang (a.k.a. Pinang),
just south of the Thailand-Malaya border. The most
challenging road section, being still under construction,
was situated between Renong (Ranong) and Takuapa
(north of Phuket). No mention is made about the route
used for the return trip, except that the road along the
railway track, on the eastern coast facing the Gulf of
Siam, "(would) not be passable, even with American
aid, for two or three more years." The trip covered 3,614
km (about 2,260 miles) in total.
"Two alternatives are open to us,"
explained our resourceful passenger. "We
can spend the night in the car and push on
the next morning, or we can wait until half
past nine in the evening to cross the
stream. The drive to Takuapa will take the
better part of the night."
"My wife was for the first alternative. By
waiting twelve hours, she said, we were
sure of getting to Takuapa. We had no
need to be afraid of robbers because they
would not come this far. Nor need we fear
wild animals except elephants if we
closed the windows. She knew that night
driving was my weak point."
explained our resourceful passenger. "We
can spend the night in the car and push on
the next morning, or we can wait until half
past nine in the evening to cross the
stream. The drive to Takuapa will take the
better part of the night."
"My wife was for the first alternative. By
waiting twelve hours, she said, we were
sure of getting to Takuapa. We had no
need to be afraid of robbers because they
would not come this far. Nor need we fear
wild animals except elephants if we
closed the windows. She knew that night
driving was my weak point."
Above: "More than thirty streams without bridges have to be forded.
This is one of two streams which can be crossed only at low tide.
If your timetable is not properly worked out, you will have to spend
the night in the jungle."
This is one of two streams which can be crossed only at low tide.
If your timetable is not properly worked out, you will have to spend
the night in the jungle."
"But I had another plan. The stream was less than ten meters wide from water's edge to water's
edge. There was no danger of getting stuck because the bed of the stream was firm.
Furthermore, the ignition coils and the carburetor were placed high up under the bonnet of the
car, and even the contact breakers (no distributor) would be several inches above water. The
greatest advantage of the DS 19, however, was that the car could be raised about 14 inches
from the ground just by moving a lever. There was no need for everybody to get out of the car
because its ground clearance remained where it was regardless of load. Still our passenger
waded across the stream to make sure there were no stones to break the crankcase. I drove the
car very, very slowly across the water in order to splash as little water as possible onto the
engine. A few bad moments, and we had done it !"
"After we got on firm ground, I emptied the crankcase and put in new oil, for fear that water might
get inside. The gearbox, however, was a different proposition. The plugs were not as easy to get
at and I made no attempt to change the oil. Some water got into the exhaust pipe, but this did not
stop the engine. No water at all leaked into the car, despite the fact that the floor was some
inches below water level. The water in the stream, however, was salty, and this would be bad for
the car, especially on the underside and into the exhaust pipe. So when we reached the next
stream, which was not tidal, we splashed fresh water on every part of the car, especially on the
underside and into the exhaust pipe."
edge. There was no danger of getting stuck because the bed of the stream was firm.
Furthermore, the ignition coils and the carburetor were placed high up under the bonnet of the
car, and even the contact breakers (no distributor) would be several inches above water. The
greatest advantage of the DS 19, however, was that the car could be raised about 14 inches
from the ground just by moving a lever. There was no need for everybody to get out of the car
because its ground clearance remained where it was regardless of load. Still our passenger
waded across the stream to make sure there were no stones to break the crankcase. I drove the
car very, very slowly across the water in order to splash as little water as possible onto the
engine. A few bad moments, and we had done it !"
"After we got on firm ground, I emptied the crankcase and put in new oil, for fear that water might
get inside. The gearbox, however, was a different proposition. The plugs were not as easy to get
at and I made no attempt to change the oil. Some water got into the exhaust pipe, but this did not
stop the engine. No water at all leaked into the car, despite the fact that the floor was some
inches below water level. The water in the stream, however, was salty, and this would be bad for
the car, especially on the underside and into the exhaust pipe. So when we reached the next
stream, which was not tidal, we splashed fresh water on every part of the car, especially on the
underside and into the exhaust pipe."
"Even where there are bridges, you will
have to exercise great care. If a wheel
slips into the hole here, you will have to
walk more than 80 km to get help."
have to exercise great care. If a wheel
slips into the hole here, you will have to
walk more than 80 km to get help."
Averaging 20 km per hour, the exhausted party finally makes
its way to the coast city ofTakuapa (just North of Phuket), and
better roads.
(...) "Nobody in the car had mentioned lunch while we were
going uphill and down dale in the jungle. Even our boy did not
complain about hunger. Now that we had reached civilization,
everybody suddenly felt hungry. It took us just half an hour to
finish our late midday meal. Then we pushed on."
(...) "(Our passenger) seemed to be quite a well-known
personage in this part, waving to every passer-by whenever
the car slowed down. At Taimuang (Thai Muang) we stopped a
few moments for some refreshments, and two rather uncouth
young men came forward to greet him, all the time glancing at
us out of the corners of their eyes. Our number plates told them
we were Bangkok people. "When is your party going back to
Bangkok ?" one of them asked in the southern Thai dialect.
"Tomorrow," our passenger replied without hesitation. When
we got started again, I asked him why he said that, well
knowing we were going on to Songkhla and Penang. "They are
suspicious characters," he said. "I didn't like to tell them the
truth because they might hold you up on the way." So the tales
we heard about the numerous highway robberies were true !"
its way to the coast city ofTakuapa (just North of Phuket), and
better roads.
(...) "Nobody in the car had mentioned lunch while we were
going uphill and down dale in the jungle. Even our boy did not
complain about hunger. Now that we had reached civilization,
everybody suddenly felt hungry. It took us just half an hour to
finish our late midday meal. Then we pushed on."
(...) "(Our passenger) seemed to be quite a well-known
personage in this part, waving to every passer-by whenever
the car slowed down. At Taimuang (Thai Muang) we stopped a
few moments for some refreshments, and two rather uncouth
young men came forward to greet him, all the time glancing at
us out of the corners of their eyes. Our number plates told them
we were Bangkok people. "When is your party going back to
Bangkok ?" one of them asked in the southern Thai dialect.
"Tomorrow," our passenger replied without hesitation. When
we got started again, I asked him why he said that, well
knowing we were going on to Songkhla and Penang. "They are
suspicious characters," he said. "I didn't like to tell them the
truth because they might hold you up on the way." So the tales
we heard about the numerous highway robberies were true !"
"The hardest part of the journey is the
176 km long section from Renong to
Takuapa on the West coast of the Malay
Peninsula. Either the road is under
construction, or there is no road at all."
176 km long section from Renong to
Takuapa on the West coast of the Malay
Peninsula. Either the road is under
construction, or there is no road at all."
(...) "From the border onwards into Malaya, the
roads were superb. Malaya has probably the best
roads on the Southeast Asian mainland. I did not
like, as a matter of courtesy, to drive too fast in a
foreign country. On the other hand, if you went too
slow, you became a public nuisance to everybody
else. I found 80 km or 50 miles an hour to be the
general pace, and at this rate we arrived at Penang
Ferry in under three hours, including a stop for lunch
in Sungei Patani (Sungai Petani). The time we
gained, however, was lost in waiting at the ferry."
The trip thus ended in Penang, where So and his
wife, a native of that city, and their boy, spent a
couple of days. They could not make it to Singapore,
their ultimate goal, further South in Malaysia, due to
untimely visa problems.
So was probably not the first-ever person to cross
the Malay peninsula in a 4-wheel machine, but his
account is nevertheless an amazing one, by many
aspects, not the least being that he chose to do the
whole thing in a totally new and strange car, the
Citroen DS19, back in 1958 ! That's what I call
adventure.
roads were superb. Malaya has probably the best
roads on the Southeast Asian mainland. I did not
like, as a matter of courtesy, to drive too fast in a
foreign country. On the other hand, if you went too
slow, you became a public nuisance to everybody
else. I found 80 km or 50 miles an hour to be the
general pace, and at this rate we arrived at Penang
Ferry in under three hours, including a stop for lunch
in Sungei Patani (Sungai Petani). The time we
gained, however, was lost in waiting at the ferry."
The trip thus ended in Penang, where So and his
wife, a native of that city, and their boy, spent a
couple of days. They could not make it to Singapore,
their ultimate goal, further South in Malaysia, due to
untimely visa problems.
So was probably not the first-ever person to cross
the Malay peninsula in a 4-wheel machine, but his
account is nevertheless an amazing one, by many
aspects, not the least being that he chose to do the
whole thing in a totally new and strange car, the
Citroen DS19, back in 1958 ! That's what I call
adventure.
So Sethaputra (1903-1970) is
known by most Thais as the author
of the most famous Thai-English
dictionnary, which he started to
write during his confinement as a
political prisoner in the Tarutao
Island (just betwen Phuket and
Penang, incidently) between 1933
and 1944. Educated as a geologist,
he became after his release a
well-known political figure and
writer. He was 55 at the time of this
trip in a Citroen DS. The document
above shows the cover of his
biography, penned by his wife
Pimpawan, 23 years his junior.
known by most Thais as the author
of the most famous Thai-English
dictionnary, which he started to
write during his confinement as a
political prisoner in the Tarutao
Island (just betwen Phuket and
Penang, incidently) between 1933
and 1944. Educated as a geologist,
he became after his release a
well-known political figure and
writer. He was 55 at the time of this
trip in a Citroen DS. The document
above shows the cover of his
biography, penned by his wife
Pimpawan, 23 years his junior.
"This is no man's land where Thailand joins the Federation of Malaya. The
milestone in the upper left hand corner of the picture reads (Province of)
Kedah. By its side stands a toy house, the abode of the Land God, which is
unmistakably Thai."
milestone in the upper left hand corner of the picture reads (Province of)
Kedah. By its side stands a toy house, the abode of the Land God, which is
unmistakably Thai."
The '50 and '60 are a golden age for adventurous
transcontinental motorists. Nicolas Bouvier, for
example, left Switzerland in 1953 with his friend
Thierry Vernet in a Fiat Topolino; they reached India
two years later, and his description of the trip
("L'usage du monde") has become a classic of the
travel literature in French.
The document above shows a Panhard parked in
front of the Citroen-Panhard sales office in Bangkok,
on its way from Paris to Singapore, one year and a
half after So opened the way (Bangkok Post, Nov 3rd,
1959).
transcontinental motorists. Nicolas Bouvier, for
example, left Switzerland in 1953 with his friend
Thierry Vernet in a Fiat Topolino; they reached India
two years later, and his description of the trip
("L'usage du monde") has become a classic of the
travel literature in French.
The document above shows a Panhard parked in
front of the Citroen-Panhard sales office in Bangkok,
on its way from Paris to Singapore, one year and a
half after So opened the way (Bangkok Post, Nov 3rd,
1959).
In Ranong, a local man met during breakfast proposes to join the party. He will prove a precious
help in the tough road sections ahead, where numerous streams and flimsy wooden bridges
would test the DS' and its drivers' ability.
help in the tough road sections ahead, where numerous streams and flimsy wooden bridges
would test the DS' and its drivers' ability.
Update (January 2010) ! Of course I needed to know more about So Sethaputra and his Citroen
DS. More than a need, it became an obsession... In August, 2009, I finally managed to get in
touch with one of his daughters, Khun Pringpim, who kindly arranged a family reunion for me with
five of her brothers and sisters ! They brought a few photos, and agreed to share the fond
memories they kept of their father.
DS. More than a need, it became an obsession... In August, 2009, I finally managed to get in
touch with one of his daughters, Khun Pringpim, who kindly arranged a family reunion for me with
five of her brothers and sisters ! They brought a few photos, and agreed to share the fond
memories they kept of their father.
Top, left: the family reunion of So's children, held in Bangkok, on August 9th, 2009. From left to right: Patcharapim, her twin
sister Pringpim, Chaiya (he drives a BX today !), Ratana (he is the one who made the trip to Malaya in 1958), Mana (who
took the most care of his father's DS19) and Sacha (who kindly provided the photographs).
Right: So with three of his sons. Isn't that a great photo ?
sister Pringpim, Chaiya (he drives a BX today !), Ratana (he is the one who made the trip to Malaya in 1958), Mana (who
took the most care of his father's DS19) and Sacha (who kindly provided the photographs).
Right: So with three of his sons. Isn't that a great photo ?
As it turns out, So had a passion for automotive engineering,
and he was willing to test-drive avant-garde technologies before
anyone else. Before the DS19, he owned a Peugeot, a DKW, a
Lanchester, and thereafter, a Prince, a Mazda Luce, and a NSU
(for the rotative engine, of course).
His DS19 was only the third to be imported in the kingdom.
With the help of his sons, he made several improvements to the
car's delicate systems, starting with the hydraulic fluid, which
was not adapted to the heat; after many trials, a mix of castor oil
and silicone was adopted ! Khun Mana, who was around 12 at
the time, remembers very well disassembling and reassembling
countless times the hydraulic pump, or slipping under the car to
check the wheel alignment, with the help of an adaptable
wooden gauge specially designed and built by his father...
and he was willing to test-drive avant-garde technologies before
anyone else. Before the DS19, he owned a Peugeot, a DKW, a
Lanchester, and thereafter, a Prince, a Mazda Luce, and a NSU
(for the rotative engine, of course).
His DS19 was only the third to be imported in the kingdom.
With the help of his sons, he made several improvements to the
car's delicate systems, starting with the hydraulic fluid, which
was not adapted to the heat; after many trials, a mix of castor oil
and silicone was adopted ! Khun Mana, who was around 12 at
the time, remembers very well disassembling and reassembling
countless times the hydraulic pump, or slipping under the car to
check the wheel alignment, with the help of an adaptable
wooden gauge specially designed and built by his father...
Left: So asked his sons to
disassemble and reassemble his
DS19 over and over again. Without
anything close to a user manual or
any technical documentation, they
managed to understand the car's
inner logic, and even brought
improvements to its reliability, most
notably a better-suited hydraulic fluid,
less prone to leaks: castor oil...
Below: So's twin little daugthers,
Patcharapim and Pringpim, in front of
the Citroen.
disassemble and reassemble his
DS19 over and over again. Without
anything close to a user manual or
any technical documentation, they
managed to understand the car's
inner logic, and even brought
improvements to its reliability, most
notably a better-suited hydraulic fluid,
less prone to leaks: castor oil...
Below: So's twin little daugthers,
Patcharapim and Pringpim, in front of
the Citroen.
Citroen's representative in Thailand, Jacques
Paris, was reportedly very interested by the
improvements brought onto the car, and he
offered to take it back in exchange for a new
DS19, which So kept until around 1969 or
1970. So's children suspect the first DS was
sent to Paris for further analysis... Why not ? I
wonder what Citroen's archives could tell us
about that...
And how about the 1958 trip to Malaya ?
Quite a normal accomplishment for So,
according to his children, more like a hobby
in fact... He would often suddenly decide to
take the car for a long drive upcountry, or to
neighbouring countries. The whole family
would sit in the wide DS (Khun Pringpim
fondly remembers she and her sister had
their own stools on the floor !), and there we
go. The reason why Khun Ratana, 5 years old
at the time, was aboard the car for the
week-long return trip to Malaya in 1958 is
very simple: he was sleeping in his parents'
bedroom whey they woke up at 3 a.m., and
since he was awakened, they just decided to
take him along !
Khun Mana eventually became an engineer,
like two of his brothers; the other one being a
surgeon. No doubt they inherited this passion
from their father's own curiosity towards new
technologies.
Paris, was reportedly very interested by the
improvements brought onto the car, and he
offered to take it back in exchange for a new
DS19, which So kept until around 1969 or
1970. So's children suspect the first DS was
sent to Paris for further analysis... Why not ? I
wonder what Citroen's archives could tell us
about that...
And how about the 1958 trip to Malaya ?
Quite a normal accomplishment for So,
according to his children, more like a hobby
in fact... He would often suddenly decide to
take the car for a long drive upcountry, or to
neighbouring countries. The whole family
would sit in the wide DS (Khun Pringpim
fondly remembers she and her sister had
their own stools on the floor !), and there we
go. The reason why Khun Ratana, 5 years old
at the time, was aboard the car for the
week-long return trip to Malaya in 1958 is
very simple: he was sleeping in his parents'
bedroom whey they woke up at 3 a.m., and
since he was awakened, they just decided to
take him along !
Khun Mana eventually became an engineer,
like two of his brothers; the other one being a
surgeon. No doubt they inherited this passion
from their father's own curiosity towards new
technologies.