Suraphol Sombatcharoen

• Name — Suraphol Sombatcharoen • Native Name — สุรพล สมบัติเจริญ • Birth Name — Lamduan Sombatcharoen • Born — 25 September 1930 • Birthplace — Suphan Buri, Thailand • Died — 16 August 1968 • Place of death — Nakhon Pathom, Thailand • Instrument — Singer • Genre — Luk thung • Occupation — Singer, Air force officer • Years Active — 1950-1968

Born as Lamduan Sombatcharoen in Suphan Buri province to a wealthy family, he chose Suraphol as his stage name. His first hit came in 1954 with "Nam Ta Lao Wieng" ("Tears of a Lao Girl"). It marked the emergence of luk thung, a Thai counterpart to such crooning styles as Japanese enka and Indonesian kroncong. The genre also embodied influences such as Hollywood film music, American country music, Malay pop and Afro-Cuban rhythms. Enjoying popularity at the same time as Elvis Presley and The Beatles, Suraphol Sombatcharoen was sometimes called the "Thai Elvis". During the 1960s, there was no Thai performer who was better known than Sombatcharoen. Suraphol Sombatcharoen composed more than 100 songs. Among his best known compositions are "Sao Suan Taeng" ("The Girl from the Cucumber Field"), "Mong" ("Look"), "Nam Ta Ja Tho" ("The Tears of a Corporal"), "Khong Plom" ("Fake Stuff"), "Muai Cham" ("Broken-Hearted Chinese Girl") and "Pen Sode Tam Mai" ("Why are you still single"). Shortly before his murder, he released his last and most well-known song, "Siphok Pi Haeng Khwam Lang" ("สิบหกปีแห่งความหลัง" or "16 Years of Our Past"), a sad song about the end of his own 16-year marriage that reflected on both the happiness and bitterness of the union. Sombatcharoen was shot dead by an unknown assailant while walking to his car after a performance on August 16, 1968. The motive for the murder remains unknown.

Suraphol Sombatcharoen initially enrolls in the Navy as the nurse student of the navy's medical department. But he likes singing very much and he often escape to singing at night until get caught by his commander and imprisoned in the Navy prison. Then he became the icon of many inmates by singing to them before sleep. After being released from the prison, he switched to the Air Force. One day, he's singing in the party of the Air force, and one member named Flight Lieutenant Pramote Wannapong (เรืออากาศโทปราโมทย์ วรรณพงษ์), and Pramote persuade Suraphol to join the military band of the Air force, and Suraphol accepts it.

• 16 Years The Past (16 ปีแห่งความหลัง) • Siew Sai (เสียวใส้) • Khong Plom (ของปลอม) • Khon Hua Lan (คนหัวล้าน) • Sae See Aei Lue Jek Nang (แซซี้อ้ายลือเจ๊กนัง) • Yik Tao Lo Soi (ยิกเท้าโหละซั๊วะ) • Smell Love in "Pa-Sang" (มนต์รักป่าซาง) • Klin Kam Hom Chuen Jai (กลิ่นแก้มหอมชื่นใจ)

Suraphol Sombatcharoen is recorded with the occupation composer. Classed in the genre luk thung. Recorded as singer, actor and composer.