Bhandit Rittakol: Creator of the “Boonchu” Comedy Series Dies October 1, 2009

Bhandit Rittakol, March 21, 1951 – Oct. 1, 2009, contemporary Thai film director, has died of a heart attack in Vajira hospital after a long battle with heart and kidney disease. He was 58.

He was in pre-production of “Boonchu 10” when he died and, for Bhandit Rittakol, the “Boonchu” film series that he created in the 1980s and 1990s will be what fans will miss most.

So what exactly is “Boonchu?” Boonchu Pu Narak is a Suphanburi rice farmer who, in the original movie goes to Bangkok to study. The resulting film series became one of the hottest teen comedies of its time. The first one, “Boonchu 1” spawned five sequels numbered Boonchu 2, Boonchu 5, Boonchu 6, Boonchu 7 and Boonchu 8. Boonchu 3 and 4 were never made as part of a marketing gimmick the studio, Five Star came up with, skipping past parts 3 and 4.

When “Boonchu 9” was released in 2008, it was the number one film at the weekend box office at Thailand’s biggest cinema chain clearing 15 million baht over the four day period.

"He was a legend and definitely one of Thailand's best directors," said a spokesman for Five Star.