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Khun Tosapon Jintana was born in Phuket 50 years
ago. Known as "Tos" to his many friends, he has managed
to turn a lifetime interest in playing with models into a career.
Over the last few years, his reputation and skill have grown to
the point where he now works fulltime to keep up with orders. I
asked him to explain how he acquired the skills for his unusual
profession.
"My father gave me a rubber band powered airplane as a present
when I was only five years old. When it brokeI fixed it; then I
tried to make a plane from bamboo but it was too heavy to fly, so
I used strips of bamboo covered with the paper we normally use to
make kites. That one flew. Then I bought a few plastic kits to assemble
into airplanes, when I was at boarding school in Bangkok. At the
age of thirteen I was sent to England where I continued my education
until I was twenty-one. In London I assembled several "Airfix"
scale model planes. After returning to Thailand I continued my interest
in models, I liked to play with model planes that had engines as
well as radio controlled cars."
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"About six years ago I built a model of the second world war
battleship H.M.S. King George II. I made it from wood and it took
me a month. After that I started making models of Thai warships
and donating them to the exhibition at Saphan Hin which celebrated
the father of the Thai Navy, King Rama 5's son, Prince Kromluang
Chumporn Kate Udomsak on the occasion of his birthday each year
on the 19th December. So far I've presented five ships to them."
"Three years ago I was given the plans for a sail boat by
an English friend. I started to build a scale model and found it
so interesting and enjoyable that I began to buy books on boat building
in Thai and English; learning of my interest some friends gave me
more books about boats."
"It was just a hobbie until an American friend asked me to
build a model of his boat berthed at the Boat Lagoon. It was 1.2
metres long and my first sale. I decided to shut my shop where I'd
been selling auto spares and concentrate my energies (and he really
has a lot of energy) into doing something that I found to be good
fun, interesting and full of feeling."
"That was on the 24th December 1999. Since then it's been
difficult at times not knowing what's going to happen. Will I get
an order and when? Most of the sales so far have been to boat owners."
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"On New Years Eve 2001, I had a phone call from my friend
Don to say he had returned to Phuket. He arrived at 9:00am on New
Years day with his two friends Caroline and Dan. They liked my models
and since then I have had several orders from Caroline who works
for a boat brokerage in Texas. They order yacht models that are
24" long and it takes me about six weeks to produce five identical
models. I have tried various brands of paint and have found that
BMW car paint gives a nice glossy finish. My wife makes the sails
from the cloth used on umbrellas. My daughter Cindy also helps in
the workshop, she's very good with her hands; it seems to be in
her blood. She can produce three sailing dinghy hulls a day and
the workmanship is flawless. She helps me with other models I produce
multiple copies of; such as motorboats. These are 20" long
and take about 10 days to make.Some larger boats of a metre or more
can take about a month, but the work is easier because everything
is big enough to handle easily. Small models are very demanding
due to the small components. The most difficult to construct are
the yachts. A 30" models takes about six weeks, even with Cindy's
assistance. The paint job needs sanding with many grades of progressively
finer wet and dry paper. My wife includes batons or stays in the
sails so it looks like the wind is filling them. It is more pleasing
to look at and gives a lively natural effect. All the boats are
built from wood. I don't like fibreglass, it is itchy and smells
terrible."
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He goes on, "I can make models just from a photograph, but
if you give me the plans I can make a more accurate copy. My model
of the H.T.M.S (His Thai Majesty's ship) Jaksapgre Narubeight, is
modelled from a photograph. This 12,000-ton aircraft carrier was
built in Spain and arrived in Thailand three years ago. It is equipped
with sea harrier vertical take off planes and sea hawk helicopters,
so I had to make copies of these as well as the ship. The warship
I most enjoyed making was the H.T.M.S. Praluang. This ship was launched
in 1917 in England where it was known as the'Radiant'. The Thai
government bought it for three million baht and it arrived in Bangkok
on the 7th October 1920, eighty-two years ago. This boat has now
been cut up and sold for scrap, which I think, was a terrible mistake.
I think it should have been hauled ashore and used as a maritime
museum in Bangkok to remind our people of the days Thailand sailed
the oceans. This was a powerful vessel of 1080 tons that could steam
at 34 knots!"
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He continues with a smile, "I'll try to build a model of any
type of boat I'm asked to do. The latest request is for an 1812
French warship. Sometimes I just build others because I like them
and my next project is to build some canal boats or'barges' as
the English call them. I can remember seeing many of them when I
lived in England 35 years ago. There's something about their simple
lines that appeals to me."
I studied technical drawing at school in Hastings 35 years ago
and dreamed of being a'Red arrow' pilot. Now that I have my friends
and a close family that work together, I can earn a living doing
something I enjoy and get satisfaction from, what more can a man
want?"
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