Santi Duangsawang

2.1. Birth and childhood

Santi Duangsawang was born Charae Phuthong on January 10, 1968, in Tha Yiam subdistrict, Sak Lek district, Phichit province, Thailand. He was the youngest of five children born to Jamroon Phuthong and Wanna Sriprasoet, who primarily worked as rice farmers. His mother also worked as a hairdresser. From a young age, Duangsawang showed a strong passion for singing, frequently participating in local and provincial singing contests, often earning 5 THB to 10 THB per performance. He consistently demonstrated his talent by winning most of these competitions, laying the groundwork for his future career.

2.2. Early career

Duangsawang's talent was recognized in 1985 by Aed Tewada, who encouraged him to pursue a professional singing career. He recorded his first song, "Mae Ja Phor Yu Nai," but it did not achieve widespread fame. In 1986, he competed in the "Look Thung Sip Thit" music contest and subsequently signed as an artist with RS Public Company Limited (then RS Promotion). His breakthrough came in 1988 with the release of his album Kiss No Fun (จูบไม่หวาน_{Chup Mai Wan}^Thai), which was a remaster of an older song and propelled him to national prominence.

3.1. Music career

Santi Duangsawang's career in luk thung music was extensive and highly successful. After signing with RS Public Company Limited, he became the first luk thung artist under the label and a pioneer in their "Luk Thung Standard Hits" project. Under this project, he released an impressive 24 albums, the highest number by any artist in the series. He was known for his remarkable productivity, often recording 20 to 30 songs per day in the studio. His dedication and talent earned him the moniker "King of Sweet Songs" (เจ้าพ่อเพลงหวาน^Thai). He continued to work with RS until 2008, after which he established his own record label, Ruangkhaw Record. Before his death, he also recorded several songs with Saengrawee label, including "Rak Sao Mor Sor Song," "Duean Ja," "Ai Num Na Don," "La Sao Khao Bot," "Adeet Rak Ngan Ngiew," and "Kham Sut Thai."

3.2. Discography

Santi Duangsawang's discography is extensive, encompassing numerous albums and popular songs that defined his career.

3.3. Acting activities

In addition to his singing career, Santi Duangsawang also appeared as an actor in both films and television dramas.

• Pleng Rak Sawan Ban Na (1994) - Film
• Noom Na Khao Sao Lam Nam Moon (1995) - Film, where he played the role of Dome.
• Mon Rak Luk Thung (1995) - Television drama on Channel 7.

3.4. Other ventures

After retiring from RS Public Company Limited in 2008, Santi Duangsawang pursued his dream of establishing his own record label, which he named Ruangkhaw Record. He also authored a book titled Luk Thung Puea Cheewit Vol.6.

5.1. Illness and cause of death

Santi Duangsawang suffered from chronic health issues, primarily diabetes and kidney failure. These conditions were exacerbated by a lack of consistent medication and insufficient rest. Approximately one year before his death, he was involved in a road accident, which further complicated his health. His condition severely worsened in late October 2016.

5.2. Death and funeral

Santi Duangsawang passed away peacefully on November 4, 2016, at the age of 48, due to a stroke (เส้นเลือดในสมองแตก). While some sources indicate his death occurred in Samut Songkhram province, the Thai source states Samut Prakan province.
His funeral rites began with five days of prayers and merit-making ceremonies at Wat Boonjindaram in Pathum Thani province. Following these ceremonies, his body was transported back to his hometown in Phichit province for further religious rites at Wat Tha Khlo. The royal cremation ceremony took place on February 12, 2017, at Wat Tha Khlo, Sak Lek district, Phichit province, attended by many fans and colleagues.