Moht Amatyakun (โหมด อมาตยกุล)

Thai. Name of Thailand's first student of photography, who learned his camera work from French pastor Louis Larnaudie. He was the first Thai photographer and his pictures are a historic record on the way of life of the Siamese people in his era. He also studied mechanization and alloying with American missionaries, and due to his special interest in machineries and mechanical devices, he volunteered to complete the unfinished installation of the very first steam-powered minting machine in Kingdom at Rohng Krasahp Sitthikahn (fig.), the first ever building used by the Royal Thai Mint, from 1860 to 1875, after the  initial British engineer responsible for its installation, as well as all the replacement engineers who arrived later, had fallen ill and died. After successfully completing the job, he was made supervisor of the first Mint, in charge of making money. For his voluntary contribution, King Mongkut (fig.) bestowed him with the title of Phra Wisut Yothamat (พระวิสูตรโยธามาตย์). For his important role in laying a solid foundation of the Mint during the early years, he was in 1868 promoted further to the position of Phraya Krasahp Kitkoson (พระยากระสาปนกิจโกศล) by King Rama V (fig.), a title in which the term Krasahp Kitkoson means ‘Skilful Worker of the Mint’. He was born on 15 June 1819 and died on 26 August 1896 at the age of 77. His name is usually transliterated Mode Amatyakul. 回