Assoc. Prof. Varaporn Suravadee died yesterday at the age of 81 after an accident in her home. The retired professor was at the center of one of 2016’s most inspirational stories. After learning that an eight-story building would be constructed next to Bangkokian Museum, a compound of century-old wooden houses she gifted to the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) in 2004, she donated B30 million and called on the public to come up with another B10 million to purchase the adjacent plot of land. Despite a tight two-month deadline, the campaign achieved its goal in only three weeks. We spoke to Varaporn earlier this month, prior to her hospitalization on Jan 15, when she opened up about her hopes for the future of the museum.
