Amnaat Luukjan

Amnaat Luukjan or better known as Pao Carabao, nickname Pao, was a Thai musician. He was known as drummer of Carabao, a famous Thai rock and Phleng phuea chiwit band.

Biography & career

Luukjan was born in Bangkok's Phra Khanong neighbourhood. He graduated from The Royal Thai Navy School of Music and entered navy service as a Petty Officer 1st Class at Royal Thai Navy Music Division. He started playing music from the trumpet, then change to drum.
He was a backup musician with many bands and many famous singers in various genres such as Luk krung, Luk thung, or pop, were
Pumpuang Duangjan, Phloen Phromdaen, Yodrak Salakjai, The Hot Pepper Singers, Don Sornrabieb, Pink Panther etc. He began to play music from the fusion jazz and pop jazz along nightclub and pub, he was considered the first musician to pioneer this genres of music in Thailand.
In 1983, he was persuaded to become a member of Carabao from Yuenyong Opakul, a band leader along with two fellow musicians, Thierry Mekwattana and Thanis Sriklindee in the fourth album, Thor. Thahaan Ot Thon. He was the only member who never sang or even support sang, he only plays as a drummer.
In 1989, the year that each member out of the band. He collaborated with Mekwattana and Sriklindee to release their first album as the title, Khor Diew Duay Kon Na in a style similar to Carabao.

Life after Carabao, he taught music to children at his home and also produced Pearl brand percussion instruments for sale.
Although he was a former member. However, he continued to perform in major concerts with the band such as 10th Anniversary Concert in 1991 at MBK Hall, MBK Center, 20th Anniversary Concert in 2003 at Plenary Hall, Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, 25th Anniversary Concert in 2007 at Impact, Muang Thong Thani, especially in the 25th anniversary concert, he sang without rehearsing for the first time on stage titled Ran Lao Rim Tang.
In early 2008, he underwent neck and heart surgery. Which made him paralyzed from a herniated disk. He lived alone in his home in Ladprao neighbourhood. On October 22, 2009, he was sentenced to bankruptcy. He died near midnight on July 14, 2017, from a hemorrhagic stroke, aged 68 years. The cremation ceremony took place on July 22 the same year at Wat Ladprao.
The film Young Bao The Movie released in 2013 contained a story about Carabao at the beginning of their career. His character was represented by Somchai "Tao" Kemglad.