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Boonnitipat says much of his own amah shows up in the character.

The building is known to have housed hundreds of destitute ayahs and amahs - as Indian and Chinese nannies were called respectively.

I asked my amah, who always managed to appear next to my bed the instant I was awake.

He learnt the language from his amah, or Chinese nurse.

Then she fell into a sort of stupor, but moaned and swore at the man in her sleep, and wailed for her amah to come and dress her shoulder.