Douglas A.J. Latchford, a pre-eminent collector of Cambodian antiquities who earned praise for his scholarly works on Khmer Empire art, only to be indicted last year by American prosecutors for illicitly trafficking in the selfsame objects, died on Aug. 2 at his home in Bangkok. He was 88.
The cause was organ failure brought on by complications of Parkinson’s disease, according to his death certificate.
A bon vivant and bodybuilding buff, Mr. Latchford was known for a half-century as a cultured accumulator of museum-quality Khmer sculptures and jewels. In 2008, the Cambodian Government granted him the Grand Cross of the Royal Order of Monisaraphon, the equivalent of a knighthood, for donating money and exhibits to its state museums. It invited him to become a citizen.
