The Democracy Monument is a major landmark in the heart of Bangkok, Thailand.
When it comes to the tourist attractions in Bangkok, we simply cannot miss out on the magnificent public monument named Democracy Monument. It was erected in 1939 to commemorate the 1932 Siamese Revolution which founded the constitutional monarchy in Thailand. This politically significant monument, located on the grand boulevard Th Ratchadamnoen Klang, consists of a variety of features such as cannonballs, reliefs, fountains and more. Also, it holds a traffic circle at the intersection point of Ratchadamnoen Klang Road and Dinso Road.
Here are some interesting facts about the Democracy Monument:
The Democracy Monument was commissioned under the premiership of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram. Mr. Phibunsongkhram considered this monument as the Arc de Triomphe of Bangkok. He also mentioned that "the monument will be the center of all prosperity and progress in that it is the start point of many main avenues".
The renowned Thai architect Mew Aphaiwong designed the entire structure of this monument. The Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci aka Silpa Bhirasi created all the relief sculptures.
For the construction of this monument, hundreds of trees were cut down to widen the Ratchadamnoen Road. This was highly criticized at that time.
The relief sculptures depict the soldiers, police and common Thai civilians who took part in the revolution of 1932.
The monument consists of four wings that represent the four branches of the Thai armed forces - army, air force, navy and police. The height of these wings, that is 24 meters, symbolizes that the 1932 coup ensued on 24th June.
The radius of the base of this monument is also 24 meters.
There are 75 cannonballs around the base of the monument. These signify the Buddhist Era 2475 (i.e., 1932 AD).
The box above the central turret represents three major branches of the government - the executive, the legislative and the judicial.
The 3-meter tall (representing the month June, as it's the third month in the traditional Thai calendar) central turret consists of six gateways symbolizing the six proclaimed policies of the Phibun regime - independence, internal peace, equality, freedom, economy, and education.
The monument has been serving as the assembly point of the political demonstrators or activists since years. The mass student demonstrations against the Thanom Kittikachorn's military regime during the 1973 Thai popular uprising took place at this monument. Also, the protests that led the 1976 military coup had their main focus at this monument. It also served as the rally point for the People's Democratic Reform Committee in the 2013-2014 Thai political crisis.
