Old King Chulalongkorn—Lampang, Thailand
Posted by: 
Ianatlarge
N 18° 17.400 E 099° 30.186
47Q E 553172 N 2022343
A statue to the fifth king of the Chakri dynasty of Thailand, in Northern Thailand.
Waymark Code: WMENCJ
Location: Thailand
Date Posted: 06/18/2012
Views: 1
King Chulalongkorn (1853-1910), also known as King Rama 5 (reigned: 1868-1910), was one of the great kings of Thailand, and fondly remembered by his people. He is known for resisting the nefarious imperial ambitions of both Britain and France, modernising his Kingdom, and reforming the governmental administration. Statues of him are to be seen throughout Thailand, and near invariably at the entrance to provincial administration buildings (Provincial Halls).
The northern Thai province of Lampang is one of the many small, quiet provinces of this region of the Kingdom. Famous for its production of ceramic artefacts, it also engages in agriculture, light industry, and no tourism. The provincial hall for the province lies a few kilometres to the east of the capital, a city of the same name as the province, and outside this hall is a statue of the King. However, there is also a former provincial hall, in the city centre, which in early 2012 was in the process of demolition. Yet, outside this old hall, in the normal position, is a statue of King Chula (as he is informally known), still standing. Now, rather than respectful civil servants and citizens seeking an audience, the King is surrounded by a street market. He now listens to the cheerful sounds of commerce, screaming children, and loitering teenagers. Most likely this statue will remain in this position, following the example I have seen in other provinces with similar "modernisation's".
The King is in the standing position. He wears a military uniform, his left hand rests on his sword. The statue is bronze, life-sized, stands on a plinth, which has a biographical plaque. Absent is his normal pith helmet. I suspect that this is one of the older statues of the King. The plinth is ~2m high, and four sided. As with most public statues in Thailand this is also a shrine, locals come by to pay their respects to the King.
URL of the statue: Not listed
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