King Rama VI Monument
The King Rama VI Monument is a standing statue of King Vajiravudh at Gate 4, the park's southwest corner, about 1 minute's walk from MRT Si Lom Exit 1. Sculpted by Professor Silpa Bhirasri and cast in Thailand in 1941, it was unveiled on 27 March 1942 to honour the king who gave his land for Lumpini Park. Every 25 November, King Vajiravudh Day, government agencies lay wreaths at the monument.
Last updated
Fast facts
- Unveiled
- 27 March 1942
- Cast
- 1 January to 7 June 1941, at Sivalai Garden in the Grand Palace
- Opened by
- Prince Aditya Dibabha, President of the Council of Regency, on behalf of King Ananda Mahidol
- Sculptor
- Professor Silpa Bhirasri (born Corrado Feroci), Fine Arts Department
- Statue
- Cast metal, 2.5 times life size, the King standing in a Field Marshal's uniform
- Pedestal
- Reinforced concrete with a washed-stone finish, built by the Bangkok Municipality
- Location
- Gate 4, the park's southwest corner
- Nearest station
- MRT Si Lom Exit 1 (about 1 min walk); BTS Sala Daeng (about 6 min walk)
- Annual ceremony
- 25 November, King Vajiravudh Day
The monument at a glance
The King Rama VI Monument is a standing statue of King Vajiravudh, who reigned over Siam from 1910 to 1925. It stands at Gate 4 of Lumpini Park, where Rama IV, Si Lom and Ratchadamri roads meet.
Professor Silpa Bhirasri of the Fine Arts Department designed and sculpted it. The statue was cast in 1941 and unveiled on 27 March 1942. The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) looks after it.
The statue
The King stands in the uniform of a Field Marshal, holding a sword in his left hand and a baton in his right. The cast-metal figure is two and a half times life size. A plaque with the Vajiravudh emblem is on the front of the pedestal, and a plaque with the monument's inscription is on the back.
The back of the base also shows the reformed Thai script King Rama VI introduced: the vowels of his name, วชิราวุธ (Vajiravudh), are written on the same line as the consonants.
The statue was cast in Thailand in 1941. The BMA records it as the first statue of this size cast in the country in the Rattanakosin era. The BMA renovated the plaza in 2011 and brought back its original round fountain, and a new fence and new paving were added around the monument for the park's 100th anniversary.
King Rama VI and the park
King Vajiravudh (Rama VI) reigned over Siam from 1910 to 1925. He chose his own land at Sala Daeng for the Siamrat Phiphitthaphan exhibition and named the grounds Lumpini, after the Buddha's birthplace in Nepal. He died on 25 November 1925, before the exhibition could open.
Old boys of Vajiravudh College began raising funds for a statue of him in 1932. In 1939 the government of Prime Minister Plaek Phibunsongkhram took on the project and placed the statue at Lumpini Park, which had been created to celebrate the King's reign. The government built it before the statues of the other kings in the same programme.
Ceremonies at the monument
25 November, the anniversary of King Vajiravudh's death, is King Vajiravudh Day. It is not a public holiday. Every year on that day, government agencies lay wreaths at this monument, a ceremony the government has held since 1949. The Ministry of Education brings scouts and girl guides to lay wreaths here and at two other monuments to the King.
On 25 April 2026, the King and Queen laid flowers and lit incense and candles at the monument, at events marking 100 years since King Vajiravudh's death.
Visiting the monument
The monument stands at Gate 4, the park's southwest corner, where Rama IV, Si Lom and Ratchadamri roads meet. MRT Si Lom Exit 1 is about 1 minute's walk away and BTS Sala Daeng about 6 minutes. The Dusit Thani hotel is across Rama IV Road.
In the evening, a free aerobics session meets on the open ground behind the monument.
FAQ: King Rama VI Monument
Common questions about the King Rama VI Monument at Lumpini Park.
Where is the King Rama VI Monument, and which station is closest?
At Gate 4, the southwest corner of Lumpini Park, at the junction of Rama IV, Si Lom and Ratchadamri roads. MRT Si Lom Exit 1 is about 1 minute's walk away; BTS Sala Daeng is about 6 minutes.
When was the King Rama VI Monument built?
Vajiravudh College old boys began raising funds in 1932. The statue was cast between 1 January and 7 June 1941 and unveiled on 27 March 1942, without celebrations because Thailand was at war.
Who sculpted the statue?
Professor Silpa Bhirasri (born Corrado Feroci), assigned by the Fine Arts Department, designed and sculpted it.
Why is there a statue of King Rama VI at Lumpini Park?
King Vajiravudh gave his own land at Sala Daeng for the 1925 exhibition that became Lumpini Park. The government placed his statue here because the park had been created to celebrate his reign.
Is there a ceremony at the monument on 25 November?
Yes. 25 November is King Vajiravudh Day, the anniversary of his death. Government agencies lay wreaths at the monument every year, a ceremony held since 1949. The day is not a public holiday.