Democracy Monument

Democracy Monument is a traffic-circle monument on Ratchadamnoen Avenue in central Bangkok, roughly halfway between Sanam Luang and the Golden Mount. It commemorates the 1932 coup that established a constitutional monarchy.

Don't miss

• A carved palm-leaf manuscript box representing the 1932 Constitution sits atop two golden offering bowls on a round turret.
• Four wing-like structures, each 24 meters high, symbolize the army, navy, air force, and police that carried out the 1932 coup.
• The radius of the monument's base is also 24 meters, marking the date of the coup (24 June).
• The central turret is 3 meters high, representing June, the third month of the traditional Thai calendar.
• Relief sculptures at the base depict the armed forces as champions of democracy, with civilians shown only as grateful recipients.
• Two fountains in the form of naga (protective snake creatures) face outward from the base of two wings, though they resemble Western dragons more than traditional naga.

Tickets & tours

Ways to visit Democracy Monument

Cheapest way inAncient City Bangkok and Erawan Museum Tickets4.7★ · 10 travelers~24 hoursFree cancellationFrom$10 per personSee dates →Best full dayBangkok Private Highlights Tour with Local Guide4.9★ · 4,594 travelers~8 hoursFrom$72 per personSee dates →Private & flexibleIn and around Bangkok Private Tour Guide with Custom Experience4.8★ · 470 travelers~8 hoursFrom$60 per personSee dates →

Getting there

Know before you go

• The monument stands on a traffic island, which makes direct pedestrian access difficult during heavy traffic.
• The reliefs present the armed forces as the agents of democracy and civilians as grateful recipients.
• The number 24 appears in the wing height and base radius to mark the coup date, 24 June.

A bit of history

Commissioned in 1939 by military ruler Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, the monument was designed by Chitrasen Aphaiwong with relief sculptures by Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci (later known as Silpa Bhirasi). Its construction was highly unpopular: local residents and shopkeepers were evicted with 60 days' notice, and hundreds of shade trees were cut down to widen the road. The monument later became a rallying point for democracy activists during the 1973 uprising, Black May in 1992, the 2013–2014 crisis, and the 2020 protests.