Abhakara Kiartivongse monument — Bronze statue of Admiral of the

Royal Thai Navy The Royal Thai Navy ( Abrv: RTN, ทร.; th, กองทัพเรือไทย, ) is the naval warfare force of Thailand. Established in 1906, it was modernised by the Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartiwongse (1880–1923) who is known as ...

Abhakara Kiartivongse Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartivongse, Prince of Chumphon (19 December 1880 – 19 May 1923) ( th, พระองค์เจ้าอาภากรเกียรติวงศ์, , full title: th, พระเจ้าบรมวงศ์� ...

- Prince of Chumphon, mounted on a stone pedestal on the high natural Pratumnak hill in

Pattaya Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi province, Chonburi. Pattaya City ( ...

, 98 meters above sea level.

Description and location

The monument is one of more than 200 monuments to Admiral Prince Kiartivongse throughout the country, but the most famous among all. This is due to the fact that Thailand's main naval base,

Sattahip Sattahip ( th, สัตหีบ, ) is a district (''amphoe'') in Chonburi province, Thailand. It is at the southern tip of the province southeast of Bangkok. In 2014, the district had a population of 157,000 in an area of 348,122 km2. Geogr ...

, 40 kilometers south of Pattaya, was founded by this admiral in 1922. He is known as the founder and first commander of the Royal Thai Navy. On 20 November, Navy Day in Thailand, and 19 May, the memorial day of Admiral Kiartivongse, ceremonies are held at the monument and military honors are given. Often at the event there are delegations of foreign sailors. Its location on the high hill, Pratumnak, the highest point of the city offers views of the

Gulf of Thailand The Gulf of Thailand, also known as the Gulf of Siam, is a shallow inlet in the southwestern South China Sea, bounded between the southwestern shores of the Indochinese Peninsula and the northern half of the Malay Peninsula. It is around in l ...

Ko Lan Ko Lan ( th, เกาะล้าน, ) is one of the eastern seaboard islands of Thailand. Ko Lan lies 7.5 km from the nearest shore, Pattaya. "Ko Lan" is the name of the island in the Royal Thai General System of Transcription. It is also ...

Pattaya Beach Pattaya ( th, พัทยา, , ) is a city in Thailand. It is on the east coast of the Gulf of Thailand, about southeast of Bangkok, within, but not part of, Bang Lamung district in the province of Chonburi. Pattaya City ( th, เมือ� ...

and Pratamnak hill, the entire central part of the city. The admiral's sculpture is set on a massive rectangular pedestal lined with black marble surrounded by figures of sailors. The admiral is represented in ceremonial uniform with all the regalia. The height of the composition is more than 15 meters. The construction of the Waterfront Suites and Residence in the early 2010s has blocked the statue's main view of the sea, causing controversy.

References

{{Reflist Monuments and memorials in Thailand Buildings and structures in Pattaya