The construction of the King Vajiravudh statue was initiated by Vajiravudh College Alumni Association in 1932. The association planned to raise funds from donations from Vajiravudh College alumni and erect the late King’s statue at the college. However, when news about the project began to spread, Thai people who loved and respected the late King also began donating and a large fund was raised for the project. The alumni association changed the location for the monument to one that was more accessible to the public, and proposed to the government to take over the project.
The administration of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram (Marshal P.) approved the proposal and issued an Announcement of the Prime Minister’s Office regarding the construction of the King Vajiravudh monument on 9 January 1939. Part of the announcement stated:
“The Cabinet unanimously agrees to build a statue of King Vajiravudh who was highly virtuous and performed his duties which historically benefitted the country. The statue will be a memorial that represents the loyalty and gratitude of the Thai people to the late King and it will be a permanent reminder of his achievements.”
“Cabinet unanimously approves the construction of a total of eight statues of late Kings: King Phrommaharaj the Great, King Ram Khamhaeng the Great, King Ramathibodi I (King U-thong), King Borommatrailokkanat, King Naresuan the Great, King Narai the Great, the King of Thonburi, and King Vajiravudh. Each of the statues will be situated in provinces where their glory was made.”
“Since a group of people loyal to King Vajiravudh has already raised funds for the construction of a memorial and Bangkok City Municipality are planning to renovate Lumphini Park, which was built during the reign of King Vajiravudh, Lumphini Park will be a suitable location for the statue of the late King. Therefore the Cabinet has passed a resolution approving construction of the statue of King Vajiravudh.”
“Cabinet unanimously approves the construction of a total of eight statues of late Kings: King Phrommaharaj the Great, King Ram Khamhaeng the Great, King Ramathibodi I (King U-thong), King Borommatrailokkanat, King Naresuan the Great, King Narai the Great, the King of Thonburi, and King Vajiravudh. Each of the statues will be situated in provinces where their glory was made.”
“Since a group of people loyal to King Vajiravudh has already raised funds for the construction of a memorial and Bangkok City Municipality are planning to renovate Lumphini Park, which was built during the reign of King Vajiravudh, Lumphini Park will be a suitable location for the statue of the late King. Therefore the Cabinet has passed a resolution approving construction of the statue of King Vajiravudh.”
The construction was to be completed before an opening ceremony scheduled for 1 January 1940 which was the late King’s birthday. The Prime Minister’s Office had issued guidelines for the statue’s construction and fundraising as follows:
- The Fine Arts Department was responsible for design and construction of the statue as approved by Cabinet. The construction was to be completed before an opening ceremony on 1 January 1940.
- The Department of Publicity promoted fundraising by contacting provincial committees, individuals and groups of people who were willing to provide contribute to the project.
- The construction cost was approximately Bt60,000. If the donations were more than the construction cost, the government would consider using the surplus for other activities to honour King Vajiravudh. If the fundraising could not raise enough donations to cover the cost, the government would consider other financial support for the project.
The fundraising committee had been raising donations for the project since 1932. They also held a King Vajiravudh Memorial Fair during 1 – 3 March 1939. In total, they raised more than Bt100,000 which covered the construction cost. The committee consisted of the Fine Arts Department, Department of Municipal Works and the Vajiravudh College Alumni Association, and the construction process was divided into three phases:
- Build a levee and prepare the land where the base of the statue would be built.
- Build the statue base and decoration around the monument.
- Cast the statue and complete all details.