Rajabhakti Park

Rajabhakti Park is one of Hua Hin’s latest attractions.

Standing in a line against a backdrop of forested hills are seven giant statues of great Kings from Thai history. An impressive sight, the bronze statues measuring nearly 14 meters tall honour great Kings of various era in Thai history, namely Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Thonburi and Rattanakosin. Each statue carries a plate with the name of the King and period of reign.

Rajabhakti Park was built by the army and was opened in September 2015 by King Maha Vajiralongkorn. The large park South of Hua Hin town was developed to demonstrate the Thai people’s loyalty to the Royal institution.

The site is clean and well maintained. Since there is little shade around it can get quite hot. Drinks are sold at a stall near the car park. Visit the park in the morning to get the best photos, as the sun will be facing the seven statues.

The seven Kings

Standing from left to right are:

King Ramkhamhaeng the Great

King of Sukhothai from 1279 until 1298.
The King expanded the Sukhothai empire, developed the Thai alphabet and led successful military campaigns against the Khmer of Angkor.

King Naresuan the Great

King of Ayutthaya from 1590 until 1605.
During Naresuan’s reign many battles were fought between Ayutthaya and Burma. The King is best known for the elephant battle of Nong Sarai. Outnumbered by enemy troops, King Naresuan attacked the Burmese leader, both on elephants. Naresuan killed the Burmese, after which the Burmese armies fled.

King Narai the Great

King of Ayutthaya from 1656 until 1688.
King Narai ruled Ayutthaya when the Kingdom was at the height of its power and prosperity. The King established diplomatic relations with several foreign countries including France.

King Taksin the Great

King of Thonburi from 1767 until 1782.
After the destruction of Ayutthaya in 1767, Taksin established the Thonburi Kingdom. Its capital lay on the West bank of the Chao Phraya river opposite present day Bangkok. He unified Siam after it had fallen apart following the sacking of Ayutthaya. King Taksin liberated Siam from the Burmese.

King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok the Great

King of Siam from 1782 until 1809.
King Buddha Yodfa Chulalok the Great, also known as Rama I, founded the currently ruling Chakri dynasty. The King succeeded Taksin and established Bangkok as the new capital of the Kingdom. During his reign attacking armies from Burma were defeated.

King Mongkut

King of Siam from 1851 until 1868.
King Mongkut, also known as Rama IV spent many years as a Buddhist monk before he ascended the throne. He was the founder of the Dhammayuttika Nikaya, a monastic order that started as a reform movement intended to reinforce the canon law. Also known as “The father of science and technology”, King Mongkut modernized Siam.

King Chulalongkorn the Great

King of Siam from 1868 until 1910.
King Chulalongkorn (Rama V) is very highly regarded by the Thai people. The King modernized Siam and implemented a great number of social reforms including the abolition of slavery. He managed to prevent the colonization of Siam by Western countries.

Location

Rajabhakti Park is located off Phetkasem road (Route 4), the main road in Hua Hin. From the center of Hua Hin towards Pranburi it is about 4 kilometers past Vana Nava Water Park.

How to get there

To get there by public transport, take the orange non air conditioned bus between Hua Hin and Pranburi. Flag down the bus and tell the driver or bus conductor you are going to Rajabhakti Park. The 7 King statues can easily be seen from the road. Fare is about 20 Thai Baht per person.

Alternatively, negotiate a price with the driver of a taxi or tuk tuk. You will find plenty of them in the center of Hua Hin. As taxis or tuk tuks are difficult to get at the park, book a round trip. The driver will wait at the park for the return trip.