Pho Khun Pha Mueang Memorial

The Pho Khun Pha Mueang Memorial stands at a roadside intersection in Ban Nam Chun, about 3 kilometres from Lom Sak town centre — locals call the junction itself Si Yaek Pho Khun Pha Mueang. The bronze statue shows Pho Khun Pha Mueang standing, right hand gripping a sword planted point-down in the ground, left hand pointing downward. He was the ruler of Mueang Rat, believed to have been centred near modern Lom Sak, and around 1257 CE he allied with Pho Khun Bang Klang Hao to drive Khmer forces from the area — a campaign that led to the founding of the Sukhothai kingdom, with Bang Klang Hao enthroned as its first ruler under the title Si Inthrabodindrathit. For Phetchabun residents, Pho Khun Pha Mueang carries the same regional weight that Thao Suranari holds in Nakhon Ratchasima.

The Cabinet approved building the memorial in June 1975, with the Fine Arts Department’s craft division casting the statue; the Crown Prince — now King Rama X — laid the foundation stone in March 1977. Alongside the statue sits a small museum covering Pho Khun Pha Mueang’s life and the history of Mueang Rat: a replica of the Wat Si Chum stone inscription, the sculptor’s original model for the statue, and displays on local legends tied to the area, including a “black rice” origin story and a centuries-old Champa tree. It’s a modest museum rather than a major exhibition, but it fills in context the statue alone doesn’t provide.

Insider Tip: Time your visit to the museum’s hours rather than the monument’s — the statue itself is viewable any time from the roadside, but the exhibits are only open weekday mornings through mid-afternoon and Saturday mornings, and closed Sundays entirely.

Watch out: This sits at a working road intersection, not a pedestrianised plaza — take care crossing to reach the statue and park in the designated area rather than the roadside verge.

Pair the visit with the Lom Sak Museum in town, which covers the wider district’s history, and treat this as a brief stop — 20 to 30 minutes is enough unless you linger in the museum. Bring a hat and water; shade around the statue itself is limited.