Sacrificed Civilians, Soldiers and Policemen Monument

The Sacrificed Civilians, Soldiers and Policemen Monument sits inside Khun Chom Tham Army Camp on Highway 1021, about 2 km from Chiang Kham town in Phayao. It commemorates 399 named civilians, soldiers, and police officers killed fighting Thailand’s communist insurgency between 1967 and 1982 — a period of sustained conflict in the hills of northern Thailand that rarely makes it into visitor itineraries, despite the region carrying its physical scars.

Construction finished in April 1981, and King Bhumibol Adulyadej (Rama IX) presided over the monument’s official opening on 31 January 1982. The structure itself is a five-sided green pillar rising from a semicircular plaza — a deliberately restrained design rather than an ornate one. Beside it stands a one-floor museum building housing photographs, military uniforms, and weapons and explosives seized from insurgents during the fighting, along with medical equipment from the period and a simulated battlefield scene meant to give visitors some sense of the terrain this conflict was fought over.

Because the monument sits within an active army camp, the atmosphere is more subdued and functional than a typical tourist memorial — this is a working military installation that happens to house a public commemorative site, not a purpose-built visitor attraction. Around the anniversary of the 1982 opening, in late January each year, the camp holds a commemorative ceremony that draws veterans and local officials.

Insider Tip: Because it sits inside a working army camp, expect the visit to feel low-key and administrative rather than curated — there’s no gift shop or visitor centre gloss, just the pillar, the plaza, and the museum building.

Watch out: This is inside an active military camp, so dress and behave accordingly, and don’t expect to wander freely beyond the memorial and museum areas.

The memorial is a straightforward stop if you’re already exploring Chiang Kham district — pair it with Wat Phra Nang Din or The Nantaram Temple, both in the same district, rather than making the trip out here on its own.