Sunthon Phu Monument

A statue of Sunthon Phu, the poet Thailand credits with elevating Thai verse into a national literary tradition, stands here in Klaeng district — not because he was born in Rayong, but because his father’s family came from Ban Kram, this exact subdistrict. The monument opened in 1970 after a slow, interrupted build: the foundation stone was laid in December 1955, construction then stalled for roughly a decade, and the finished monument was inaugurated on 25 May 1970. It’s free to visit, open daily from around 08:30 to 16:30, part of the wider Mae Phim Beach area of coastal Rayong.

The statue of the poet himself sits above a pond containing the monument’s real draw: three cast bronze figures from his epic poem Phra Aphai Mani, Thailand’s best-known verse romance. The pond scene shows the prince Phra Aphai Mani with Nang Phisuea Samut, the sea ogress who abducts and holds him, and Nang Ngueak, the mermaid who helps him flee her underwater lair — the poem’s central rescue episode rendered in sculpture rather than text. Bilingual plaques around the grounds carry excerpts from his major works alongside a short biography, and the landscaped park has shaded walking paths and lawns rather than a single fenced monument site.

Sunthon Phu is sometimes called Thailand’s national poet; UNESCO listed him among the world’s great poets on the 200th anniversary of his birth. Insider Tip: Read a short summary of the Phra Aphai Mani story before visiting — the pond sculptures make far more sense once you know who’s rescuing whom, and the plaques assume some familiarity with the plot.

The grounds have limited shade outside the immediate garden area, and there’s little else to do here beyond the statue and sculpture group — this is a twenty-to-thirty-minute stop, not a half-day outing. Combine it with Laem Mae Phim or Wat Saranat Thammaram, both a short drive away in the same Klaeng district, rather than making a special trip out for the monument alone.