Design
The monument was designed by Maeo Aphaiyawong, an architect whose brother Khuang Aphaiyawong was a leading member of Phibun's Government. The Italian sculptor Corrado Feroci, who became a Thai citizen and used the Thai name Silpa Bhirasi from the Second World War on initially to avoid Japanese military ire, executed the relief sculptures around the base of the monument. He also provided the main sculpting for the renown Lady Mo monument in the NE Thailand gateway city of Nakhon Ratchasima.
The building of the Monument was highly unpopular at the time. Local residents and shopkeepers (mostly Chinese) were evicted from their homes and businesses with 60 days' notice. The widening of Ratchadamnoen Road to create a ceremonial boulevard involved cutting down hundreds of shade trees, a serious matter in the days before air conditioning, given Bangkok's torrid climate.