Victory Monument, then and now

[bao-bao]

These aren't my own images and may have appeared on the forum before, but I found them while moving some files on my drive today and thought they were an interesting comparison of Bangkok then and now.

The date of this first image is unknown to me. If someone else knows, please chime in:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z56/khunbaobao/VictoryMonument-oldWeb.jpg

The second one was captioned "from 1946":

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z56/khunbaobao/V-Monument_1946-LgW.jpg

...and here's how Google Earth shows it as of today:

http://i192.photobucket.com/albums/z56/khunbaobao/VictoryMonument-W.jpg

If anyone knows the location of similar images online, I'd be interested in hearing about them.

[llz]

There are some pics like this on this very informative site :
www.2bangkok.com/ (http://www.2bangkok.com/)

Here is one of them
"Approaching Victory Monument in the 1960s"
http://www.2bangkok.com/07/Gary%20W.%20Kay60s.gif

[Geezer]

Not being able to recall any victory of Thailand in modern times, I wondered what victory the Victory monument commemorates.

According to Wikipedia:

The monument was erected in June 1941 to commemorate the Thai victory in the brief war with the French colonial authorities in Indo-China, which resulted in Thailand annexing some territories in western Cambodia and northern and southern Laos. These were among the territories which the Kingdom of Siam had been forced to cede to France in 1893 and 1904, and patriotic Thais considered them rightfully to belong to Thailand.

In fact the fighting between the Thais and the French in December 1940 and January 1941 had been brief and inconclusive. Only 59 Thai troops were killed, and the final territorial settlement was imposed on both parties by Japan, which did not want to see a prolonged war between two regional allies at a time when it was preparing to launch a war of conquest in South East Asia. Thailand's gains were less than it hoped for, although more than the French wished to concede. Nevertheless the Thai regime of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram decided to celebrate the war as a great victory, and the monument was commissioned, designed and erected within a few months.





.

[GWMinUS]

At least they did not tear it down to build the Skytrain...
:bounce:

[bao-bao]

Another view of the monument and immediate area. I took this from the Baiyoke observation deck.

http://www.sawatdee-gay-thailand.com/forum/albumpics/2346.jpg

[Smiles]

" ... The date of this first image is unknown to me. If someone else knows, please chime in ... "
Not 100% sure (and the blowup is pretty grainy), but this 'style' of automobile is very middle 1940's. My father's first car when we moved to Canada in 1956 was a 1947 Chev which had a front view quite similar to the car in this shot. That general date would also be consistent with the 'built-in-1941' info in Geezer's post.


http://www.photodump.com/direct/sawatdee/VictoryMonument-oldWeb.jpg


Cheers ...

[Bob]

Not that this has much to do with the thread but I'd bet a nickel (and Canadian at that!) that the auto isn't a Chevy. The 1947 Chevy coupe had a load of chrome between the headlights and I don't see any there (whereas the 1947 Ford was
painted in the same area and that's a possibility).

But the age of the car wouldn't really prove anything. Back in the 40's and 50's, a US car that showed up in Southeast Asia was often 10-15 years old when it arrived.

[Smiles]

" ... Not that this has much to do with the thread but I'd bet a nickel (and Canadian at that!) that the auto isn't a Chevy ... "
Points kind of taken Bob, but please don't force words too far into this well-used mouth. I said: " ... was a 1947 Chev which had a front view quite similar to the car in this shot... " Many a car in those days (Fords, Chryslers) had 'similar' front ends, and they do tend to place a car in time, if not space.

You're correct though, about the car in the photo possibly being not-necessarily-new.

Cheers ...

[Bob]

The more interesting question, though, is whether that's Geezer in the back seat (perhaps he was cruising the monument...).

[Smiles]

Dear Bob, just stick to rear ends why don't you. They're much more changeable and individual, though they also ~ like automobiles ~ can be driven, but don't age well.


http://www.photodump.com/direct/sawatdee/butts.jpg


Cheers ...

(Thanks to BoxerTravels for supplying us with more butt shots than any other used car dealer)