October 14 Memorial, Bangkok

On October 14, 1973, one of the biggest and most dishonorable demonstrations ever to have happened in Thai history took place in Bangkok when half a million people gathered at the Democracy Monument to demand an end to the autocratic regime of the so-called "Three Tyrants". They were protesting against the arrest of political campaigners and continuing military dictatorship. Military and police attacked this student-led protest killing hundreds of protestors. Ultimately the regime was toppled and Thailand became a constitutional monarchy.

In the sad memory of those who died on that gloomy day, a monument known as October 14 Memorial was erected not far from the Democracy Monument. The memorial is in the form of a conical structure rising from a rectangular pedestal. It is a small granite amphitheatre encircling an elegant modern dome-shaped Buddhist shrine bearing the names of some of the dead. Photographs and a narration of the ten-day protest are written on the back wall.

A museum is also constructed as an extension of the 14 October 1973 Memorial. Photos of the October revolution are on display behind the memorial. These photos are a thrilling record of the riotous days in October 1973 showing thousands of protestors gathering at the Democracy Monument, the brutal military response, demonstrators running for their lives and jumping into canals, the bravery and boldness as some fought back using buses to block tanks and the catastrophic result.

The 14 October 1973 Memorial serves as a harsh memento of a bleak period in Thai political history. Every year on 14 October, services are held at the memorial to commemorate the occasion and the sacrifices of those brave young men and women who stood up and achieved democracy at the price of their blood, flesh and lives.