ABSTRACT
Statues and monuments, like other material objects, require interpretation (Thomas 1991). Who or what is being commemorated, by whom and when, and what meaning, if any, does the location of the monument have? None of these questions have straightforward, absolute answers (Thomas 1991; Jeffrey 1980; Anderson 1990; Reynolds 1992). The meaning of the monument or statue is an arena of contestation from the beginning when it is first planned and until after it is torn down (Jeffrey 1980; Trouillot 1995). While it stands, different people may perceive and interact with it in diverse ways. A statue may both be a memorial to a particular historical figure and an object filled with spiritual power, as is the case of statues to King Chulalongkorn in Bangkok and Thao Ying Suranari in Khorat (see chapters 4 and 6 in this volume; Apinan 1992: 8; Cummings 1995: 199).
