The Golden Mermaid Statue
Songkhla, Thailand
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The
mermaid statue at the Laem Samila beach in Songkhla, Thailand was
created in 1966 by Jitr Buabus, then director of the Art & Craft
College in Bangkok. The idea of the mermaid comes from an epic
30,000-line saga about prince Phra Aphai Mani by Soonthorn Phu.
Soonthorn Phu’s real name was Phra Sunthorn Vohara, and he is one of
the most loved Thai authors and poets. He was the official
poet for Kin Rama II in the early 19th century.
The statue is based on this saga, which in small part tells of a
mermaid, who combed her hair with a golden comb, on the beach one
starry night. She was frightened away by a young
fisherman. Smitten by her beauty and wanting to return her
comb to her, he waited every day for her return, but she never came
back.
The Phra Aphai Mani saga in turn is based to some degree on an ancient Thai legend of the mermaid and the fisherman.
The Songkhla Mermaid is officially named the Golden Mermaid, or Nang Nguek Thong.
SOURCE: Mermaids of Earth
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Songkhla's Mermaid @ dawn by tlchua99 Copyright All rights reserved by tlchua99
Mermaid statue Songkhla Thailand - Source
Siren - Songkhla Credit: Axel Drainville
Mermaid statue Songkhla Thailand - Source
Siren - Songkhla - Source
Mermaid statue Songkhla Thailand - Source
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