This article is about city pillars of Thailand; for other meanings, see lak kilomet, lak nuay, Lakh

Lakh

A lakh is a unit in the Indian numbering system equal to one hundred thousand . It is widely used both in official and other contexts in Pakistan, Bangladesh, India, Maldives, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Myanmar and is often used in Indian English.-Usage:...

Lak Mueang are City pillars found in most cities of Thailand. Usually housed in a shrine

Shrine

A shrine is a holy or sacred place, which is dedicated to a specific deity, ancestor, hero, martyr, saint, daemon or similar figure of awe and respect, at which they are venerated or worshipped. Shrines often contain idols, relics, or other such objects associated with the figure being venerated....

 which is also believed to house Chao Pho Lak Mueang , the city spirit deity; it is held in high esteem by citizens.

It was probably King Rama I

Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha Chakri Borommanat Phra Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke , posthumously titled "the Great", or Rama I , was the founder and the first monarch of the reigning House of Chakri of Siam . He ascended the throne in 1782, after defeating a rebellion which had deposed King...

, who erected the first city pillar on April 21, 1782, when he moved his capital from Thonburi

Thonburi

Thon Buri is an area of modern Bangkok. It was capital of Thailand from 1767 to 1782, during the reign of King Taksin, after the previous capital Ayutthaya was sacked by the Burmese. It is located on the opposite bank of Chao Phraya River to Bangkok...

 to Bangkok

Bangkok

Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...

. The shrine was actually the first building of his new capital, the Palace

Grand Palace, Bangkok

The Grand Palace is a complex of buildings in Bangkok, Thailand. It served as the official residence of the Kings of Thailand from the 18th century onwards. Construction of the Palace began in 1782, during the reign of King Rama I, when he moved the capital across the river from Thonburi to Bangkok...

 and other buildings were created later.

Overview

Shortly after the shrine in Bangkok, similar shrines were built in strategic provinces to symbolize central power, such as in Songkhla

Songkhla Province

Songkhla is one of the southern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Satun, Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Pattani and Yala. To the south it borders Kedah and Perlis of Malaysia....

. Further shrines were created during the reign of King Buddha Loetla Nabhalai

Buddha Loetla Nabhalai

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Isarasundhorn Phra Buddha Loetla Nabhalai , or Rama II , was the second monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1809-1824. In 1809, Isarasundhorn succeeded his father Buddha Yodfa Chulaloke, the founder of Chakri dynasty, as Buddha Loetla Nabhalai...

 (Rama II) in Nakhon Khuen Khan

Amphoe Phra Pradaeng

-Geography:Neighboring districts are Thung Khru, Rat Burana, Yan Nawa, Khlong Toei, Phra Khanong and Bang Na , and the districts Mueang Samut Prakan and Phra Samut Chedi of Samut Prakan....

 and Samut Prakan

Samut Prakan Province

Samut Prakan is one of the central provinces of Thailand. It is part of the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. Neighboring provinces are Bangkok, to the north and west, and Chachoengsao to the east....

, and by King Nangklao (Rama III) in Chachoengsao

Chachoengsao Province

Chachoengsao is a province of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Prachin Buri, Sa Kaeo, Chanthaburi, Chon Buri, Samut Prakan, Bangkok, Pathum Thani and Nakhon Nayok. It also has a short coast to the Gulf of Thailand.-History:Chachoengsao or Paet Rio is a province in the Central region...

, Chanthaburi

Chanthaburi Province

Chanthaburi is a province of Thailand. It is located in the east of Thailand, at the border to Battambang and Pailin of Cambodia and the shore to the Gulf of Thailand...

 and Battambang

Battambang

Battambang is the capital city of Battambang province in northwestern Cambodia.Battambang is the second-largest city in Cambodia with a population of over 250,000. Founded in the 11th century by the Khmer Empire, Battambang is well known for being the leading rice-producing province of the country...

 (now Cambodia). However, after King Mongkut

Mongkut

Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramenthramaha Mongkut Phra Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua , or Rama IV, known in foreign countries as King Mongkut , was the fourth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, ruling from 1851-1868...

 raised a new pillar in Bangkok, no further shrines in the provinces were built until 1944 Then Prime Minister of Thailand

Prime Minister of Thailand

The Prime Minister of Thailand is the head of government of Thailand. The Prime Minister is also the chairman of the Cabinet of Thailand. The post has existed since the Revolution of 1932, when the country became a constitutional monarchy....

 Phibul Songkhram had a city pillar built in Phetchabun

Phetchabun Province

Phetchabun is one of the northern provinces of Thailand. Neighboring provinces are Loei, Khon Kaen, Chaiyaphum, Lopburi, Nakhon Sawan, Phichit and Phitsanulok.- Geography :...

, as he intended to move the capital to this town. Though this plan failed to get approval by the parliament, the idea of city pillars caught on, and in the following years several provincial towns built new shrines. In 1992, the Ministry of Interior

Ministry of Interior (Thailand)

The Ministry of Interior of the Kingdom of Thailand is an important Cabinet-level department in the Government of Thailand. The Ministry is given wide ranging responsibilities over many aspects...

 ordered that every province now should have such a shrine. However, as of 2010 a few provinces still have no city pillar shrine. In Chonburi the shrine is scheduled to be finished by end of 2011.

The building style of the shrines varies. Especially in provinces with a significant Thai Chinese

Thai Chinese

The Thai Chinese are an overseas Chinese community who live in Thailand. Thailand is home to the largest, oldest, most prominent, and most integrated overseas Chinese community in the world with a population of approximately 9.5 million people...

 influence, the city pillar may be housed in a shrine that resembles a Chinese temple; as, for example in Songkhla

Songkhla

Songkhla is a city in the Songkhla Province of southern Thailand, near the border with Malaysia. As of 2006 it had a population of 75,048...

, Samut Prakan and Yasothon

Yasothon

Yasothon is a town on the Chi River in the northeastern region of Thailand. It is the capital and administrative center of Yasothon Province and seat of its City District. Within this district, subdistrict Nai Mueang comprises the bounds of the town proper, which had a population of 21,134 in 2005...

. Chiang Rai

Chiang Rai

-Demographics:Official Population count: According to the Thailand National Statistical Office, as of September 2010, Chiang Rai municipal district has a population of 199,699...

's City Pillar is not housed in a shrine at all; but, since 1988, is in an open place inside Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong

Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong

Wat Phra That Doi Chom Thong is located in Nakhon Chiang Rai, Amphoe Mueang, Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.-History:...

; it is called the Sadu Mueang (TH: สะดือเมือง), Navel or Omphalos

Omphalos

An omphalos is an ancient religious stone artifact, or baetylus. In Greek, the word omphalos means "navel" . According to the ancient Greeks, Zeus sent out two eagles to fly across the world to meet at its center, the "navel" of the world...

of the City.