Old Bangkok 1942

by Eric
(Bangkok)

This old Bangkok photo is relatively recent compared to the previous one I submitted. This is a shot of the Democracy Monument that few of us have seen. The area around the monument is submerged in water and people are moving around in boats!

This was Bangkok during the great flood in 1942 when many areas in the city were under water.

In 1942, the world was right in the middle of World War II. The Prime Minister of Thailand then was Field Marshall Plaek Phibunsongkhram. Earlier in that year in January, Thailand declared war on the USA and Britain and became an ally of Japan.

In reality Thailand was occupied by Japan. In December 1941, Japan requested for the safe passage of Japanese troops through Thailand. When the Thai government baulked, Japan invaded Thailand and used the country as a springboard for the invasion of the surrounding countries.