Pratu Chum Phon is behind the monument. It is an old city gate built during the reign of King Narai the Great in 1656. The King commanded that a strong city wall be built. Engineers from France , then an ally of the country, designed the city plan. Nakhon Si Thammarat at that time was an outpost in the shape of a rectangle of 1000x 1700 meters. The western Chum Phon Gate is the only 1 of 4 city gates that still stands. The other 3 gates have been rebuilt. chum Phon Gate is built of large stones and bricks and covered with plaster. The top is a watchtower made of wood with a tiled roof and decorated in the Thai style. Admiral Prince Abhakara Kiartirongse , Prince of Chumphon . He was the 28th child of King Chulalongkorn.
