Sai Kaew Beach (which means Beach of Glass Sand) on Samed Island in Thailand has for decades had a famous sculpture representing the mermaid and the prince in the epic national poem classic Phra Aphai Mani by Sunthorn Phu. A new much more modern sculpture was added in recent years. map
Generations of Thai children have grown up with a picture of the mermaid and the prince on the front cover of their literature textbooks.
This new and modern sculpture was commissioned from sculptor Haritorn Akarapat and installed on Kho Samed Beach. It is based on the same love story in the Phra Aphai Mani of the mermaid Nang Nguek Thong who married Prince Aphai Mani and bore him a son named Sutsakhorn.
References:
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phra_Aphai_Mani
● https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sunthorn_Phu
● The Story Behind the Ko Samet Statues
● The Mermaids of Earth coffee-table book: See page 169 in the book about this sculpture.
