The plaster bust in the realist style of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram is a work by Piya Chuansathien, the owner of Hong Hun, the first shop in Thailand to produce mannequins for clothing displays and sculptures. It was first released for sale in July 1940, available in two sizes: a small one, 11 inches tall, priced at 5 baht, and a larger one, 11.5 inches tall, priced at 8 baht. At the time of the bust's release, Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, then the Prime Minister and military commander of Thailand, was pursuing a policy to reclaim the territories on the right bank of the Mekong River, which Thailand had previously disputed with France during the incident of R.S. 112. This was before he decided to send troops into the Indochina War, after which Plaek Phibunsongkhram was appointed as 'Field Marshal' on July 28, 1941.
Piya Chuansathien, the founder and owner of Hong Hun, once gave an interview to the Prachamit-Suphap Burut newspaper in October 1941. He shared that while he was the manager of a tailor shop named 'Piti' owned by an Indian merchant, he received a letter along with pictures of mannequins for clothing displays that had to be imported from abroad. This inspired him to sculpt mannequins himself. Borrowing 800 baht from the merchant for experimentation, he eventually opened the 'Hong Hun' shop opposite the Sala Chalermkrung Theatre in Phra Nakhon district. Although he sold no mannequins at all when the shop first opened, his persistence, business strategies, and the sale of busts of the leader of that era eventually led to his products gaining popularity both in Thailand and internationally, with opportunities to export to Burma and Hong Kong as well.
Piya also created a promotional poster for the sale of Field Marshal P. sculptures, announcing the search for one distributor per province. The poster included a letter from Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram, praising Piya's sculpting skills after Piya had sent his work to be critiqued by the Field Marshal on his birthday. The letter read:
"I sincerely commend your diligence and perseverance, having achieved a level of craftsmanship that rivals that of foreign-made products. I hope that the sculpting industry, with you as its pioneer in Thailand, will gain widespread popularity and continue to prosper indefinitely. Along with this letter, I am sending 100 baht to support your work. Please accept it... Yours sincerely, (signed) Phibunsongkhram."
It can be said that while the story of these sculptures reflects the nuances of a personality cult, it also serves as evidence of Field Marshal Plaek Phibunsongkhram's ascent to the pinnacle of power, both in terms of being conferred the rank of Field Marshal and gaining popularity among the public.