CULTURAL HERITAGE
SUPOJ WANCHAROEN
The statue of King Narai the Great in Lop Buri province has cracked and is at high risk of collapsing in strong winds or heavy rain, the Fine Arts Department has found. Thanachai Suwanwattana, director of the department's traditional arts office, revealed the problem yesterday.
Mr Thanachai said he had led staff to clean the King Narai and King Rama V statues in Lop Buri. They found a serious crack in the foundation base of the statue of King Narai .
He would ask local administrative bodies in Lop Buri to set aside funds for the statue's urgent repair.
Suban Jiraphanwanit, president of Lop Buri Provincial Administration Organisation (POA), said he would discuss the issue with Lop Buri Municipality.
If the municipality did not have the funds, the POA would set aside the money. If the statue collapsed it would make all Lop Buri people sad.
Mr Suban said King Narai, who ruled Siam from 1656 to 1688 during the Ayutthaya period, is highly revered because he brought prosperity to the province during his reign.
Bangkok Governor Apirak Kosayodhin has sought cooperation from the Fine Arts Department in maintaining historical sites in Bangkok as the flood-risk period for the city approaches.
Mr Apirak said the weather office warned of possible flooding in Bangkok from August to October because of high tides.
During this period, historical sites including the Emerald Buddha temple would need to be well attended by fine arts officials.
Kriengkrai Sampatchalit, director-general of the Fine Arts Department, said he had been concerned about the possible impact of natural disasters on historical sites ever since the earthquakes in Chiang Mai last year.
Prev
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
Next
