The Royal Thai Navy and Fine Arts Department are at odds over renovations around a disputed wall area at the navy headquarters.
A backhoe stands ready to help demolish a wall in the compound of the Royal Thai Navy on Arun-amarin Road. The work has led the Fine Arts Department to decide to conduct an inspection of the wall line on Monday to determine whether it is part of a historical site.
The navy has asked the department to clarify the wall's status and threatened to file a court petition.
The move has forced the Fine Arts Department to decide on a second inspection of the wall line on Monday to check if it is part of a national historical site, following the navy's partial demolition of the wall during landscaping work.
The Fine Arts Department stepped into the inspection of the wall line as the navy headquarters compound includes the Thonburi Palace, known as Phra Racha Wang Derm which was formerly the royal residence of King Taksin.
The palace has been registered as a historical site since 1929.
The Royal Thai Navy said the wall was not the historical one, and that it was not built on the line of the ancient wall as claimed earlier by the department.
A high-level source at the navy revealed that navy chief Kraisorn Chansuvanich has sent a letter to the Fine Arts Department asking for clarification about the wall's status before Jan 15, after waiting for more than a month.
The navy said the wall was built after King Taksin's rule and several adjustments were made to it. It was constructed at the same time as the establishment of the Royal Thai Naval Academy in the compound 109 years ago. However, the construction of the ancient wall and palace was traced back to 248 years ago.
Based on the navy's information, since the palace became the site of the Royal Thai Naval Academy, there is only one section of the ancient wall situated along a bank of the Chao Phraya River.
Later, three more walls were built and adjusted and demolished several times. Under the navy's future plans, one of the three walls would be partly demolished.
The source said the navy already explored beneath the new wall to look for remains of the ancient wall but found nothing. Photos of the excavation operation were also sent to the Fine Arts Department.
Other evidence was also submitted to the department to oppose the historical registration of the navy's wall.
"If the Fine Arts Department still insists the wall is a historical site without showing solid evidence, we will file a lawsuit with the Administrative Court against the department for its interference," he said.
The department's director-general, Bovornvet Rungrujee, told the Bangkok Post yesterday that a team of veteran archaeologists and architects would be sent to inspect the site again on Monday together with navy officials.
Last November, the department authorities visited and inspected the controversial wall, but no conclusion was reached, which the navy said caused delays in undertaking its million-baht renovation project.
"The palace is registered as a national historical site. We have our own responsibilities and the navy has the right to oppose our moves as well," he said.
The navy source said the department's inspection has caused a month-long delay of the navy's renovation plan. "So, the navy sent a letter asking for answers and explicit historical evidence, not just an individual's assumption," the source said.
The renovation is aimed at improving the landscape to facilitate the navy's work.
About three metres of the wall will be demolished to open a new compound entrance leading to the marching ground situated in front of the palace building.
Due to the inconvenient layout, the navy uses its gate at the back of the palace building as the current entrance, he said.
"We have conserved and taken good care of the palace and other ancient sites within the navy's compound.
"But when it comes to sites which are not historical, the department should not interfere with us. We are making the compound more attractive and dignified as well as convenient for our work," said the source.
The 50-million-baht project involves temporarily moving the navy chief's command to Nantha-uttayan Palace during the six-month renovation.
