The Fine Arts Department’s planned consolidation of small national museums drew strong protest Monday from residents of Nakhon Pathom and Chai Nat provinces, who oppose moving local exhibits to large regional institutions.
embers of local governing bodies, governors and residents from the provinces in the Northeast and Central regions argued that the museums and their artwork represented local historical roots and identity and had invaluable spiritual value for them. Therefore, they reasoned, the artefacts should be kept in their hometowns.
Opponents have launched online protest campaigns and pledged to mobilise locals to demonstrate against the museum closures. Protesters in both Nakhon Pathom and Chai Nat said they were ready to take over the operation and expense of the museums if the department transferred ownership to the provinces.
The Fine Arts Department last week floated the idea of closing Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum in Nakhon Pathom and displaying its pieces from the Dvaravati period (9th-12th century) at U Thong National Museum in Suphan Buri.
The department already had named nine national museums it wanted to consolidate in Bangkok and other provinces, including Chainatmuni National Museum in Chai Nat.
Two of the eight museums to be closed are in Bangkok: Wat Benchamabophit, the so-called "marble temple", and Wat Phra Chettuphon (Wat Pho). The remaining museums are Phra Borommathat Chedi in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Wat Machimmaram (Songkhla), the Battle of the Lard Ya Field (Kanchanaburi), In Buri (Sing Buri), The Phra Phutthachinnarat (Phitsanulok) and The Maha Viravong (Nakhon Ratchasima).
Borvornvate Rungrujee, director-general of the Fine Arts Department, last month told the Bangkok Post that his agency was operating more than 40 national museums, but some are small and below standard. He planned to reduce the number of galleries by half and display artwork in big cities, turning the smaller institutes into exhibit centres.
Mr Borvornvate last week said the Phra Pathom Chedi museum should be disbanded because it could not be expanded, due to limited space, and provided no career advancement for department officials, due to its size. Security concerns are another issue, he added, as it was located near a popular night market inside Wat Phra Pathom Chedi that is open until 2am.
"Artefacts in this museum are estimated to be worth 200 million baht," he said, adding that Nakhon Pathom residents must responsible in case of the artwork being stolen or lost.
Surachai Anuttato, member of the Nakhon Pathom Provincial Administrative Organisation, who led the protest, planned to mobilise 5,000 opponents in front of Phra Pathom Chedi National Museum on May 22. He said the matter would be considered an urgent agenda item at Wednesday's PAO meeting.
Chai Nat governor Suthipong Julcharoen said he would submit a formal petition with the Fine Arts Department to express strong disapproval of the relocation of all exhibits in the Chainatmuni National Museum.
He said the province would allocate funds and other resources to continue to run the museum if the department insists on closing it.
Panombut Chantarachote, director of U Thong National Museum, said the shutdown of the Nakhon Pathom gallery was in the proposal stage and Mr Borvornvate would clarify how he would proceed at a press conference on Wednesday.