SURAT THAI: Three houses for monks at a temple in Khirirat Nikhom district were burned down in a fire on Wednesday morning, police said.
The fire broke out at about 7am, prompting the Tambon Tha Khanon Municipality to despatch fire engines to Wat Prakan temple at Moo 2 in tambon Tha Khanon.
The temple is about 200 years old.
Three houses used as monks' living quarters adjacent to one another were already in flames when the fire engines arrived. Firemen managed to put out the fire in 30 minutes as the fire was spreading to a fourth house.
The three houses were badly damaged. One of them, said to be over 100 years old, was the living quarter of a former abbot during 1920-50. A large number of priceless ancient objects which had been kept in the house were destroyed.
Nobody was hurt.
Governor Wichawut Jinto and Chawalit Rojanarat, the Khirirat Nikhom district chief, were at the scene to oversee the fire fighting operation.
An investigation was underway to establish the cause of the fire, which was initially believed to be a short circuit.