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March 2010
Cabinet extends tourism stimulus measures
The Cabinet Tuesday agreed to extend the government's tourism stimulus measures for another year. The visa fee waiver, airport
landing and parking reductions and insurance coverage for visitors will now end in March 2011. Tourism accounts around 6 per cent
of the country's gross domestic product. It acknowledged that last year welcomed only 14 million tourists, down 8 per cent, while
tourism revenue of Bt 527 billion also showed a 3 percent dip. The Cabinet endorsed a Bt 372 million budget for the
restoration of the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, of which Bt20 million will go to TAT to improve tourism contents. It also
approved a Bt 20.5 million budget to promote "safe and creative" media, a scheme under Deputy Prime Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart. An allocation of Bt 51.1 million from the central budget will be used by the Prime Minister's Office to restore the
country's image. [Source: The Nation - 04/03/10]
February 2010
Prison, unis make way for preservation
AYUTTHAYA: The Culture Ministry is moving to relocate a prison and two university campuses from the historic compound in
Ayutthaya for fear they could affect the former capital's World Heritage listing. The plan unveiled by Culture Minister Teera
Slukpetch calls for the removal of the Ayutthaya Special Rehabilitation Prison, Ayutthaya Rajabhat University and Rajamangala
University of Technology Suvarnabhumi's Huntra campus from the old capital zone. The ministry has proposed spending 1.6 billion
baht to preserve and revitalise the historic city. The budget pending cabinet approval covers preservation projects proposed by
the Fine Arts Department, relocation of the prison and the two university campuses and promotion plans by the Tourism Authority of
Thailand and the Ayutthaya provincial municipality. The historic site of Ayutthaya was listed as a World Heritage site by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 1992. Mr Teera said the core zone was under threat of rapid
urbanisation. "From now on, construction work will not be permitted in the core zone," he said. The 1979 Building Control Act and
the 1975 Town and Country Planning Act would be better enforced to protect places with historical value. Fine Arts Department
director-general Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said no one would be forced to leave, but they would be told the city should not be
extended to ensure the site continued to meet UNESCO criteria. [Source: Bangkok Post - 15/02/10 - by Lamphai Intathep]
Historic park plan hopes to lure tourists
AYUTTHAYA: Provincial governor Wittaya Piewphong is upbeat about a plan to improve the city's historical park to attract more
tourists to the former capital. A religious ceremony is held in the heart of Ayutthaya Historical Park to worship kings of old. It was
held before the opening of the 86 million Baht Ayutthaya World Heritage Site Conservation and Development project
launched by the Fine Arts Department and energy giant PTT Exploration & Production. "The campaign is expected to convince more
visitors to visit Ayutthaya," Mr Wittaya said yesterday. The city will spend 68 million baht in a campaign to improve and
preserve the park, launched by the Fine Arts Department and energy giant PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP). Models of
the historical park will be created and information boards put up to give tourists a better understanding of the park's
sites and the history of the area. The models and information boards will be placed around the park compound, including at the
Sanphet Prasat Pavilion, the Suriyas Amarindra Pavilion, the Banyong Rattanart Pavilion, the Viharn Somdej Pavilion and the
fortresses. The campaign will cover six temples: Wat Mahathat, Wat Rat Burana, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Yai
Chai Mongkhon and Wat Mae Nang Pluem. "The information boards will be based on the present ruins with other information aimed
at providing a clear picture to tourists of what they looked like in the past," said department director-general Kriangkrai Sampatchalit
after a religious ceremony at the park. Books and brochures about the sites will be distributed to 30,000 schools as part of
the scheme to promote the value of the country's heritage and the importance of preservation among young people. The
campaign comes under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2007 by the department and PTTEP to preserve historical sites
listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). PTTEP chief
executive Anon Sirisaengtaksin said Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn had accepted the role of honorary adviser
to the campaign because the Ayutthaya park was the model used to build the Grand Palace in Bangkok. "The project is expected to
take 600 days to complete all the improvements and preserve the site in time to celebrate His Majesty the King's 84th birthday [on
Dec 5, 2011]," Mr Anon said. The Ayutthaya Historical Park has been included on Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites since 1991.
About 4 million people visit the park every year, most of them Europeans. The visits bring in at least 500 million Baht a year, the
governor said. [Source: Bangkok Post - 5/02/10 - by Lamphai Intathep]
Ayutthaya Historical Park taking shape
Vigorous efforts are now up and running to recreate the core zone of the once-splendid capital of Ayutthaya in 3D models and
animation. "We have already recreated six temples in pictures," Fine Arts Department director-general Grienggrai Sampatchalit said
yesterday. He was speaking after attending a ceremony to worship late Thai kings at the Ayutthaya Historical Park. The ancient
complex at Ayutthaya is a Unesco World Heritage Site. PTT Exploration and Production has provided more than Bt 68 million for
the project to conserve the complex in honour of His Majesty the King. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been the
chief adviser to this project. Grienggrai said officials would develop the pictures and models for the reconstruction, based on the
ancient remains. "Once the project is completed, visitors will be able to see the models that will depict clearly where each structure
was located in the old days," he said. Grienggrai added that animation would also be produced and kept for study purposes at
learning centres. Methadon Wijakkhana, who heads the Ayutthaya Historical Park, said the models would be very close to what
stood in Ayutthaya centuries ago. "This is because we have developed the models not just from historical remains but also from old
documents," he said. Methadon pointed out that photos taken in the reign of King Rama V could be used to develop the model for
Wat Mahathat. He added that there was also an old map prepared by Dutchmen. "This is the first time innovative technology has
been used at the Ayutthaya Historical Park," he said. He believed the project would boost the number of visitors to the park. Once
completed, the pictures and models will be put right next to the historical remains so that visitors have a clearer idea of what
Ayutthaya looked like in the past. Currently, the Ayutthaya Historical Park attracts 1.2 million tourists from about 90 countries
annually. Of them, about 60 per cent are from Europe. [Source: The Nation - 05/02/2010 - by Pakamard Jaichalard]
January 2010
Temple thief deterrent - When a gas bottle is as good as a bell
The true meaning of a bell for monks at Wat Ban Thaew is not the smooth, polished brass or deep, clear sound. It is in its function,
not in form. Phra Aran sae Lim strikes an empty cooking gas cylinder hung at the sermon hall of Wat Ban Thaew in Ayutthaya’s Tha
Rua district. After several thefts of old and new brass bells, the temple hopes the gas bell will not entice another theft. Such realisation
does not come from meditating on the essence of things. It has emerged from frequent robberies at the temple where centuries-old
bells along with new ones donated by villagers were snatched by drug addicts. The thefts prompted monks at the temple in Tha Rua
district of Ayutthaya province to find replacements. And villagers gave them one, a used, 15kg cooking gas cylinder. Abbot Phrakru
Winboonsasanawat, 82, credited the idea to villager Saen Turongmuang. He admitted it is "not as elegant as a brass bell", but he
doesn't see differences in terms of its ringing function. "The gas cylinder bell is kept at a sermon hall," the abbot said. "When it rings,
all five monks in the temple know it's time for certain activities." Nobody is bothered about the lower quality of its sound. It does not
resonate in a way that brings a familiar solemn mood to listeners. The monks care only whether it will work and so far none have
doubted that. Only some changes were needed to make use of the "bell". The monks use an iron hammer instead of a wooden stick
to hit it in order to make a loud sound, said monk Aran sae Lim. "The gas cylinder bell is an item that does not encourage robbery,"
he said. This innate lack of temptation to steal invaluable things has been applied to other items in the temple which were the targets of
thieves. The monks used baked-clay flower pots to replace brass joss stick pots and plastic materials are also now a common sight
on the altar table before the Buddha statue in the hall. The robbery has caused the temple to move towards the functionality of things
with less concern for their aesthetic values. [Source: Bangkok Post - 31/01/10 - by Sunthon Pongpao]
Travel guides go digital - Tourists can now calculate routes and costs via mobile Internet
Travelling to Ayutthaya is now more convenient thanks to the facility to calculate costs, time and energy consumption prior to the
trip. A tourist uses his smart phone to plan his sightseeing route and calculate how much time and money will be required. The
National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) has teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), while
the Ministry of Culture has recently introduced http://www.pi-pe.org, a website which helps tourists to plan their travelling via their
smart phone or personal computer. The pi-pe website currently can be accessed via smart phone and computers running the Safari or
Firefox internet browsers. The pi-pe website helps tourists to plan their travel itinerary with the recommended places such as
restaurants and noodle shops, or sightseeing highlights such as temples and museums or natural or cultural attractions. The program
has been initiated to tackle the existing problem of disparate tourist information and to enable tourists to fully navigate
each route, point to point, during their travels. The pi-pe website has accumulated GPS mapping and travel information to help
tourists enjoy more convenient route planning. "Recommended destinations will show up together with the route and distance
calculation," said Nectec researcher Rattapoom Tuchinda, who spent six months developing the pi-pe program for both computer
and smart phone access. Once tourists plan to visit multiple locations, the program will calculate travel times and then figure out how
long they should spend at each place in order to fulfill their itinerary. "The content is provided by TAT and our team has also
thoroughly surveyed the course so the distance in kilometres from the starting point can be exactly calculated," Rattapoom noted.
Users can also calculate their energy usage and costs based on which kind of fuel they use. For users without smart phones or other
mobile internet devices, schedules can be saved and printed to take on the journey. Currently, the system details are some 100
interesting locations in Ayutthaya, including temples, museums, restaurants, hotels, and more. As well as route info, users can also
access details such as entrance fees and opening times. The developer noted that the program was originally developed for use with
the iPhone, but the team is planning to deliver to other mobile platforms, such as Android and Blackberry. "The program has been
developed for the Safari and Firefox browsers but we have not developed for Internet Explorer because it causes difficulty in the
back-end system interface development and there are lots of loopholes on IE," said Rattapoom. He admitted that the content is not
yet complete, as it requires feedback from users. "All content is in Thai language as initially we would like to serve Thai people,
but if the project receives enough support, we will do English versions as well," he said. Nectec director Pansak Siriruchatapong
noted that the collaboration has initially focused on public services covering six areas: libraries and archives, archaeology, museums,
local wisdom, contemporary art culture, and classical dance. Ayutthaya is the pilot province. The website has accumulated cultural
content from the community and organisations and married it with technology to increase cultural capital, which is a mechanism of
creative economy. Nectec is now developing the program for Sakon Nakhon and Pathum Thani. Nectec assistant executive director
Virach Sornlertlamvanich noted that Sakon Nakhon has a strategy to stimulate the provincial economy with tourism. Pathum Thani
also has many cultural attractions including Mon culture, the Science Museum and Rice Museum. Both provinces have their own
independent administration and boast strong infrastructure and content, said Virach, who added that the provinces have collaborated
with TAT and the Science and Technology Knowledge Centre (STKC) of the Science and Technology Ministry. Nectec will initially
take care of the pi-pe website server, but this will eventually be handled by the provinces and TAT. Virach added that Nectec is now
talking with the private sector to ask companies to carry on the project and commercialise the website. "Software companies view
that this research project is useful and has potential for business in terms of services, so they can create revenue from the program,"
he said. Phanom Kaributra, TAT executive director, IT Office, noted that consumer behaviour has changed as tourists are now more
likely to search for information on the net. Citing the National Statistical Office, Phanom said the there are some 16 million Internet
users in Thailand and 40 million mobile phone users. Thus web and mobile will become the most useful tools for information search.
"TAT has a great deal of tourism information, and thus we need to disseminate this to better serve tourists," he said. The director
added that this content will not only be from TAT, but will also be consumer-generated content, thus it can create added value and
return more revenue to the community. "This is really green tourism as travellers can plan in advance, calculate everything, and save
energy and money," he said. The program that TAT has worked with the Culture Ministry initially focuses on cultural tourism, but in
the future it will extend to other areas such as business travel, eco-tourism, and so on. "The program needs to integrate all these areas
in order to be of most benefit to tourists," he said. [Source: Bangkok Post - 27/01/10 - by Sasiwimon Boonruang]
December 2009
Police snipers guard Buddhist art in Thailand
Police snipers are protecting Buddhist artifacts at a Thai museum after a spate of robberies including one where thieves stole nearly
100 statues and works dating back 1,000 years. Security was stepped up Friday at the Chawsamphraya National Museum, which
houses collections from the oldest temples in Ayutthaya, a Siamese kingdom founded in 1350 with many remaining ruins that are now
listed as a World Heritage Site. Ayutthaya police Col. Sombat Chuchaiya said a special five-man force including snipers will remain
at least through Dec. 20. Temples in Ayutthaya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Bangkok, and elsewhere in Thailand have reported
small-scale robberies in recent weeks. The Khon Kaen National Museum in northeastern Thailand was the latest one hit. Museum
director Ajara Kangsarikij said 91 "national treasures" all more than 1,000 years old were stolen Dec. 5, including bronze Buddha
statues and Buddha heads, amulets, sheets of gold from ancient temples and burial sites and other items. Art officials were still
working to assess the total value, she said. "These are all outstanding pieces of art and the museum's most famous, beautiful pieces,"
Ajara said. "We had two security guards at the museum - now we have increased security and will have an extra policeman to help
patrol and guard the collection." Thai authorities have appealed to the public to report any sign of the missing antiquities or tips to lead
police to the thieves. [Source: www.victoriaadvocate.com - 11 Dec 09]
November 2009
Restorers race against time
Currently there are 749 ancient mural paintings registered with the Fine Arts Department, says art expert Somsak Tangpun. Experts
and officials survey the mural paintings on the walls at Wat Rat Burana temple in Ayutthaya province. Most of them are located in
Buddhist temples across the country. Some of these murals date back 700 years to the Sukhothai period. Many have been
vandalised by thieves while others have been ravaged by time. Conservationists are racing against time to preserve these rare murals
as the Fine Arts Department is short of money and manpower to do the job properly. The department can restore only 10 major
pieces a year. Some of these paintings have suffered damage so severe they cannot be restored permanently and must be repaired
time and again. This is why restorers could hardly move on to start repairing other paintings. Experts agree these old paintings cannot
withstand the elements and any technological help toward restoration efforts is desperately needed. They argued that conserving these
ancient murals cannot wait and all available means and resources must be harnessed for the restoration and repair work. The Fine
Arts Department is now planning to restore the murals in the underground section of Wat Rat Burana using the ceramic boarding
technique. The department hopes this pilot project would help "immortalise" these unique paintings. To offset the cost of the project,
the department is likely to seek sponsorship from corporations which have a policy of promoting culture and art conservation.
[Source: Bangkok Post - 28/11/09 - by Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit ]
Artefact Thefts - Concern over online trade in antiquities
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry has been urged to keep a close watch on online trading of Thai
antiquities and religious artefacts after a spate of thefts from Buddhist temples in Ayutthaya province. Phra Yantrailok, secretary to
Ayutthaya's chief monk, urged the ministry to monitor and regulate websites that sell Buddha statues, Buddha heads and
archaeological items. If antiquities could be easily traded in an unregulated online market then thefts of such artefacts would increase,
he said. Jiraphan Pimpan, chairwoman of Ayutthaya's provincial cultural council, echoed the call for action. Websites selling
antiquities featured the names, phone numbers and bank details of traders. The ministry should follow up on these details, she said.
Their calls followed a string of thefts and the beheading of Buddha images at temples in Ayutthaya over the past week. On Nov 19,
robbers stole the heads of seven Buddha images from Wat Dong Wai in Nakhon Luang. Two days later, the heads of four Buddha
images at Wat Daeng in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district were stolen. Six Buddha statues were stolen from Wat Thammasinsopa in
the same district on Monday. Meanwhile, more than 10 Buddha images were stolen from a temple in Trat province on Monday night,
the third major theft there this year. [Bangkok Post - 25/11/09 - by Sunthorn Pongpao & Jakkrit Waewkraihong]
Temple Thefts - Dept begins inspections of antique shops in city
The Fine Arts Department has launched inspections of antique shops in Bangkok and surrounding provinces as part of efforts to find
Buddha heads stolen recently from two temples in Ayutthaya. Department deputy chief Khemmachart Thepchai yesterday said the
National Museum Office, which is responsible for granting operating licences to antique shops, had been asked to inspect the shops
in the capital to see if they were registered. A total of 176 antique shops in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani
and Samut Prakan have registered with the authority this year, Mr Khemmachart said. He said the number of antique shops
registered with the authorities was small compared with the rising number of such shops in weekend markets such as Chatuchak and
Sanam Luang 2, and those in department stores. He estimated at least 1,000 antique shops have not registered. Officials would be
sent to inspect antique shops at weekend markets to check whether they had registered or not and to find out if they had violated the
Ancient Monument, Antiques and National Museums Act. The inspection teams would also check to see whether they had bought
the Buddha heads which were stolen from the temples in Ayutthaya. ... In Ayutthaya, six Buddha statues have been stolen from a
temple in Phachi district - only a kilometre from a police booth. The theft from Wat Thammasinsopa in tambon Nong Namsai
yesterday was discovered after the caretaker of the temple, La-or Ngernngarm, discovered that padlocks to the ordination hall had
been forced open and six out of 10 Buddha statues had been stolen. Mr La-or, 71, said the six missing bronze and silver Buddha
statues were aged about 50 years old, and measured 6-9 inches wide. He said the temple and local residents feared thieves might
return to steal more statues, particularly the ancient one of Luang Phor Khao. Earlier, robbers cut off and stole the heads of seven
Buddha images from two temples in the province. So far, police have made little headway in finding the thieves. [Bangkok Post -
24/11/09]
Ayutthaya temple hit by thieves
Another ancient Buddha image has been stolen in Ayutthaya stoking concerns of a rising threat to valuable artefacts kept in the
temples in the World Heritage site province. Phra Samusomyot Yutwatthako, 47, the abbot of Wat Daeng in tambon Pak Tha of Tha
Rua district, said four out of six Buddha images about 300 years old have been destroyed and the heads of two images were stolen.
The theft occurred on Nov 4 but the monk said he did not report the incident to police as officers have failed to recover previously
stolen artefacts. Police have already installed a yellow box but that failed to deter thieves. The Fine Arts Office in the province said
the stolen heads of Buddha images were made of ancient sandstone and carved during the reign of King Rama III. The office also
said Buddha heads have been stolen in at least five temples in the past three years in Ayutthaya, speculating that they were stolen to
order. [Bangkok Post - 22/11/09]
Cabinet extends tourism stimulus measures
The Cabinet Tuesday agreed to extend the government's tourism stimulus measures for another year. The visa fee waiver, airport
landing and parking reductions and insurance coverage for visitors will now end in March 2011. Tourism accounts around 6 per cent
of the country's gross domestic product. It acknowledged that last year welcomed only 14 million tourists, down 8 per cent, while
tourism revenue of Bt 527 billion also showed a 3 percent dip. The Cabinet endorsed a Bt 372 million budget for the
restoration of the ancient capital of Ayutthaya, of which Bt20 million will go to TAT to improve tourism contents. It also
approved a Bt 20.5 million budget to promote "safe and creative" media, a scheme under Deputy Prime Minister Sanan
Kachornprasart. An allocation of Bt 51.1 million from the central budget will be used by the Prime Minister's Office to restore the
country's image. [Source: The Nation - 04/03/10]
February 2010
Prison, unis make way for preservation
AYUTTHAYA: The Culture Ministry is moving to relocate a prison and two university campuses from the historic compound in
Ayutthaya for fear they could affect the former capital's World Heritage listing. The plan unveiled by Culture Minister Teera
Slukpetch calls for the removal of the Ayutthaya Special Rehabilitation Prison, Ayutthaya Rajabhat University and Rajamangala
University of Technology Suvarnabhumi's Huntra campus from the old capital zone. The ministry has proposed spending 1.6 billion
baht to preserve and revitalise the historic city. The budget pending cabinet approval covers preservation projects proposed by
the Fine Arts Department, relocation of the prison and the two university campuses and promotion plans by the Tourism Authority of
Thailand and the Ayutthaya provincial municipality. The historic site of Ayutthaya was listed as a World Heritage site by the United
Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation in 1992. Mr Teera said the core zone was under threat of rapid
urbanisation. "From now on, construction work will not be permitted in the core zone," he said. The 1979 Building Control Act and
the 1975 Town and Country Planning Act would be better enforced to protect places with historical value. Fine Arts Department
director-general Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said no one would be forced to leave, but they would be told the city should not be
extended to ensure the site continued to meet UNESCO criteria. [Source: Bangkok Post - 15/02/10 - by Lamphai Intathep]
Historic park plan hopes to lure tourists
AYUTTHAYA: Provincial governor Wittaya Piewphong is upbeat about a plan to improve the city's historical park to attract more
tourists to the former capital. A religious ceremony is held in the heart of Ayutthaya Historical Park to worship kings of old. It was
held before the opening of the 86 million Baht Ayutthaya World Heritage Site Conservation and Development project
launched by the Fine Arts Department and energy giant PTT Exploration & Production. "The campaign is expected to convince more
visitors to visit Ayutthaya," Mr Wittaya said yesterday. The city will spend 68 million baht in a campaign to improve and
preserve the park, launched by the Fine Arts Department and energy giant PTT Exploration & Production (PTTEP). Models of
the historical park will be created and information boards put up to give tourists a better understanding of the park's
sites and the history of the area. The models and information boards will be placed around the park compound, including at the
Sanphet Prasat Pavilion, the Suriyas Amarindra Pavilion, the Banyong Rattanart Pavilion, the Viharn Somdej Pavilion and the
fortresses. The campaign will cover six temples: Wat Mahathat, Wat Rat Burana, Wat Phra Ram, Wat Phra Si Sanphet, Wat Yai
Chai Mongkhon and Wat Mae Nang Pluem. "The information boards will be based on the present ruins with other information aimed
at providing a clear picture to tourists of what they looked like in the past," said department director-general Kriangkrai Sampatchalit
after a religious ceremony at the park. Books and brochures about the sites will be distributed to 30,000 schools as part of
the scheme to promote the value of the country's heritage and the importance of preservation among young people. The
campaign comes under a memorandum of understanding signed in 2007 by the department and PTTEP to preserve historical sites
listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO). PTTEP chief
executive Anon Sirisaengtaksin said Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn had accepted the role of honorary adviser
to the campaign because the Ayutthaya park was the model used to build the Grand Palace in Bangkok. "The project is expected to
take 600 days to complete all the improvements and preserve the site in time to celebrate His Majesty the King's 84th birthday [on
Dec 5, 2011]," Mr Anon said. The Ayutthaya Historical Park has been included on Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites since 1991.
About 4 million people visit the park every year, most of them Europeans. The visits bring in at least 500 million Baht a year, the
governor said. [Source: Bangkok Post - 5/02/10 - by Lamphai Intathep]
Ayutthaya Historical Park taking shape
Vigorous efforts are now up and running to recreate the core zone of the once-splendid capital of Ayutthaya in 3D models and
animation. "We have already recreated six temples in pictures," Fine Arts Department director-general Grienggrai Sampatchalit said
yesterday. He was speaking after attending a ceremony to worship late Thai kings at the Ayutthaya Historical Park. The ancient
complex at Ayutthaya is a Unesco World Heritage Site. PTT Exploration and Production has provided more than Bt 68 million for
the project to conserve the complex in honour of His Majesty the King. HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn has been the
chief adviser to this project. Grienggrai said officials would develop the pictures and models for the reconstruction, based on the
ancient remains. "Once the project is completed, visitors will be able to see the models that will depict clearly where each structure
was located in the old days," he said. Grienggrai added that animation would also be produced and kept for study purposes at
learning centres. Methadon Wijakkhana, who heads the Ayutthaya Historical Park, said the models would be very close to what
stood in Ayutthaya centuries ago. "This is because we have developed the models not just from historical remains but also from old
documents," he said. Methadon pointed out that photos taken in the reign of King Rama V could be used to develop the model for
Wat Mahathat. He added that there was also an old map prepared by Dutchmen. "This is the first time innovative technology has
been used at the Ayutthaya Historical Park," he said. He believed the project would boost the number of visitors to the park. Once
completed, the pictures and models will be put right next to the historical remains so that visitors have a clearer idea of what
Ayutthaya looked like in the past. Currently, the Ayutthaya Historical Park attracts 1.2 million tourists from about 90 countries
annually. Of them, about 60 per cent are from Europe. [Source: The Nation - 05/02/2010 - by Pakamard Jaichalard]
January 2010
Temple thief deterrent - When a gas bottle is as good as a bell
The true meaning of a bell for monks at Wat Ban Thaew is not the smooth, polished brass or deep, clear sound. It is in its function,
not in form. Phra Aran sae Lim strikes an empty cooking gas cylinder hung at the sermon hall of Wat Ban Thaew in Ayutthaya’s Tha
Rua district. After several thefts of old and new brass bells, the temple hopes the gas bell will not entice another theft. Such realisation
does not come from meditating on the essence of things. It has emerged from frequent robberies at the temple where centuries-old
bells along with new ones donated by villagers were snatched by drug addicts. The thefts prompted monks at the temple in Tha Rua
district of Ayutthaya province to find replacements. And villagers gave them one, a used, 15kg cooking gas cylinder. Abbot Phrakru
Winboonsasanawat, 82, credited the idea to villager Saen Turongmuang. He admitted it is "not as elegant as a brass bell", but he
doesn't see differences in terms of its ringing function. "The gas cylinder bell is kept at a sermon hall," the abbot said. "When it rings,
all five monks in the temple know it's time for certain activities." Nobody is bothered about the lower quality of its sound. It does not
resonate in a way that brings a familiar solemn mood to listeners. The monks care only whether it will work and so far none have
doubted that. Only some changes were needed to make use of the "bell". The monks use an iron hammer instead of a wooden stick
to hit it in order to make a loud sound, said monk Aran sae Lim. "The gas cylinder bell is an item that does not encourage robbery,"
he said. This innate lack of temptation to steal invaluable things has been applied to other items in the temple which were the targets of
thieves. The monks used baked-clay flower pots to replace brass joss stick pots and plastic materials are also now a common sight
on the altar table before the Buddha statue in the hall. The robbery has caused the temple to move towards the functionality of things
with less concern for their aesthetic values. [Source: Bangkok Post - 31/01/10 - by Sunthon Pongpao]
Travel guides go digital - Tourists can now calculate routes and costs via mobile Internet
Travelling to Ayutthaya is now more convenient thanks to the facility to calculate costs, time and energy consumption prior to the
trip. A tourist uses his smart phone to plan his sightseeing route and calculate how much time and money will be required. The
National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre (Nectec) has teamed up with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), while
the Ministry of Culture has recently introduced http://www.pi-pe.org, a website which helps tourists to plan their travelling via their
smart phone or personal computer. The pi-pe website currently can be accessed via smart phone and computers running the Safari or
Firefox internet browsers. The pi-pe website helps tourists to plan their travel itinerary with the recommended places such as
restaurants and noodle shops, or sightseeing highlights such as temples and museums or natural or cultural attractions. The program
has been initiated to tackle the existing problem of disparate tourist information and to enable tourists to fully navigate
each route, point to point, during their travels. The pi-pe website has accumulated GPS mapping and travel information to help
tourists enjoy more convenient route planning. "Recommended destinations will show up together with the route and distance
calculation," said Nectec researcher Rattapoom Tuchinda, who spent six months developing the pi-pe program for both computer
and smart phone access. Once tourists plan to visit multiple locations, the program will calculate travel times and then figure out how
long they should spend at each place in order to fulfill their itinerary. "The content is provided by TAT and our team has also
thoroughly surveyed the course so the distance in kilometres from the starting point can be exactly calculated," Rattapoom noted.
Users can also calculate their energy usage and costs based on which kind of fuel they use. For users without smart phones or other
mobile internet devices, schedules can be saved and printed to take on the journey. Currently, the system details are some 100
interesting locations in Ayutthaya, including temples, museums, restaurants, hotels, and more. As well as route info, users can also
access details such as entrance fees and opening times. The developer noted that the program was originally developed for use with
the iPhone, but the team is planning to deliver to other mobile platforms, such as Android and Blackberry. "The program has been
developed for the Safari and Firefox browsers but we have not developed for Internet Explorer because it causes difficulty in the
back-end system interface development and there are lots of loopholes on IE," said Rattapoom. He admitted that the content is not
yet complete, as it requires feedback from users. "All content is in Thai language as initially we would like to serve Thai people,
but if the project receives enough support, we will do English versions as well," he said. Nectec director Pansak Siriruchatapong
noted that the collaboration has initially focused on public services covering six areas: libraries and archives, archaeology, museums,
local wisdom, contemporary art culture, and classical dance. Ayutthaya is the pilot province. The website has accumulated cultural
content from the community and organisations and married it with technology to increase cultural capital, which is a mechanism of
creative economy. Nectec is now developing the program for Sakon Nakhon and Pathum Thani. Nectec assistant executive director
Virach Sornlertlamvanich noted that Sakon Nakhon has a strategy to stimulate the provincial economy with tourism. Pathum Thani
also has many cultural attractions including Mon culture, the Science Museum and Rice Museum. Both provinces have their own
independent administration and boast strong infrastructure and content, said Virach, who added that the provinces have collaborated
with TAT and the Science and Technology Knowledge Centre (STKC) of the Science and Technology Ministry. Nectec will initially
take care of the pi-pe website server, but this will eventually be handled by the provinces and TAT. Virach added that Nectec is now
talking with the private sector to ask companies to carry on the project and commercialise the website. "Software companies view
that this research project is useful and has potential for business in terms of services, so they can create revenue from the program,"
he said. Phanom Kaributra, TAT executive director, IT Office, noted that consumer behaviour has changed as tourists are now more
likely to search for information on the net. Citing the National Statistical Office, Phanom said the there are some 16 million Internet
users in Thailand and 40 million mobile phone users. Thus web and mobile will become the most useful tools for information search.
"TAT has a great deal of tourism information, and thus we need to disseminate this to better serve tourists," he said. The director
added that this content will not only be from TAT, but will also be consumer-generated content, thus it can create added value and
return more revenue to the community. "This is really green tourism as travellers can plan in advance, calculate everything, and save
energy and money," he said. The program that TAT has worked with the Culture Ministry initially focuses on cultural tourism, but in
the future it will extend to other areas such as business travel, eco-tourism, and so on. "The program needs to integrate all these areas
in order to be of most benefit to tourists," he said. [Source: Bangkok Post - 27/01/10 - by Sasiwimon Boonruang]
December 2009
Police snipers guard Buddhist art in Thailand
Police snipers are protecting Buddhist artifacts at a Thai museum after a spate of robberies including one where thieves stole nearly
100 statues and works dating back 1,000 years. Security was stepped up Friday at the Chawsamphraya National Museum, which
houses collections from the oldest temples in Ayutthaya, a Siamese kingdom founded in 1350 with many remaining ruins that are now
listed as a World Heritage Site. Ayutthaya police Col. Sombat Chuchaiya said a special five-man force including snipers will remain
at least through Dec. 20. Temples in Ayutthaya, 30 miles (50 kilometers) north of Bangkok, and elsewhere in Thailand have reported
small-scale robberies in recent weeks. The Khon Kaen National Museum in northeastern Thailand was the latest one hit. Museum
director Ajara Kangsarikij said 91 "national treasures" all more than 1,000 years old were stolen Dec. 5, including bronze Buddha
statues and Buddha heads, amulets, sheets of gold from ancient temples and burial sites and other items. Art officials were still
working to assess the total value, she said. "These are all outstanding pieces of art and the museum's most famous, beautiful pieces,"
Ajara said. "We had two security guards at the museum - now we have increased security and will have an extra policeman to help
patrol and guard the collection." Thai authorities have appealed to the public to report any sign of the missing antiquities or tips to lead
police to the thieves. [Source: www.victoriaadvocate.com - 11 Dec 09]
November 2009
Restorers race against time
Currently there are 749 ancient mural paintings registered with the Fine Arts Department, says art expert Somsak Tangpun. Experts
and officials survey the mural paintings on the walls at Wat Rat Burana temple in Ayutthaya province. Most of them are located in
Buddhist temples across the country. Some of these murals date back 700 years to the Sukhothai period. Many have been
vandalised by thieves while others have been ravaged by time. Conservationists are racing against time to preserve these rare murals
as the Fine Arts Department is short of money and manpower to do the job properly. The department can restore only 10 major
pieces a year. Some of these paintings have suffered damage so severe they cannot be restored permanently and must be repaired
time and again. This is why restorers could hardly move on to start repairing other paintings. Experts agree these old paintings cannot
withstand the elements and any technological help toward restoration efforts is desperately needed. They argued that conserving these
ancient murals cannot wait and all available means and resources must be harnessed for the restoration and repair work. The Fine
Arts Department is now planning to restore the murals in the underground section of Wat Rat Burana using the ceramic boarding
technique. The department hopes this pilot project would help "immortalise" these unique paintings. To offset the cost of the project,
the department is likely to seek sponsorship from corporations which have a policy of promoting culture and art conservation.
[Source: Bangkok Post - 28/11/09 - by Bamrung Amnatcharoenrit ]
Artefact Thefts - Concern over online trade in antiquities
The Information and Communications Technology Ministry has been urged to keep a close watch on online trading of Thai
antiquities and religious artefacts after a spate of thefts from Buddhist temples in Ayutthaya province. Phra Yantrailok, secretary to
Ayutthaya's chief monk, urged the ministry to monitor and regulate websites that sell Buddha statues, Buddha heads and
archaeological items. If antiquities could be easily traded in an unregulated online market then thefts of such artefacts would increase,
he said. Jiraphan Pimpan, chairwoman of Ayutthaya's provincial cultural council, echoed the call for action. Websites selling
antiquities featured the names, phone numbers and bank details of traders. The ministry should follow up on these details, she said.
Their calls followed a string of thefts and the beheading of Buddha images at temples in Ayutthaya over the past week. On Nov 19,
robbers stole the heads of seven Buddha images from Wat Dong Wai in Nakhon Luang. Two days later, the heads of four Buddha
images at Wat Daeng in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya district were stolen. Six Buddha statues were stolen from Wat Thammasinsopa in
the same district on Monday. Meanwhile, more than 10 Buddha images were stolen from a temple in Trat province on Monday night,
the third major theft there this year. [Bangkok Post - 25/11/09 - by Sunthorn Pongpao & Jakkrit Waewkraihong]
Temple Thefts - Dept begins inspections of antique shops in city
The Fine Arts Department has launched inspections of antique shops in Bangkok and surrounding provinces as part of efforts to find
Buddha heads stolen recently from two temples in Ayutthaya. Department deputy chief Khemmachart Thepchai yesterday said the
National Museum Office, which is responsible for granting operating licences to antique shops, had been asked to inspect the shops
in the capital to see if they were registered. A total of 176 antique shops in Bangkok, Nakhon Pathom, Nonthaburi, Pathum Thani
and Samut Prakan have registered with the authority this year, Mr Khemmachart said. He said the number of antique shops
registered with the authorities was small compared with the rising number of such shops in weekend markets such as Chatuchak and
Sanam Luang 2, and those in department stores. He estimated at least 1,000 antique shops have not registered. Officials would be
sent to inspect antique shops at weekend markets to check whether they had registered or not and to find out if they had violated the
Ancient Monument, Antiques and National Museums Act. The inspection teams would also check to see whether they had bought
the Buddha heads which were stolen from the temples in Ayutthaya. ... In Ayutthaya, six Buddha statues have been stolen from a
temple in Phachi district - only a kilometre from a police booth. The theft from Wat Thammasinsopa in tambon Nong Namsai
yesterday was discovered after the caretaker of the temple, La-or Ngernngarm, discovered that padlocks to the ordination hall had
been forced open and six out of 10 Buddha statues had been stolen. Mr La-or, 71, said the six missing bronze and silver Buddha
statues were aged about 50 years old, and measured 6-9 inches wide. He said the temple and local residents feared thieves might
return to steal more statues, particularly the ancient one of Luang Phor Khao. Earlier, robbers cut off and stole the heads of seven
Buddha images from two temples in the province. So far, police have made little headway in finding the thieves. [Bangkok Post -
24/11/09]
Ayutthaya temple hit by thieves
Another ancient Buddha image has been stolen in Ayutthaya stoking concerns of a rising threat to valuable artefacts kept in the
temples in the World Heritage site province. Phra Samusomyot Yutwatthako, 47, the abbot of Wat Daeng in tambon Pak Tha of Tha
Rua district, said four out of six Buddha images about 300 years old have been destroyed and the heads of two images were stolen.
The theft occurred on Nov 4 but the monk said he did not report the incident to police as officers have failed to recover previously
stolen artefacts. Police have already installed a yellow box but that failed to deter thieves. The Fine Arts Office in the province said
the stolen heads of Buddha images were made of ancient sandstone and carved during the reign of King Rama III. The office also
said Buddha heads have been stolen in at least five temples in the past three years in Ayutthaya, speculating that they were stolen to
order. [Bangkok Post - 22/11/09]
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