Ancient Buddha statue is back home from Thailand

An ancient Buddha statue was returned from Thailand to Cambodia after disappearing from the Prasat Bakong district in Siem Reap province more than 30 years ago, and at present, is being kept at Chanbachot Nearam pagoda in Kampong Chhnang province.

Sok Thuok, director of the Kampong Chhnang Provincial Department of Culture and Fine Arts, said yesterday that the repatriated statue was built during the reign of King Norodom, making the artefact more than 100 years old, made of metal and more than 20 kilogrammes in weight.

The Buddha statue was discovered in Thailand by chief monk of Chanbachot Nearam pagoda in Pat Lang village, Kraing Leav commune om Rolea Bier district. Realising that the statue belonged to the Khmer people, he worked with experts and purchased the statue for about 550,000 baht ($14,000) and returned it to Cambodia where a repatriation ceremony in the Buddhist tradition has held on Sunday.

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