Locals Heartbroken as Revered Statue of Tao Wessuwan Demolished Without Permission

Picture courtesy of ThaiRath.

A much-revered statue of Tao Wessuwan, a guardian deity in Thai and Buddhist belief, was destroyed without prior warning at the entrance to Pong Ta Muk Temple in Phan Thong District, sparking outrage among local residents and devotees.

The demolition occurred during road-widening works along the Phan Thong–Ban Bueng route. The statue, which had stood for over a decade, was reportedly torn down by construction workers without notifying the temple authorities or community leaders. The temple’s abbot, Phra Khru Witthayaphinan Yanangko, has expressed deep disappointment and has announced plans to file a police report against the contractor responsible.

According to a Facebook post from the local page “Nong Hong Subdistrict, Phan Thong,” the incident took place on 21 April, shortly before midday. Workers employed by the roadworks contractor proceeded to demolish both the temple wall and two statues of Tao Wessuwan, ignoring standard protocol which requires religious statues to be ceremonially relocated with proper notice and consultation.

When reporters visited the site, they found ongoing construction work and visible damage to the two Tao Wessuwan statues. Pieces of the once-proud guardian figures lay in ruins, leaving many locals dismayed.

Mr. Amnuay Charoensuk, a 52-year-old local vendor and long-time devotee, described the statues as spiritual protectors that had brought a sense of safety to the area, even reportedly reducing traffic accidents. “I feel devastated. We built these with donations and reverence. Nearly 100,000 baht was spent. Now it’s all gone without any respect,” he said.

One of the workers involved, 50-year-old Mr. Nawee Wairiab, admitted he had followed orders from his supervisor. “I didn’t mean to cause harm. I raised my hands in respect before starting the work. I apologise to the villagers, I was just doing my job.”

The abbot confirmed that plans were already in place to respectfully relocate the statues as part of the road expansion. “Had they spoken to us first, we could have moved the statues easily. They weren’t even that large,” he said. “But to demolish them without permission, that’s unacceptable.”

Community members are now demanding that the contractor fund the reconstruction of the statues and work with the temple to ensure proper religious procedures are followed. The incident has prompted widespread discussion online, with many condemning the lack of cultural and spiritual sensitivity.

 Adapted by ASEAN Now from ThaiRath 2025-04-23.