Ayutthaya On Verge Of Being Taken Off World Heritage List

[sriracha john]

Ministry rings alarm bells over Ayutthaya

Historic town on verge of being taken off World heritage list

Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon yesterday said it would be "unfortunate and embarrassing" if UNESCO removes the Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns from the World Heritage list following threat of encroachments from rapid development.

Khaisri had received an initial report from the Fine Arts Department that the site, which was included in UNESCO's World Heritage List in December 1991, had problems with city planning that might lead to its exclusion from the list, the minister said.

Ayutthaya was also deemed a world heritage site with the most problems of land encroachment, which was now beyond the control of Fine Arts Department officials, Khaisri said.

The ministry will now ask for cooperation from the Ayutthaya governor to ensure the site was maintained according to UNESCO criteria, she added.

If the site was not taken care of or kept in good condition leading to its exclusion from the heritage list, it would be unfortunate and embarrassing, she said.

It would send the message that Thais did not attach importance to their cultural heritage, while other countries were striving hard to have their cultural sites included on the World Heritage list, Khaisri said.

She said the best groups that could take care of the Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns were the local communities and urged them to keep a close watch on anything suspicious.

Fine Arts Department Director-General Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said the UNESCO World Heritage committee would inspect the ancient sites on the list to see how they were being maintained.

He said that he had learned the committee was considering grading heritage sites according to a colour code. Red would mean the site was at risk of being removed from the list; yellow, would mean the site needed improvements, while green would denote a site in good condition, he said.

He said the current problems could still be solved and he would soon discuss with all sides to resolve the issues.

Fine Arts Office 3 director Anek Sihamat said the site's inner area covering 1,800 rai - out of the total 6,000 rai where many important historical places such as Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch and Wat Ratcha Burana were situated - now had people building structures over these ancient sites.

He cited as an example a lawsuit between his office and the local administration body and residents over an over-eight-metre-tall building, the construction of which was eventually aborted.

However, such problems only affected around 10 per cent of the site's area. If they accounted for 40 to 50 per cent, then it would be worrying and might lead to it being removed from the list, he said.

Anek said that before the site's inclusion in the heritage list, there were many land encroachments, but the authorities had tackled the problem and managed the area according to UNESCO criteria. They had even moved an 11-metre building to outside the urban area and had state agencies' offices located to a new city area.

Earlier, Chao Sam Phraya Museum Director Subongkot Thongthongtip, said the site's problems resulted from lack of proper control over city planning, which recently allowed high buildings to be built near the world heritage site, and urged that planning laws be strictly enforced.

Subongkot said that she personally disbelieved the rumour that the site faces the threat of removal from the World Heritage list.

She said UNESCO regularly assesses the site and would surely warn authorities to improve the situation before taking the step of excluding the site from the list.

- The Nation

[Scott]

I wasn't aware that they had city planning anywhere in the kingdom. If they do, it would be interesting to find out what curriculum they studied and what school they went to!

[sriracha john]

World Heritage status at risk

The historic city of Ayutthaya might lose its World Heritage status, as poor zoning plans lead to more land encroachment in the protected zone, Culture Minister Khaisri Sri-aroon said yesterday. A survey of the protected area will be sent to the World Heritage Committee, which is appointed by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The committee suggests new cultural heritage sites around the world or removes those that fail to meet its criteria from the list.

Ayutthaya's Word Heritage status was now at risk, Khunying Khaisri said, as the city was threatened by urbanisation which led to more construction in its old zone. The city of Ayutthaya, capital of the then Siam, was made a World Heritage site in 1991. She said the Fine Arts Department, which oversees archaeological sites, lacked the power to tackle encroachers, who managed to build in prohibited areas.

''It will be a shame if the city is withdrawn from the World Heritage list,'' she said. ''This would show that Thais don't value their cultural heritage.'' Khunying Khaisri said she would talk to the Ayutthaya governor about ways to solve the problem.

Anek Sehamart, director of Fine Arts Office 3 in Ayutthaya, said that the building code prohibits structures taller than eight metres. However, some went up regardless, built on the remains of the ancient civilisation.

- MCOT

[kmart]

I wasn't aware that they had city planning anywhere in the kingdom. If they do, it would be interesting to find out what curriculum they studied and what school they went to!

True, unfortunately. Most towns here are concrete-shophouse eyesores with no regard to traditional architecture or blending the old with the new in an appealing way.

Ayutthaya these days is more about industrial parks than traditional heritage...

Strange, being that Thais attach so much importance to face; appearance; beauty; and general visual appeal...? Is it just lack of planning?

[sriracha john]

Ayutthaya ruined by the Burmese, now by Thais

The old capital Ayutthaya has been destroyed twice, first by the invading Burmese, and now by greedy and insensitive Thais.

Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon has warned that UNESCO might remove the historic city of Ayutthaya and associated historic towns from the World Heritage List following threats of encroachment from rapid development.

The plundering of Ayutthaya by the Burmese in 1767 cannot be easily removed from Thai consciousness. It still haunts us today. Built in 1350, old Ayutthaya was one of the most beautiful cities on earth, with hundreds of temples and a great culture. When the Burmese invaded the city, it was burnt to the ground.

Here is an account of what happened on the day Ayutthaya fell:

"On April 28, 1767 the town was captured by assault. The treasures of the palace and the temples were nothing but heaps of ruins and ashes. The images of the gods were melted down and hidden, depriving the barbarian conquerors of the spoils that had aroused their greed.

"To avenge this loss, the Burmese visited their heavy displeasure upon the town folk. They burnt the soles of their feet in order to make them reveal where they had concealed their wealth, and raped their weeping daughters before their very eyes.

"The priests suspected of having concealed much wealth were pierced through and through with arrows and spears and several were beaten to death with heavy clubs.

"The countryside as well as the temples were strewn with corpses and the river was choked with the bodies of the dead, the stench of which attracted swarms of flies, causing much annoyance to the retreating army. The chief officers of state and the royal favourites were in the galleys. The king, witness of the unhappy fate of his court, endeavoured to escape, but he was recognised and slain at the gates of the palace."

This account is taken from Sunait Chutintaranond and Thantun's "On Both Sides of the Tennaserim Range: History of Siamese Burmese Relations". (Asian Studies Monographs No 050, 1995.)

Whenever I visit Ayutthaya, I fall in love with the old capital even more. I like to have a meal at Krung Kao restaurant, which overlooks the river, and then set off on a long-tail boat around the city. It is a rewarding and enchanting experience.

In my mind, I always try to imagine what that terrible day in Ayutthaya would have been like, and realise that if the Siamese had been less complacent they would have been able to save Ayutthaya from total ruin. It is always the big "if".

But along the way, save for the historical sites and temples, Ayutthaya is an ugly city. It has not benefited from any urban planning. The houses built on the banks of the rivers are badly designed. People have dumped their garbage into the waters. Several buildings do not follow the city code.

Khaisri has received an initial report from the Fine Arts Department indicating that the site, which was included on UNESCO's World Heritage List in December 1991, has suffered from the lack of city planning. But this is virtually beyond the control of the Fine Arts Department.

"If the site is not taken care of or kept in good condition, and if this leads to its exclusion from the Heritage list, it would be unfortunate and embarrassing," she said.

It would be a disgrace if Ayutthaya is not saved and protected. We do not have any sensitivity towards our cultural heritage. In fact, Ayutthaya should long ago have been subject to strict zoning, so that it could remain forever a World Heritage site.

I have also been to Nara, the first capital of Japan. The Japanese look after Nara pretty well, although Nara's grandeur is not to be compared with Ayutthaya.

Ayutthaya and its associated towns cover an area of 6,000 rai. The site's inner area covers 1,800 rai. Yet many important historical places such as Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch and Wat Ratcha Burana are now overshadowed by ugly modern buildings.

If Ayutthaya were to be properly managed with greenery and zoning, it would be able to maintain its past grandeur so that all Thais can appreciate our heritage. Visitors from all over the world would love to come and see the handicrafts, the arts, the traditional dance and musical performances, the local products.

We can't move forward if we don't know and protect our roots.

- Thanong Khanthong / The Nation (staff) / Opinion Page

[Scott]

It sounds like it might be time to start burning the soles of some people's feet--preferably those without souls!

[jaiyenjohn]

Thai's that I know still have a sore spot for the sacking of Aythhaya. Whenever I visit there with friends you get that simmering hostility against the Burmese.

Of course just to stir the pot a little I remind them that the Thais were the ones that sacked Angkor Wat in Cambodia.

Strange that none of my Thai friends knew this, apparently they don't teach that in schools.

[PadThaiGuy]

I believe there is a zoning law, the bribes go up in this zone.

[brahmburgers]

In regard to Thailand: town planning is an oxymoron.

There few if any decent parks in Thai towns and cities - certainly no large ones like you'll find in European and north American cities.

What will it take for Thai builders and planners to make their cities less drab and crusty?

Bagan in central Burma is another example of poor planning. The site's allure is much about the expansive and magical plain with hundreds of ancient religious sites dotted around. In a fit of dimwitted fog, Burmese bureaucrats decided to build a gargantuan monolith building in its midst.

[dkstoney]

I have also been to Nara, the first capital of Japan. The Japanese look after Nara pretty well, although Nara's grandeur is not to be compared with Ayutthaya.

Thais, huh? Nara, built 600 years before Ayutthaya, is one of the most beautiful places on earth. Google some images of Nara and tell me it doesn't compare to Ayutthaya.

I think the reason this is coming across as so dire is because the Fine Arts Department really shouldn't have to tackle encroachers. They should only have to report them and then the police and city officials should take it from there. It's just indicative of the frustration that, yes, even Thais succumb to when people who are paid to enforce laws just don't enforce them. Or it's because city officials give the go ahead to the well-connected to build whatever they want, whenever they want, and wherever they want. I have seen the trash in the river and of course it's endemic to the nation. There's no ethical basis for a lot of Thais to not litter. Most folks don't understand the consequences and already tolerate a little filth here and there in their daily lives and personal abodes. Every year there are stories of people building in national parks and then claiming they've been there for years. And even the authorities have a difficult time relocating them. But, hey, good luck Thailand. You need it.

[Florin]

Chiang Mai has already been taken off the list some years back, for exactly the same reasons...Laos is a comparatively much poorer country, yet somehow manages to keep its heritage. Here, no one cares...

[rychrde]

I wonder if this is a general attitude here in Thailand.

old = poor

new = rich

I've seen a few times old temples having plans to build from scratch rather than renovating their old buildings. They say that a new building would look better, fresh... and wealthy. They seem happy to let the older, historical, building either lapse or be torn down.

In Europe this would send the public into paroxysms. Imagine tearing down the Parthenon and building a new version. Look at the fuss the Greeks are currently making over moving a few antiquities.

The logic of this would mean rebuilding central Ayutthaya to make it look like its former glory. Would still lose the UNESCO label but would look great!

rych

[sriracha john]

Plea to preserve Ayutthaya

The Fine Arts Department has insisted that Ayutthaya's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site remains intact, but urged all parties to help preserve the former capital city's grandeur and historical value.

Suvit Chaimongkol, director of the Ayutthaya historical park, said it was untrue that the UN body would remove Ayutthaya's status due to problems caused by land encroachment and lax legal enforcement.

UNESCO is due to review Ayutthaya's status every three years and the next audit falls next year.

"Basically, World Heritage Sites are supposed to be well taken care of. No degradation and destruction or encroachment is allowed inside the designated places," said Suvit.

"In the case of Ayutthaya, which has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1991, the whole island of 5,000 rai is a protected area subject to special restrictions on building height."

However, anthropologist Patarapong Kao-ngern said land encroachment had resulted from a previous government's policy of promoting rapid development in the former capital.

"An old plan [initiated by Field Marshal P Pibulsongkram] was to promote development in the area so that people could live nearby," Patarapong said.

"Over time, enforcement of the zoning law has become ineffective, resulting in a lot of problems. In fact, there are three zones.

"The first zone doesn't allow any buildings with a height of over eight metres, while the second allows buildings up to 12 metres and the third up to 15 metres, depending on proximity to the old temples and ancient structures."

In the worst-case scenario, Suvit said UNESCO could designate Ayutthaya as a World Heritage Site at risk, but the historical area would not be removed from the list.

"It's highly unlikely that Ayutthaya would be dropped from the list, but the designation that it's at risk would be helpful, so that all the parties concerned would seriously work together to improve the preservation efforts," Suvit said.

Veera Rojpot-rat, permanent secretary for the Culture Ministry, said reports that Ayutthaya could be removed from the Unesco list due to encroachment should serve as a warning that legal enforcement is still lax.

- The Nation

[Mai Krap]

Whats the first thing one sees when entering Ayuthaya from across the bridge onto the island? The giant size Amway sign!

Forget about it, Ayuthaya is a done deal, to many buses, to much BS and the trash, don't get me started. What a waste but its their own fault and the Fine Arts Department is not much more than a VIP Mafia themselves, maybe someone can tell me something they have protected besides their own interests? Show me some clean places in Thailand? Where can I go for a walk without stepping in dog crap? What sidewalk is a sidewalk and not a market? Where is there a level sidewalk where I wont break my ankle because of holes or poor design or get my eye poked out by a umbrella? Need I ask more?

[Dupont]

I wasn't aware that they had city planning anywhere in the kingdom. If they do, it would be interesting to find out what curriculum they studied and what school they went to!

True, unfortunately. Most towns here are concrete-shophouse eyesores with no regard to traditional architecture or blending the old with the new in an appealing way.

Ayutthaya these days is more about industrial parks than traditional heritage...

Strange, being that Thais attach so much importance to face; appearance; beauty; and general visual appeal...? Is it just lack of planning?

No, its short term finiancial gain, ie. money today, nothing tomorrow. Its as short sighted and greed driven as that.

The less money any outside agencies give these parasites the better.

How a people can let themselves be governen by such people is beyond me. But hey, don't get me started!

Edited October 28, 2007 by Dupont

[Dupont]

Plea to preserve Ayutthaya

The Fine Arts Department has insisted that Ayutthaya's status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site remains intact, but urged all parties to help preserve the former capital city's grandeur and historical value.

Suvit Chaimongkol, director of the Ayutthaya historical park, said it was untrue that the UN body would remove Ayutthaya's status due to problems caused by land encroachment and lax legal enforcement.

UNESCO is due to review Ayutthaya's status every three years and the next audit falls next year.

"Basically, World Heritage Sites are supposed to be well taken care of. No degradation and destruction or encroachment is allowed inside the designated places," said Suvit.

"In the case of Ayutthaya, which has been on the UNESCO list of World Heritage Sites since 1991, the whole island of 5,000 rai is a protected area subject to special restrictions on building height."

However, anthropologist Patarapong Kao-ngern said land encroachment had resulted from a previous government's policy of promoting rapid development in the former capital.

"An old plan [initiated by Field Marshal P Pibulsongkram] was to promote development in the area so that people could live nearby," Patarapong said.

"Over time, enforcement of the zoning law has become ineffective, resulting in a lot of problems. In fact, there are three zones.

"The first zone doesn't allow any buildings with a height of over eight metres, while the second allows buildings up to 12 metres and the third up to 15 metres, depending on proximity to the old temples and ancient structures."

In the worst-case scenario, Suvit said UNESCO could designate Ayutthaya as a World Heritage Site at risk, but the historical area would not be removed from the list.

"It's highly unlikely that Ayutthaya would be dropped from the list, but the designation that it's at risk would be helpful, so that all the parties concerned would seriously work together to improve the preservation efforts," Suvit said.

Veera Rojpot-rat, permanent secretary for the Culture Ministry, said reports that Ayutthaya could be removed from the Unesco list due to encroachment should serve as a warning that legal enforcement is still lax.

- The Nation

Wow, massive Thai understatement there I think.

[simon43]

Although the Burmese pretty well sacked Ayutthaya, this process was then completed by the Thais, who demolished many of the remaining buildings to use as building material for the new 'capital' at Thonburi.

That's according to a distinguished M.R. lecturer of mine at Chula, who is well-placed to know the full (and true) details of Thai history.

Simon

[brianw]

This morning the bbc news had a report about the area around the bridge on the Kwai becoming a world heritage site. The person who looks after the commonwealth war graves was tottally against the plan as he quoted that there are far to many visitors already which is causing problems with the up keep of the area... and it does not help matters by having DISCO boats and buses operating all day and most of the night. ( I must agree as early this year i was visiting the cemetary family member interned there when a double decker brightly painted bus blasting out music and a lot of asian youngsters drinking and dancing came pass which spoilt our few minutes of private thoughts

[Mai Krap]

Just a couple months back every fish in the river floated up dead and nothing was alive there for weeks. It makes me sick to think how tragic the place is considering historical value. I type this then take a look off my balcony where my neighbors to ?????? to take their trash out the front door just toss it into the jungle behind my office, I for one am tired of cleaning up after people, that includes relatives.

[PhilHarries]

Unfortunately for all their good attributes there are an awful lot of Thai people who don't give a flying <deleted> for THEIR OWN culture when there's a quick buck to be made. There are similar traits in a lot of westerners but that's why we have regulations that, by and large are enforced.

[sriracha john]

UPDATE

WORLD HERITAGE SITES

Ayutthaya under threat of delisting by UNESCO

The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) will soon send experts to evaluate the status of the world heritage sites in Thailand. Speculation has it that the historic city of Ayutthaya might be delisted as a world heritage site by UNESCO. Untidiness around the historical site and poor city planning has triggered concern among relevant agencies that the site would no longer meet the standards set for it to retain its status. Tharapong Sirsuchart, UNESCO's secretary for the International Council on Monuments and Sites (Icomos) in Thailand, played down the concern, saying that the overall condition of the site was still good. But, he said, the UNESCO experts might issue a ''warning'' to the government over poor management of the heritage site's surrounding area. The date of the experts' visit has yet to be confirmed but they are expected in the next few months because the Icomos must put together a report on the condition of the sites for submission to the UNESCO's world heritage conference for consideration in July. The conference will be held in Quebec, Canada. Anek Sihamat, director of the Fine Arts Department's third region office, who is in charge of the Ayutthaya Historic City, said many measures were implemented to improve the site's surrounding area and to preserve the ancient sites. ''If Ayutthaya people want to continue to have a world heritage site in their home province, they should help protect it and maintain its outstanding characteristics,'' Mr Anek said without elaborating.

Continued here:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/News/16Jan2008_news02.php

[naka]

Unfortunately most of Thailand's historic buildings were made from tacky materials,

mainly poor quality clay brick and plaster. That sort of stuff dont last so long.

Naka.