Wat Rong Khun 'needs Bt150m for repairs'
The Sunday Nation

CHIANG RAI: -- The builder of Chiang Rai's Wat Rong Khun and well-known artist Chalermchai Kositpipat said repairs to the quake-hit temple would require Bt150 million and three years to complete. The temple was among many places damaged by the May 5 earthquake, which centred in Chiang Rai and was also followed by some 450 after-shocks in the past week.

Chalermchai said various agencies had helped assess the temple structure. They said structural damage was minimal. He said he had received moral support from many people hence he has decided to proceed with repairing Wat Rong Khun on his own initially.

The temple is open for public as usual, except for the under-repair "Buddhawas" living quarters for monks, he said.

Meanwhile, Department of Fine Arts chief Anek Sihamat said he had assigned Office of Architecture director Kittipan Pansuwan to inspect damage to Wat Rong Khun and provide advice on its restoration.

Anek said Wat Phraborommathat in tambon Nakhon Chum in Kamphaeng Phet's Muang district has also been damaged by the quake. An initial inspection found cracks on the temple pagoda's top section. There was also damage to tiles covering the pagoda, hence the department would send an engineer to provide advice on proper restoration.

Following a meeting yesterday of officials regarding damage from the quake, Chiang Rai deputy governor Prajon Prajsakul said that a total of 8,509 homes in seven districts were affected - of these 46 homes were totally destroyed. Another 99 temples, seven churches, 46 schools, one university, 33 state offices, one hotel, six private company offices, four bridges, five roads, two community buildings and one tap water system were also damaged. The residents urgently needed official aid for inspection of structure to ensure their safe return to their buildings, he added.

Chiang Rai public works and town planning official Yanyong Polsantikul said civil engineers from the Engineering Institute of Thailand, the Public Works Association and volunteer engineers had joined local engineers to assist affected residents in assessing damage from the quake and repairing public buildings before repairing residential homes.

-- The Nation 2014-05-11

Tomorrow it will need 20 Million and 6-months. That is the problem with crying wolf. Beautiful temple and a great creation but not going to be believing too much of what the artist has to say when it comes to damage and repairs needed.

Yeah right, 50 for actual repairs and100 millions for "arranging " the process.

Oh Thailand... when will you learn not to rip off yourself and your own people...,

I thought he said it was beyond repair

Donate and make merit. Don't worry about the money, it's in good hands, sort of.

I guess that will include the helipad for the helicopter the guy want to order.

What a great opportunity for any rich Thai philanthropists to step up to the mark and do something good for the nation.

The problem is although I tried looking up 'philanthropist' in my dictionary it seems there is no such word in Thai.

Oh well.

Edited May 11, 201412 yr by bigbamboo

!50 MILLION ? Thailand already has far to many malls, and temples - why not pay the farmers instead ?

Like Abbot Phra Issara, I'm sure the abbot owner of the Wat Rong Khun can get a bank loan to repair the temple using the deed as collateral. No need for donations or government assistance. And if that's not enough, there are the adjacent lands occupied by consessions that could be sold off. It might be more admirable for this wat site to lose its commercial image and maintain a purely wat image encompassed by a peaceful landscape.

that is a lot of money, do they plan to build a luxery resort for the monks ?

!50 MILLION ? Thailand already has far to many malls, and temples - why not pay the farmers instead ?

Have you visited the temple?

I was lucky enough to see it at it's glory, a month ago.

It's unique for Thailand and I hope they will repair it at it's previous glory.

No comment Just BS

bigbamboo post # 7

.

What a great opportunity for any rich Thai philanthropists to step up to the mark and do something good for the nation.

The problem is although I tried looking up 'philanthropist' in my dictionary it seems there is no such word in Thai.

I larf, I larf, I pee I self.

Edited May 11, 201412 yr by siampolee

Structural damage was minimal and yet he needs 150mb?? What's he been smoking?

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I thought he said it was beyond repair

Nothing a 150 big ones cannot fix....

What a great opportunity for any rich Thai philanthropists to step up to the mark and do something good for the nation.

The problem is although I tried looking up 'philanthropist' in my dictionary it seems there is no such word in Thai.

Oh well.

"Pooh Hia" would be the translation.

I feel the thai concept of donating/philanthropy to temples is misguided. You cannot buy blessings. You cannot take back sins commited. You are not doing any good per se. If anything it starts from how you treat fellow human beings.

Buddhist teachings never taught people to worship sacred images or build grand temples. That was invented by people who wanted something they could revere which on the contrary actually blinds them from seeing the truth that it is all about a higher state of consciousness and nothing more.

The 150 million is better spent on education and food for those in need.

Hope he didn't get that estimate from his current contractor.

Or could leave it as a memorial park still rake in the punters and not waste a satang ,

despite all the news bs there are regular earthquakes hereabouts I live about anhour away and felt witnessed about 6 since 2008 some reported in Bangkok most not.

In a land where snakes naga and ghost are at large and seen by the Jatukom-Set

perhaps it was a Rong-un and mindless attachment to material stuff is why theravada method wll never enter the premiership,Zazen,Sufism and Ayahuasca lads are a bit swifter on the santori caper,while more akin to local ignorance Kundalini and Mahayana are more like the VIP route.

While the spiits may have been wrong ,the structural surey and construction is faulty no pun intended ,we built on huge rebar pads 2 metres down ,why earthquakes are common here,my engineer in Chicago explained we should be ok up to about 7.5 level above max recorded in 3 centireis here.The cost 2 lorries fromThoung 28k bahts and a few lads change from a thousand dolars on 232m sq house ,now rong kun maybe triple and double height howver I reckon could build the foundations for 5-8k $ at todays prices 150-250k with orange volunteers or labour at 300 a day.

He want to retire, but also has a family riding on his back ;-)

Like Abbot Phra Issara, I'm sure the abbot owner of the Wat Rong Khun can get a bank loan to repair the temple using the deed as collateral. No need for donations or government assistance. And if that's not enough, there are the adjacent lands occupied by consessions that could be sold off. It might be more admirable for this wat site to lose its commercial image and maintain a purely wat image encompassed by a peaceful landscape.

The Wat (I use that term loosely) is the creation of the artist mentioned in the thread he is no abbot and I wonder if the artist show case has ever been given a official sanction as a WAT.