GOLD RUSH
More join hunt for gold at plantation
Krissana Tiwatsirikul
The Nation

Fine Arts Department believes treasure found in the plot up to 800 years old

BANGKOK: -- A PALM plantation in Phatthalung has attracted a huge number of gold prospectors. Armed with hoes and shovels, these people are no daydreamers.

In recent days, glittering big sheets of gold have been found here. It remains unclear how the precious items ended up on the plot but the Fine Arts Department has already come forward with a plea.

"If you find gold there, please sell it to us," the department's director-general Anek Sihamat said yesterday.

Under the law, ancient artefacts belong to the state. However, he said, his department is willing to purchase these gold sheets.

Anek said gold sheets from the plot were between 700 and 800 years old and could be historically important.

He was speaking after examining some of the gold items.

"We believe they might have belonged to some wealthy merchants or city rulers in the past," he said. "The gold has been turned into thin sheets to make it easy to carry around. Goldsmiths must have worked on these sheets."

Wi Tapsaeng owns the palm plantation, which covers more than 10 rai in tambon Khao Chaison, Khao Chaison district.

After he discovered gold on the plot, locals flocked there and searched for gold, too.

Many neighbours have shown up with flower garlands and incense sticks, praying to be blessed and to be forgiven.

Sources said the gold sheets were similar to those used to adorn the Phra Borommathat Chedi, an historical site and sacred religious structure in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

"If these ancient gold sheets were really designed for the pagoda, no one should use it for any inappropriate purpose, or else he or she may be cursed," an expert in Nakhon Si Thammarat history said on condition of anonymity.

Anek said he had been contacting relevant officials to have Wi's plantation declared an "archaeological site".

Arnat Bamrungwong, who heads the Fine Arts Office 14, said relevant officials would do their best to protect the site from further damage. Nakhon Si Thammarat is under his office's jurisdiction.

Anek said he would also ask the Fourth Army Region for help secure the plantation for proper checks and excavation.


-- The Nation 2014-05-30

The golds cursed, sorry can't have it...

How do you say in Thai There's gold in them there plantation???

Is this a con job to get the ground turned over free ?

why would the owner of the land let other people take gold from his land

Yup, an inanimate lump of gold being "cursed" makes perfect sense to a rational mind.

Nice try to get the red shirts out of the bangcock.

A fool and his money gold are soon parted.

why would the owner of the land let other people take gold from his land

Right! If I would be the owner of the land, I would have started acting strangely, muttering to myself and laughing loudly without any reason in the daytime, and dig at night. All the villagers would pity me, till the moment I suddenly turn up in an expensive car, and tear down my house in order to replace it with kind of a palace.

"Under the law, ancient artifacts belong to the state. However, he said, his department is willing to purchase these gold sheets."

Is that really sending the right message?

In Isarn, the hunt for gold is usually old western pensioners.

In Isarn, the hunt for gold is usually old western pensioners.

Nice one !! And far more lucrative.....

why would the owner of the land let other people take gold from his land

Thai's in general cannot keep there mouths closed

Sod the incense sticks and flower garlands, I got a good metal detector.

Just don’t forget to cover the holes again when digging, otherwise they will become mosqueto breeding grounds.

In Isarn, the hunt for gold is usually old western pensioners.

No shovels required there, I guess.

Armed with hoes and shovels

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Is this a con job to get the ground turned over free ? alt=giggle.gif>

It's called "taking" or eminent domain.

The real gold would be charging this mob 100 bht each a day to destroy his property.

I bet khun Wi is wishing he'd kept his mouth shut by now...

Finally a good news story, Good on Em

In World War II pilots from many countries carried a survival kit that contained, among other things, small pieces of gold to be used in any country they may get stranded in. The first report on this gold mentioned Japanese writing on some of the gold. The gold sheets meant to be carried around, as the one in the picture from earlier this week, are exactly the kind of gold a pilot or member of any flight crew might have. Unless they consider the 1940's ancient history this is not an archaelogical find.

In Isarn, the hunt for gold is usually old western pensioners.

and there ever so loyal girlfriends....

Nice try to get the red shirts out of the bangcock.

ZZZZZ Give it a rest, what is the connection between this gold being found and the red shirts?

Can any story on here be commented on without it being turned into a political thread?

In Isarn, the hunt for gold is usually old western pensioners.

No shovels required there, I guess.

Armed with hoes and shovels

Lots of 'hoes' indeed, but no shovel. Buy loads of shovels after he kicks the bucket.

Nice try to get the red shirts out of the bangcock.

ZZZZZ Give it a rest, what is the connection between this gold being found and the red shirts?

Can any story on here be commented on without it being turned into a political thread?

I wonder what is more incomprehensive, your post or that you take an ironic joke for granted?

There are many instances of Japanese settling in the Southern provinces centuries ago.

Nakhon Si Tammarat once had a Japanese governor (which probably then included this area)

It could very well be "old gold".

In World War II pilots from many countries carried a survival kit that contained, among other things, small pieces of gold to be used in any country they may get stranded in. The first report on this gold mentioned Japanese writing on some of the gold. The gold sheets meant to be carried around, as the one in the picture from earlier this week, are exactly the kind of gold a pilot or member of any flight crew might have. Unless they consider the 1940's ancient history this is not an archaelogical find.

D'you think pilots from 700/800 years ago were issued with similar survival kits?

Just don’t forget to cover the holes again when digging, otherwise they will become mosqueto breeding grounds.

That's the curse. Dengue and malaria.

Deja vu?

About 15 years ago there was a scam in which a landowner claimed to have found WWII US savings bonds now worth billions buried on his land, presumably by the Japanese. He was trying to boost the value of the land & sell it for big baht. I wonder if something similar isn't happening here.