Conservation vs Renovation of Historical Buildings

[Thaivisa News]

Bangkok: – Wat Kalayanamitr has cited renovation to justify the repairs of historical buildings, rebutting the Fine Arts Department’s accusation for the destruction of historical properties.

Department director general Borvornvate Rungrujee has filed a police complaint charging the temple for failing to abide by the law on historical buildings conservation.

Borvornvate said he would prosecute those involved to the fullest extent of the law as the temple had allegedly demolished and/or destroyed some 22 historical buildings in the past 12 years.

The temple has been listed as the historical landmark since 1949, he said, arguing that the monastic authorities must seek and receive approval before making changes to the historical buildings.

In the rebuttals, the temple said in a statement that the listing of the temple’s historical building was incomplete and invalid.

The department failed to specify which buildings located in the temple’s grounds were historical sites, hence making it impossible to comply with the conservation regulations.

Furthermore, the department did not publish the historical buildings list in the Royal Gazette as required by the law to notify the public of when the enforcement would come into effect.

Even though the temple tried to cooperate and consult with the department on the renovation work in 2003, the department did not respond.

In 2011, the department initiated legal proceedings against the temple’s abbot. The public prosecutors subsequently dropped the case on grounds of lack of evidence.

The temple has petitioned for the administrative judicial review to revoke the department’s list of historical buildings. The case is being reviewed by the Supreme Administrative Court.

The high court has not issued an injunction to block the renovation work. And the temple has deemed it necessary to proceed with renovation plans because it is scheduled to celebrate 190th Anniversary in 2017.

[Jim walker]

Time all these beautiful historical buildings and temples in Thailand were demolished plenty money to be made building condos on the land space, lovely money money., if you want to see old buildings plenty of pictures in books.

[farangmick]

Historical buildings? In the temple in question, I believe they are all less than 100 years old. Half the houses I lived in in England were older. "Historical" in Thailand means a 50 year old teak house.

[reiltin]

Whilst not comparing the capital to Rome, there are pockets of interesting older buildings (far more pre 90s) scattered throughout Bangkoks sois adding to the flavour and culture of the cityscape, seen from the pavement or from the ever growing sky train system old and the new side by side-a small window on the many cultures and folks who've been and gone, Alas through crooked city planers, cents over sensibility and an ethos of "new good old bad" mean year by year what used to be no longer is.....knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing.

[xen]

Problem in keeping old buildings is the relationship between the buildings and their inhabitants . Ghosts and spirits . I am assured by a lot of Thais , and other people too , that they do exist and they form attachments to these buildings . That is the last thing we need , more homeless ghosts jumping out at people in the middle of the night because they have no where to live.

This is one of the main reasons that the Thais like to live in new houses and it is easier to sell a new house than an old one. However it seems the more educated Thais are beginning to see therelationship between old historically important buildings and their culture.

[h90]

Historical buildings? In the temple in question, I believe they are all less than 100 years old. Half the houses I lived in in England were older. "Historical" in Thailand means a 50 year old teak house.

100 years......in Europe you find churches which are at 1000 years and are still used. So I agree 100 years is not historical. For Catholics it would be brand new.

[dragonfly94]

badly built tat just like most other buildings here

[FalangBaa]

There are no historical buildings in Thailand. Thais hate anything old. If you ask a Thai to name their favourite things, they will reel off a list of some of the most recent movies, music, etc. They cannot understand why you would value something that was not the latest thing. They live in the moment and put no value in heritage whatsoever.

[h90]

There are no historical buildings in Thailand. Thais hate anything old. If you ask a Thai to name their favourite things, they will reel off a list of some of the most recent movies, music, etc. They cannot understand why you would value something that was not the latest thing. They live in the moment and put no value in heritage whatsoever.

Which might not be bad......maybe better than us European living in the past.......