Thai museum row shows how public needs to play its part

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BURNING ISSUE
Museum row shows how public needs to play its part
Chularat Saengpassa
The Nation

BANGKOK: -- DESPITE changes to society fuelled largely by the digital era, the Thai community still makes little effort to adjust its approach to public affairs.

A row between local residents in Nakhon Pathom and the Culture Ministry's Fine Arts Department is one example of this slow adjustment and lack of interest.

Last week, residents in the province, west of Bangkok, launched a protest and signature campaign to block the department from moving art objects in the province's museum to Suphan Buri, a nearby province.

Only after public outrage was unleashed did the Fine Arts Department start explaining its scheme.

"We are only planning to relocate it. During the relocation, exhibits may then have to be moved to the Uthong National Museum first," Fine Arts Department's director-general Borvornvate Rungrujee said.

While he dismissed any rumour about the Nakhon Pathom-based museum being closed, he has told the public that nine national museums might need to shut down or merge with other facilities.

"The merging of or relocation of some museums is designed to improve the facilities," he explained.

The plan would affect the Wat Benchamabophit National Museum and the Wat Phra Chetuphon National Museum in Bangkok, and national museums Phra Borommathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Wat Matchimawas in Songkhla, Songkhram Ladya in Kanchanaburi, Inburi in Sing Buri, Chainat Muni National Museum in Chainat, Phra Buddha Chinnarat in Phitsanulok, and Mahaweewong in Nakhon Ratchasima.

In a bid to ensure public understanding, he said only 93 curators were available to run 44 national museums in the country. He explained that by international standards, each museum should have three curators to manage it properly.

If one finds out about the budget national museums receive each year, one would definitely be more understanding.

"We get the annual budget of Bt500,000. This budget must go to electricity and museum activities," a museum official said on condition of anonymity.

She said each national museum received pretty much the same budget.

"For all 44 national museums, the budget is less than Bt30 million a year," she said.

She also explained that national museums could not expect to reap a solid income from admission fees.

"Most visitors are students. Their admission is free," she added.

As the information from the officials comes out, their reasons tend to make sense particularly to those who have visited museums overseas. Foreign museums have curators who are the keys to picking items for permanent and non-permanent exhibitions. During this time, all remaining objects are well-preserved and, with closer consultation with its network, some may be loaned out for exhibitions elsewhere.

Visitors do not expect to see all Vincent van Gogh's paintings at the museum in Amsterdam, as some may be sent out on loan to a show in New York or other parts of Europe.

In Nakhon Pathom, without a proper curator or space to properly exhibit the art objects, the museum at the foot of Phra Pathom Chedi has failed to draw viewers. Worse, few know of its existence. If anyone steps into the museum, they would see the objects stacked in glass cabinets in the small chamber. No space is provided for viewers to stand and appreciate the beauty of the objects.

So, the relocation is very likely a good option to let the objects shine again.

A big question is why the department did not share that information with local residents in the first place and let them decide. Options should be studied and presented to them.

In this case, local residents should have been told why they could not keep all the objects at the museum in the way that has been done for years. Art objects are national property, which should be properly stored for all Thais.

For a change, the department should ask if any local resident can spare a place in the province where the objects can be located.

As the department has inadequate funds, is there a way to establish a permanent fund-raising scheme to finance the operations that entail the exhibitions and security?

The department's top-down decision and reaction indicates a missing link in Thai society.

The department is a tiny part of the gigantic public sector, but it shows the sector's poor attitude. All departments are taking orders from higher-ups, chiefly ministers and the prime minister. Locals are marginalised, as if any change does not affect them personally.

If the approach is not improved, how can we be sure that the public sector can support changes that Thai society is enduring?

Source: http://www.nationmultimedia.com/politics/Museum-row-shows-how-public-needs-to-play-its-part-30259845.html


-- The Nation 2015-05-12

[sprq]

Three curators needed per museum? Most Thai museums need hardly one, so weak are their collections.