Call for Wat Arun renovation to be suspended

BANGKOK, Sept 12 (TNA) – Representatives from the civil society sector lodged a complaint to the Prime Minister to suspend restoration work of the Wat Arun's prang, a tall tower-like spire, and set up the national committee to review the work. They also demand that details of the contract are disclosed for scrutiny. Sayan Praichanjit , ex-dean of the Faculty of Archaeology, Silpakorn University today submitted the letter through the Public Service Centre at the Prime Minister’s Office. He claimed that the latest restoration of Wat Arun or the Temple of Dawn’s iconic prangs had diminished the traditional beauty of the structures and the skills of workers were not comparable to the original craftsman skills. The decorative pattern was roughly designed and the work was carried with undue haste to finish within the deadline, so the result is not satisfactory, he said. After the renovation, some parts even started to fallen off from the main structure. The group gathered 5,000 names to lodge a complaint to the prime minister to set up the national committee to oversee the restoration instead of giving an authority to only one agency, which is the Fine Arts Department to be in charge of restoration of historical sites in the country. Earlier, the Fine Arts Department denied claims, saying the post-restoration white surface of the stupas brought back the appearance of the stupas after the previous restoration during the reigns of King Rama IV and V. The temple, built during the Ayutthaya period, has undergone many repairs, but the latest renovation, which began in 2013 was the major restoration in 100 years. (TNA)