Legal action over demolition of historical trading post

[Nereus]

This has been going on for a few weeks and I haven't seen any mention of it here. I did look at the house a long time ago but didn't know anything about it The idiots that demolished it should be strung up to the nearest tree.
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Legal action over demolition of historical trading post

https://www.bangkokpost.com/thailand/ge ... ading-post

CHIANG MAI: The Fine Arts Department on Tuesday asked police to prosecute those who demolished the 127-year-old building in Phrae province that was once the Bombay Burmah Trading Co.

Kaisin Ounjaijit, director of the 7th Regional Office of Fine Arts, said the legal complaint pointed to violations of two sections of the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums in the demolition of the old building early this month.

Section 10 of the law prohibits anyone from demolishing an ancient monument without authorisation from the director-general of the Fine Arts Department. Section 32 prohibits anyone from trespassing on or damaging an ancient monument. Violations to the sections carry a jail term of up to seven years and/or a fine of up to 700,000 baht, he said.

The building was once the office of the Bombay Burmah Trading Company, which was granted a logging concession in the western Yom River in 1889. It is in Ban Chetawan of Muang district.

The first storey was made of concrete. Teak wood was used for the upper floor, which was recently dismantled during renovation of the historical building for use as a forestry learning centre, in the grounds of the Chetawan Arboretum.

Fine Arts specialists are now working on restoring the building.

Forestry Conservation Area Office 13 is the registered owner of the building.

3677352.jpg

The building before demolition.

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[nil]

“Fine Arts specialists are now working on restoring the building”

Good luck with that

[PeteC]

Brainless negligence, or blatant corruption. Take your pick.

[Nereus]

This article is too long to post, but has an interesting connection with the author:
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Demolition, lies, nepotism and impunity

https://www.bangkokpost.com/opinion/opi ... d-impunity

Seriously? The national park authorities in Phrae province outraged the whole nation by razing a historical heritage house to the ground, and are we still going to let them get away scot-free?

Destroying historical buildings is against the law. The perpetrators must face legal punishment. Yet, after a month of public uproar, are we going to let the matter rest now that the perpetrators have let the experts take over and promised to pay for restoration costs?

I must admit I feel strongly about the demolition for personal reasons. This is the house where my grandfather used to live when he was the regional forestry chief in Phrae. He also died there.

We saw the same games of lies, nepotism and impunity during the Bombay Burmah controversy. The regional forest chief in charge of Phrae kept lying that it was a restoration project that followed proper preservation techniques and blueprints. When pressed for evidence, he reluctantly admitted it did not exist -- but only after his minister had come out to defend the Phrae forest officials and amplified the same lie to the whole nation.

SANITSUDA EKACHAI

FORMER EDITORIAL PAGES EDITOR

A fine arts official is assembling debris that used to decorate the gable of ancient Bombay Burmah house that was torn down in a restoration project. (Picture courtesy of Fine Arts Department)

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[Big Boy]

The world's biggest jigsaw - incredible what they've put back together already. Such a shame.