Thailand Seeks Swift Return of Artefacts from USA

via Thai PBS, 13 December 2023: Thailand’s Fine Arts Department is intensifying efforts to reclaim artefacts stolen from Si Thep Historical Park, now in US museums, following its UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition. The process, estimated to take three years, involves collaboration with the US, especially the Department of Homeland Security, to return pieces like a Buddha statue and a Phra Suriya sandstone, evidencing illegal smuggling and falsified export permits.

The reclamation of about ten pieces has already begun and Bangkok has received excellent cooperation from the US, through their Department of Homeland Security, the director general said, adding “It is evident that most of the museums in the US have no permits from Thailand to export the artefacts. Some of them even have falsified permits. In that case, they (the artefacts) have to be sent back unconditionally.”

Meanwhile, Tanongsak Hanwong, a sub-committee member tasked with retrieving Si Thep artefacts, mentioned that they can be found in both US and UK museums, citing a standing Buddha image in the Norton Simon Museum in the US, stating that the torso was sold to the museum on September 19, 1972 for US$210,000.

The museum’s curator then reassembled the torso with other parts in the shipment, resulting in a standing Buddha image with a height of about 2.75 meters.

Source: Fine Arts Dept wants speedy return of Thai artefacts from USA | Thai PBS World : The latest Thai news in English, News Headlines, World News and News Broadcasts in both Thai and English. We bring Thailand to the world