Most of you would be familiar with the protests going on in Bangkok, which have recently claimed lives due to clashes between the protesters and the authorities. The Fine Arts Department also report that museum visitorships have suffered greatly because of the protests, as the majority of the museums in Bangkok are located near the protest areas, and in some cases protesters have mistakenly stormed the museums!
Museums count conflict cost
Bangkok Post, 10 April 2010
The political conflict has been affecting all aspects of the economy, including museums.
Visitor numbers to museums run by the Fine Arts Department have fallen, as the museums are close to where the red shirts have based their protest.
On March 12-14, the first of the big red shirt gatherings in Bangkok forced the director-general of the Fine Arts Department Kriengkrai Sampatchalit to announce the closure of the Bangkok National Museum, the National Gallery, the National Theatre in Phra Nakhon district, the Changton National Museum, the National Library of Thailand, the National Archives of Thailand in Dusit district, and the Royal Barge National Museum in Bangkok Noi district.
