The conservation and management of

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is bo ...

's cultural heritage falls largely under the purview of the

Fine Arts Department The Fine Arts Department ( th, กรมศิลปากร, ) is a government department of Thailand, under the Ministry of Culture. Its mission is managing the country's cultural heritage. History The department was originally established ...

, under the framework of the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums, B.E. 2504 (1961). Under the law, the department has authority to manage and protect architectural sites (referred to as "ancient monuments" ( th, โบราณสถาน, )), antiques (, ''borannawatthu'') and ''

objets d'art In art history, the French term Objet d’art describes an ornamental work of art, and the term Objets d’art describes a range of works of art, usually small and three-dimensional, made of high-quality materials, and a finely-rendered finish th ...

'' (, ''sinlapawatthu'') of significant artistic, historical, or archaeological value. It is also responsible for operating

national museums A national museum is a museum maintained and funded by a national government. In many countries it denotes a museum run by the central government, while other museums are run by regional or local governments. In other countries a much greater numb ...

for the safekeeping of such artefacts. , the Department lists 5,678 ancient monuments, 2,087 of which have officially been registered (including 10 historical parks). It operates 43 national museums throughout the country. Other institutions are also involved in the field, including universities, professional organizations, and public and private museums. Thailand signed the World Heritage Convention in 1987, and is home to three cultural

World Heritage Site A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

Ban Chiang Archaeological Site Ban Chiang ( th, บ้านเชียง, ) is an archaeological site in Nong Han district, Udon Thani province, Thailand. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. Discovered in 1966, the site first attracted interest due to it ...

, the

Historic City of Ayutthaya Ayutthaya Historical Park ( th, อุทยานประวัติศาสตร์พระนครศรีอยุธยาPronunciation) covers the ruins of the old city of Ayutthaya, Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province, Thailand. Th ...

, and the

Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns The Historic Town of Sukhothai and Associated Historic Towns is a UNESCO World Heritage site which consists of Sukhothai historical park, Kamphaeng Phet historical park and Si Satchanalai historical park. These historical parks preserve the rema ...

. The conservation of heritage sites is often a contentious issue in Thailand, especially in cases involving private or religious property. Issues include looting, conflicting values between conservators and locals, lack of expertise, and lack of incentives for private owners to cooperate with conservation efforts. Lately, efforts to increase local involvement have resulted in several successful programmes.

References

{{reflist Cultural heritage conservation