Friday Bug on Wednesday sent our spy to check on the statue's well-being. Nearby residences, including the digs of the deputy head of mission, have already been razed, but Queen Victoria has yet to be evicted.

Sources said the statue would be removed to an appropriate site within the compound, but the decision about where has yet to be made. The embassy originally occupied 31 rai of land that had been purchased in 1922 from Phya Pakdi Noraset (Nai Lert) and has now sold off the section that connects with Phloenchit Road, leaving Queen Victoria adrift.

And the doughty monarch has been there for as long as anyone can remember. Removing her will be the most painful part of the deal.

In fact, the statue has been the British Embassy's major tourist attraction. After all, her presence - even in the form of a statue - is considered auspicious. Likewise, the Queen Victoria statue near Windsor Palace is one of the most popular spots for tourists who feel that taking their photo with the statue is a must, to prove they have actually been to England.

But who can blame the British government for deciding to slice off a chunk of the embassy? The land occupies one of the priciest sites in Bangkok: the prime business district at the intersection of Phloenchit Road and Soi Chidlom.

Let's just hope the British Embassy can find a nice place in the compound to resettle Queen Victoria and that she'll stay there for many years to come. And that the compound won't be sliced up again.