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Published on October 18, 2007

 Culture Minister Khunying Khaisri Sriaroon yesterday said it would be "unfortunate and embarrassing" if Unesco removes the Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns from the World Heritage list following threat of encroachments from rapid development.

Khaisri had received an initial report from the Fine Arts Department that the site, which was included in Unesco's World Heritage List in December 1991, had problems with city planning that might lead to its exclusion from the list, the minister said.

Ayutthaya was also deemed a world heritage site with the most problems of land encroachment, which was now beyond the control of Fine Arts Department officials, Khaisri said.

The ministry will now ask for cooperation from the Ayutthaya governor to ensure the site was maintained according to Unesco criteria, she added.

If the site was not taken care of or kept in good condition leading to its exclusion from the heritage list, it would be unfortunate and embarrassing, she said.

It would send the message that Thais did not attach importance to their cultural heritage, while other countries were striving hard to have their cultural sites included on the World Heritage list, Khaisri said.

She said the best groups that could take care of the Historic City of Ayutthaya and Associated Historic Towns were the local communities and urged them to keep a close watch on anything suspicious.

Fine Arts Department Director-General Kriengkrai Sampatchalit said the Unesco World Heritage committee would inspect the ancient sites on the list to see how they were being maintained.

He said that he had learned the committee was considering grading heritage sites according to a colour code. Red would mean the site was at risk of being removed from the list; yellow, would mean the site needed improvements, while green would denote a site in good condition, he said.

He said the current problems could still be solved and he would soon discuss with all sides to resolve the issues.

Fine Arts Office 3 director Anek Sihamat said the site's inner area covering 1,800 rai - out of the total 6,000 rai where many important historical places such as Wat Phra Sri Sanpetch and Wat Ratcha Burana were situated -  now had people building structures over these ancient sites.

He cited as an example a lawsuit between his office and the local administration body and residents over an over-eight-metre-tall building, the construction of which was eventually aborted.

However, such problems only affected around 10 per cent of the site's area. If they accounted for 40 to 50 per cent, then it would be worrying and might lead to it being removed from the list, he said.

Anek said that before the site's inclusion in the heritage  list, there were many land encroachments, but the authorities had tackled the problem and managed the area according to Unesco criteria. They had even moved an 11-metre building to outside the urban area and had state agencies' offices located to a new city area.

Earlier, Chao Sam Phraya Museum Director Subongkot Thongthongtip, said the site's problems resulted from lack of proper control over city planning, which recently allowed high buildings to be built near the world heritage site, and urged that planning laws be strictly enforced.

Subongkot said that she personally disbelieved the rumour that the site faces the threat of removal from the World Heritage list.

She said Unesco regularly assesses the site and would surely warn authorities to improve the situation before taking the step of excluding the site from the list.

Pakamard Jaichalard

Chularat Saengpassa

 The Nation