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The bead was stolen on March 5 during the "Bead and Beyond" exhibition, which has been open to the public since December. Thousands of visitors have seen the beautiful bead displayed in a glass case along with other pieces. That is why many people wondered how it could have been stolen so easily.

The police spent nearly a week investigating the case, because the closed-circuit cameras were of little help, being installed far too far away from the exhibition area.

While the policemen kept questioning officials and visitors, the museum received a surprise in the mail on Thursday. The envelope, posted from Bangkok's Jorakae Bua area, carried the glass-mosaic bead wrapped in toilet paper and bubble wrap. The attached note, written in childlike script, said: "I'm sorry to cause such trouble to all of you. I'd like to return this, so that everyone is happy. My sincere apologies."

The museum's director Admiral Thanit Kittiampon later said the owner of the bead, Dr Bancha Pongpanit, who was in Nakhon Si Thammarat at the time, had initially confirmed from an e-mail picture that the bead was indeed the stolen one. Of course, further proof is needed to confirm its authenticity.

The bead will once again be displayed on Tuesday amid beefed-up security, including 10 new closed-circuit cameras and trained guards. The exhibition runs until June 28.

With a case as strange as this, some reporters are left wondering if this so-called theft was a set-up? Of course, Dr Bancha, an ancient-bead expert and collector, who will be launching a new book on ancient beads on Wednesday, denies this.

Sadly, the 2,000-year-old Sun God bead is not the first treasure to be stolen from the museum. Lots of other collections like tin toys, hand-carved utensils and torches used for interactive exhibitions have been plundered or destroyed. This modern museum's motto is "please touch" instead of the "don't touch" that most other museums insist on sticking to.

The ease with which treasures can be stolen doesn't just point at bad security but also reflects unprofessional management.

Museum Siam's interactive displays with hi-tech presentations have added something new to museum visits. Since it opened its doors last April, millions of visitors have flocked to learn about Thai and other cultures.

Like Museum Siam, the Bangkok Arts and Culture Centre in Pathumwan district introduced modern art to Thai society since opening its doors last July with the inaugural "Always Roaming with a Hungry Heart" exhibition of photos by Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn.

Since it is accessible by Skytrain, the new art centre is quickly becoming a learning centre for art-lovers, mall rats and tourists. The "Traces of Siamese Smile" exhibition from September to November 2008 was the centre's first international exhibition and its biggest hit.

All sorts of people flocked to the museum during these three months. Sadly, some of the visitors spent their time chatting loudly on their mobile phones, while others became snap-happy with theirs. The worst case was when one schoolboy started taking notes by holding his copybook against a painting. Not a single security guard noticed, so I had to step in and tell him, very politely, about his action could harm the masterpiece. Unfortunately, his mother did not take this in the spirit it was meant, glared at me and dragged her boy away angrily.

Showing an interest in art is a good sign, but the boy needed some guidance. Educational programmes on art appreciation aren't properly done here, and the art centre still does not have an official administrative body. It's nearly a year since it opened, but the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration has not yet handed its administration over to the Art and Culture Foundation, which is run by artists, academics and cultural experts, all perfectly capable of running an art centre.

Perhaps visiting museums is not part of Thai culture. Each museum should teach visitors how best to enjoy an exhibition while also understanding and respecting the collections. This should be part of every educational programme. Adopting just the know-how from the West doesn't work here.

Lessons must be blended in with the Thai way of life to teach people how to appreciate art.

Culture can be absorbed from many places. Even a Buddhist temple can become a museum, and visitors can learn about the importance of the murals, the chapels, the hand-written Buddhist teaching on ancient paper and even the importance of the embroidered patterns on fans that monks use when chanting prayers.

As soon as we learn to value something, we know what we can and cannot do.

Maybe the loss and return of the Sun God bead gave Thailand and Museum Siam an invaluable lesson in the need to become professional, find specialist guardians and educate the masses.