Thailand's deepest secrets

There's a cargo barge that a storm sent to the bottom of the Gulf of Thailand more than a century ago - and only recently has advanced scuba equipment allowed its secrets to be revealed.

Fishermen found the iron steamboat Ruea Mail last year, 90 minutes by boat off Rayong's Klaeng district. Only about 10 divers have visited the completely intact vessel since then.

It's believed to have sunk en route to Vietnam, laden with coins and other metal ware. A handful of these are being retrieved - everything else will be preserved in situ.

That noble ambition isn't easily realised.

The Underwater Archaeology Division of the government's Fine Arts Department is striving to protect 64 wreck sites and others being regularly reported.

Barring illegal treasure hunters is the biggest part of the challenge, but the artefacts have also to be protected from the ravages of time and unwitting human damage.

The threat of treasure hunting and the commercial exploitation of marine artefacts were the reasons Unesco is involved in this venture. The Convention on the Protection of the Underwater Cultural Heritage was adopted in 2001.

Earlier this year, the Unesco AsiaPacific Regional Field Training Centre in Underwater Cultural Heritage was established in Chantaburi.

The centre's first course is under way, with 16 participants from seven Asian countries learning maritime law, shipwreck preservation, museology and monitoring techniques.

Led by experts from Australia, England, and the Netherlands, they're taught about the aims and techniques of the treasure hunters, how boats have traditionally been built in Asia, and how shipping has been tracked.

And their training takes place deep in the Gulf - on the Ruea Mail.

The National Maritime Museum in Chantaburi has 10,000 articles recovered from underwater wrecks in waters all around Thailand. You can visit any Wednesday through Sunday, students for free, other Thais for Bt20 and nonThais for Bt100. Call (039) 391 431 or (039) 391 433.