Wat Arun cave-in not serious: Sukumol

The cave-in at Wat Arun Rajwararam, or the Temple of Dawn, is not a serious problem and can be fixed without any complications, Culture Minister Sukumol Kunplome said yesterday after visiting the temple.

"What is more worrying is the excessive dampness within the pagoda dome, which could lead to the exterior lime plaster peeling off," she said.

Meanwhile, officials will reinforce the wall that has caved in and they will also raise underground sewers and fill the area with sand, she said.

She added that the foundation had weakened because of the excessive weight of trucks transporting flood-protection sandbags as well as the brimming Chao Phraya River lapping at the temple complex.

Sukumol said a team of volunteers and officials would wash off the mould - an operation that will be repeated every five years.

The minister explained that there was no way of preventing mould in parts of the pagoda that do not get direct sunlight because it is plastered with an ancient formula of a lime mixture and that the authorities had not yet given full consideration to renovating it completely.

Sukumol said Bt5.4 million had been earmarked to fix the cave-in and prevent future ones as well as to maintain the pagoda. The maintenance will include the washing off of the mould, which will begin soon.