300-year-old Buddha images in a temple in Ayutthaya province in Thailand have either been damaged or stolen by thieves.
Ayutthaya temple hit by thieves
Bangkok Post, 22 November 2009
Another ancient Buddha image has been stolen in Ayutthaya stoking concerns of a rising threat to valuable artefacts kept in the temples in the World Heritage site province.
Phra Samusomyot Yutwatthako, 47, the abbot of Wat Daeng in tambon Pak Tha of Tha Rua district, said four out of six Buddha images about 300 years old have been destroyed and the heads of two images were stolen.
It has been reported to me that there have been several attempts during 2008 and 2009 to burn and ransack the stupa at Wat Vorachet VoraMahaViharn at the Vorachet Intersection of Ayuttaya’s road to Bang Pahan.
A senior monk trying to restore the surroundings and keep the place from disrepair was accused of trespassing by the Fine Arts Department and prevented from conducting Buddhist ceremonies and meditation there.
Do you have information how to prevent further damage to this historic site – the Fine Arts Department claims lack of funds but there are many private citizens willing to help keep this site from further damage.