AYUTTHAYA — The U.S. Embassy in Thailand celebrated the completion of a landmark 12-year restoration project at Wat Chaiwatthanaram on Loy Krathong Day, marking one of the largest cultural preservation initiatives ever undertaken by the U.S. government in Thailand.
The U.S. Embassy in Thailand, in collaboration with the Fine Arts Department and the World Monuments Fund (WMF), held a closing ceremony for the Wat Chaiwatthanaram restoration project to celebrate its success. The ceremony took place at Wat Chaiwatthanaram in Phra Nakhon Si Ayutthaya Province on November 15, coinciding with Loy Krathong Day.
The Wat Chaiwatthanaram restoration project, funded by the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation (AFCP), began in 2012 with the goal of restoring the 17th-century temple following the major floods of 2011. Key conservation works included a floodwall design, restoration of four Merus (conical pavilions) with connecting cloisters, and repairs to mural paintings and Buddha image statues.
Over the past 12 years, the project received total funding of $1.8 million from the U.S. government, making it one of the largest AFCP projects worldwide.
The closing ceremony began with the opening of a pavilion displaying model replicas and bronze models of Wat Chaiwatthanaram. U.S. Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec, Fine Arts Department Director-General Phanombutr Chandrachoti, and WMF Program Deputy Director Jonathan Bell participated in the “Jong Priang” ceremony – a traditional Ayutthaya-era Buddhist fire ritual performed in the twelfth lunar month, which coincides with today’s Loy Krathong festival.
Bella Ranee Campen, the famous actress from the TV drama “Love Destiny” (Buppesanivas), and Arunocha Panuphan, the drama’s producer, also attended the event. The drama series has played a significant role in attracting increasing numbers of visitors to the Ayutthaya Historical Park, including Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Ambassador Godec stated that cultural preservation is one of the long-standing ties binding the two nations together. The fund’s purpose is to demonstrate American respect for cultures worldwide while expressing the friendship between the two countries.
“In Thailand, we have provided funding for 20 different projects to help preserve Thailand’s outstanding cultural heritage. The largest AFCP project in Thailand, and one of the largest in the world, is the restoration of this beautiful 17th-century temple,” Ambassador Godec said.
He explained that the U.S.-funded restoration would help protect the crematorium and southern flood wall of this important site for future generations – not just for future Thai generations but also for the thousands of tourists who come to witness the grandeur of Siam’s former capital.
Beyond funding the restoration, the U.S. Embassy in Thailand has organized public diplomacy activities for students and local communities to raise awareness about the government’s support for cultural heritage preservation and the importance of conservation work. This includes developing Thai personnel’s conservation capabilities and producing short documentaries to convey the project’s significance to the general public.
This project exemplifies successful collaboration in cultural heritage preservation in Thailand and has strengthened U.S.-Thai relations. Key outcomes include restoring Wat Chaiwatthanaram to its pre-flood condition, increasing community awareness and participation in cultural heritage preservation, and promoting conservation tourism in the Wat Chaiwatthanaram area.
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