BANGKOK, Feb 22 (TNA) – Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha received 104 valuable artifacts from a collector who wants the government to protect them as national assets, at the Bangkok National Museum.
The prime minister received the ancient objects from Tummarit Chira and handed an honorary certificate to his family in return for the donation because Mr Tummarit is the first citizen who presented many valuable ancient objects to the state.
“The government is very pleased to receive these artifacts because they are precious national heritage and beneficial to education and the Thai history. They represent academic and spiritual values,” Gen Prayut said.
The donated objects dated from 1,800-4,300 years ago. They included potteries, bronze tools, and ornaments made from stone, glass and shells. They came from archaeological sites in Lop Buri, Udon Thani, Sakon Nakhon and Nong Khai provinces.
Mr Tummarit said his father had collected the ancient objects to protect them from foreigners’ acquisition and his family saw it was an appropriate time to hand them to the state so that they became national treasures and benefit education.
The Fine Arts Department will take care of the artifacts. It has received 1,082 Thai artifacts from other countries and 197 of them were handed during the tenure of Gen Prayut’s government. (TNA)
