Phrae Municipality inspected the over 1,000-year-old Wat Hua Kuang Chedi amid fears of collapse after loose bricks fell and water seepage was observed, with the chedi's base appearing swollen and bulging.
At 10:30 a.m. on 16 July 2026, Mr. Suriya Intanon, Mayor of Phrae Municipality, accompanied by municipal executives, council members, municipal officials, and Ms. Chanoknan Suphasiri, Phrae MP for District 1, traveled to inspect Wat Hua Kuang Chedi in Nai Wiang Subdistrict, Mueang District, Phrae Province.
They acted following reports from Phra Khru Kittisarn Wirot, abbot of Wat Hua Kuang, and Mrs. Thongman Sithikan, director of Wat Hua Kuang Municipal School, concerning abnormalities noticed when students from the school regularly cleaned the temple courtyard beside the chedi on school opening days.
Students informed their teachers that bricks from the upper part of the chedi had fallen to the ground and required constant sweeping. Water was also seeping from the middle base of the chedi where the bricks had decayed. This was reported to the abbot, who consulted with the temple trustees and devotees before notifying Phrae Municipality to jointly inspect the chedi.
During the major restoration by the Fine Arts Department in 1992 CE, the chedi’s base and overall structure were restored, including installing a drainage system to reduce moisture. However, given the chedi’s age exceeding 1,000 years, natural aging occurs over time. The upper part is particularly fragile and requires careful maintenance.
Phrae Municipality, the Wat Hua Kuang clergy, devotees, and Wat Hua Kuang Municipal School have submitted a letter requesting the Fine Arts Department to take responsibility for the chedi’s care. The letter was sent through Ms. Chanoknan Suphasiri, Phrae MP for District 1 from the Bhumjaithai Party, to the Minister of Culture to ensure official agencies responsible will provide proper preservation and restoration of Wat Hua Kuang Chedi.