On 31 Jul 2023 GMT+7, Mr. Bowonwet Rungruji, president of ICOMOS Thailand, revealed that the association has sent letters to Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Anutin Charnvirakul, Minister of Culture Sabida Thaiset, and Director-General of the Fine Arts Department Phanomphut Chantrachot. The letters highlight concerns over inappropriate lighting installations at the Si Thep Historical Park in Phetchabun Province and Prasat Mueang Tam in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province. The installations involved electrical conduits fixed directly onto the ancient construction materials, resulting in an unsightly landscape.
Mr. Bowonwet said that earlier, the association received complaints from visitors to Si Thep Historical Park in Phetchabun about the inappropriate lighting installations managed by the Fine Arts Department. ICOMOS Thailand, as an advisory body for the conservation of heritage sites under UNESCO and the agency responsible for preparing the World Heritage nomination documents for Si Thep Historical Park, which was designated a World Heritage site in 2023, conducted an on-site inspection. They found lighting systems mounted directly on the ancient construction materials of Khao Klang Nok, one of three cultural heritage sites designated as World Heritage. This installation has caused damage to the Khao Klang Nok site.
The president of ICOMOS Thailand added that they also found lighting installations surrounding Prasat Mueang Tam in Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province, directly affecting the ancient site and creating visual disruption. Although a cover was built to conceal the wiring, it remains an intrusive element at Prasat Mueang Tam, which has been on Thailand’s tentative list for World Heritage designation since 2019, proposed alongside Prasat Phanom Rung and Prasat Plaibad. The nomination process is currently ongoing under the Fine Arts Department.
"The Fine Arts Department should recognize that any construction affecting ancient sites requires careful consideration. While lighting is visible only at night, during daytime it becomes an inappropriate intrusion into the heritage area. Design and construction must be cautious, including considerations of maintenance, costs, and electricity fees charged by the Provincial Electricity Authority to the Fine Arts Department. The situation at these two sites also obliges Thailand to prepare reports explaining the impacts on already designated World Heritage sites to the World Heritage Committee. This issue weakens the documentation efforts for the nomination of the group of temples Prasat Phanom Rung, Prasat Mueang Tam, and Prasat Plaibad as World Heritage sites in the future."