Veera Theeraphatranon advised the Fine Arts Department to elevate the art and archive galleries, expressing great disappointment that “this is not the National Gallery,” and showed support for translating the epic “Mahabharata.”Tags: [Fine Arts Department, National Gallery, Mahabharata, Cultural Preservation]
On 27 July 2026, at the 2027 Budget Commission meeting, commissioner Veera Theeraphatranon questioned the Fine Arts Department about its cultural promotion policies. He noted that the department has had limited success, with many unaware of its existence. When traveling abroad, he focuses on visiting museums and art galleries. Having toured Thailand's National Museum and Art Gallery, he was deeply disappointed, saying, “This is not the National Gallery.” He learned that before its establishment, several items had already been stolen. He expressed a desire to improve the situation. Currently, museums are good, but the art gallery lacks standards, whether due to insufficient funds to acquire exhibits or other reasons. He emphasized the need to develop a national art gallery in the long term and requested budget allocations for acquisitions and maintenance. This would enable tourists visiting museums to also connect easily to the art gallery, which would be greatly beneficial.Tags: [Fine Arts Department, National Museum, Art Gallery, Budget, Cultural Policy]
Veera also commented on the National Library and National Archives. Regarding the library, although staff may be overburdened and unable to provide full service, it is still acceptable. However, he found the archives less impressive due to the concentration of stored items. He suggested examining the National Archives of the UK and the US, which are more diverse, as he hopes to see more variety here.Tags: [National Library, National Archives, Archival Diversity, International Comparison]
On the subject of Khon, Veera admitted he does not understand the dance drama well, as it requires interpreting various symbolic gestures, which he has not studied. However, he praised the Fine Arts Department’s work related to the Ramakien drama, based on the Ramayana epic, dating back to the reign of King Rama I. Their work is excellent, even more detailed than the original by sage Valmiki. What remains lacking, he said, is attention to the Mahabharata, another significant epic that the Fine Arts Department has yet to properly promote or foster understanding of.Tags: [Khon, Ramakien, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Cultural Heritage]
Recently, the Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation has translated excerpts from three stories of the Mahabharata, but other parts remain untranslated. Veera urged the Fine Arts Department to support Sanskrit experts in Thailand, who are numerous, to help translate the entire epic into Thai. This is important as the Mahabharata is part of the world’s cultural heritage.Tags: [Mahabharata, Translation, Sanskrit Experts, Cultural Heritage, Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn Foundation]