The State Mechanism in the Conservation of the Buddhist Cultural Heritage in Thailand

Abstract

This research was of the two objectives, viz. (1) to study the mechanism of conservation of Buddhist cultural heritage; (2) to study process of conservation of Buddhist cultural heritage in Thailand. Research methodology is the documentary research focused on the State Policy and the process of conservation of Buddhist cultural heritage in Thailand.

Research findings are as follow:

Cultural heritage is cultural property of the ancestors succeeded to the generation. As a whole it indicates belief, value, and products begut by human activities, invention, selection, adaptation, and creation of our ancestors who had embraced, learned, accepted and succeeded down to the present. Cultural heritage covers local wisdom which is the national entity and our pride. However, in the age of globalization, all this heritage has been affected by current civilization from the west and other cultural environments. Thus it is necessary to promote and protect with proper scale.

In the state mission, national policy is promulgated in the Constitution of the Kingdom of Thailand B.E. 2560 (2017) as provided in the articles 57 and 65 that the state should promote, protect, and preserve national cultural heritage. The Constitution is also stated that short-term and long-term national strategies be set up that the national sub-plans for economic and social development be amended. In action, engaged mechanism involved with the Ministry of Culture ofwhich the Cultural Promotion Department and the Fine Arts Department with the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Object of Arts and National Museums, B.E. 2504, amended (No. 2) B.E. 2535 as law guideline. In part of the Sangha administrators and Mahachulalongkornrajavidyalaya University, which is of their mission also to preserve cultural heritage, and by their full potentiality along with their networks, it is possible to work in cooperation with the Fine Arts Department to set up a cultural centre to provide a short course training for Sangha administrators to preserve cultural heritage, at lease to basically care for their ancient monuments within their monasterics. One function to be initiated is to organize “The Conservation Centre for the Buddhist Cultural Heritage” as a unit of the University.