Religious Committee Urges Swift Aid for Flood-Hit Historic Temples
The Religious Affairs Committee has called an urgent meeting to devise a long-term disaster prevention plan for historic temples after repeated flooding damaged sites in Ayutthaya and Phetchaburi. Committee chairwoman Thiwalarat Angkinanthan urged the Fine Arts Department to provide immediate assistance, citing concerns over accumulated moisture threatening temple structures. Officials have pumped water from the affected temples but warn that sustained humidity could harm murals and foundations without further mitigation.
The Religious Affairs Committee will convene an urgent session next week to formulate a long‑term disaster‑prevention plan for historic temples after repeated flooding hit sites such as Wat Yai Suwannaram and Wat Sarabua in Phetchaburi. Committee chair Thiwalarat Angkinanthan said the meeting will focus on prevention, mitigation and long‑term recovery for culturally registered monuments, which are national treasures, especially in Ayutthaya and Phetchaburi where flooding is chronic. She noted that the temples serve as historical learning centers, art repositories and community focal points, so protection must be continuous—before, during and after flood events.
In Phetchaburi, recent floods affected Wat Yai Suwannaram and Wat Sarabua, both officially registered historic sites. Officials pumped water out within a day and night, reducing standing‑water time. Initial inspections showed no structural damage to the main foundations, but lingering moisture in the low‑lying ordination halls remains a concern, especially when heavy rain combines with ground and groundwater dampness. The committee urged close monitoring of the buildings, walls and interior murals even after water is drained.
Wat Yai Suwannaram’s ordination hall sits in a basin‑like low area where even normal rain can cause pooling, and its external drainage ponds are insufficient. Wat Sarabua suffered less impact thanks to its existing water‑management and detention ponds. For the longer term, the committee proposes studying the construction of outer detention ponds at Wat Yai Suwannaram, modeled on Wat Sarabua’s system, to divert water before it reaches the hall and to address low‑ground pooling. Any excavation, pond placement, drainage system and humidity‑reduction measures must be surveyed and prescribed by the Fine Arts Department according to academic conservation standards to avoid harming the sites’ heritage value.
The committee’s meeting aims to push a nationwide long‑term disaster‑prevention master plan for historic monuments, paired with recovery and relief measures, by coordinating with the Fine Arts Department and other relevant agencies to ensure consistent, ongoing protection across the country. The goal is to lessen damage from recurrent flooding and subsequent after‑effects, preserving historical, artistic and community‑centered heritage for future generations.
