Swiss Collector Returns Ancient Ban Chiang Artifacts to Thailand
A Swiss collector has voluntarily returned a collection of ancient Ban Chiang artifacts to Thailand, including pottery, bronze tools, and ornaments that had been passed down through his family for generations.
Thailand's ambassador to Switzerland has received a collection of antiquities believed to have originated from the Ban Chiang archaeological site in Udon Thani province from a Swiss national who volunteered to return them to Thailand.
Ambassador Phannapa Chandrarom traveled to Bellinzona in southern Switzerland on 11 August to receive the items from Albert Schussegger, who contacted the Royal Thai Embassy in Bern to express his wish to return the antiquities.
Schussegger said the objects had been passed down through his family. The collection includes several items, including pottery, painted pottery, bronze tools and weapons, bronze ornaments and ancient beads, according to the embassy. The embassy is coordinating with Thailand's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Fine Arts Department to examine the objects and determine their provenance, age and authenticity. Authorities will then follow the necessary procedures to return the antiquities to Thailand.
The embassy said the handover reflects cooperation and goodwill in preserving and returning Thailand's cultural heritage, as well as the strong ties between Thai and Swiss people and cooperation between the two countries in protecting cultural heritage.
The embassy thanked Schussegger for voluntarily returning the objects. Ban Chiang is one of Thailand's most important prehistoric archaeological sites. Located in Nong Han district of Udon Thani province, the site provides evidence of human settlement and cultural development dating back more than 5,000 years. The site was discovered in 1966 and became known for its distinctive red-painted pottery, as well as archaeological evidence of early agriculture and metalworking.
Ban Chiang was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 1992.
