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German assistance for the restoration of a temple compound
Minister of State Pieper in Ayutthaya
© dpa / picture alliance
Minister of State Pieper in Ayutthaya
Minister of State Pieper in Ayutthaya
© dpa / picture alliance
Germany will help Thailand with the restoration of temples in the former capital of Ayutthaya which were damaged by last year’s floods. The Federal Foreign Office is making available 100,000 euro for that purpose from funds earmarked for the preservation of cultural heritage.
During her visit to Thailand on 16 February, Minister of State Cornelia Pieper and the Thai Cultural Affairs Minister Sukumol Khunploem together decided to launch the joint project “Cultural Preservation Work in Ayutthaya”. Afterwards the Minister of State visited Wat Ratchaburana, one of the temples to be restored. Unusually heavy monsoon rainfalls caused catastrophic flooding in 2011, also damaging the temples.
Restoration and transfer of knowledge
Over and above the restoration work, the project envisages a series of seminars involving Thai partners to ensure transfer of knowledge to local experts. The project is scheduled to start in the spring of 2012.
The former royal town of Ayutthaya was the capital of a kingdom of the same name for more than 400 years. After its destruction by enemy armies in the 18th century, it was refounded as the Kingdom of Siam with another capital. Its numerous palaces and monasteries have been included in UNESCO’s World Heritage list since 1991.
Minister of State Pieper was visiting Thailand to mark the 150th anniversary of German-Thai diplomatic relations. In Bangkok she had talks with, among others, the Thai Minister of Foreign Affairs and the Minister of Education.
Last updated 17.02.2012