What’s Going Wrong at Wieng Kum Kam?
By Garry | June 1st, 2003 | Category: Archaeological Sites, Flood, History of Lan Na, News Reports | No Comments »
Published in Good Morning Chiangmai News, Thailand – June 2003
What’s Going Wrong at Wieng Kum Kam?
by David Hardcastle & Garry Harbottle-Johnson
WIENG KUM KAM, Chiang Mai, Thailand, 1 Jun 2003 – The Ministry of Culture has announced a budget of 40m baht for the “preservation and improvement” of Wieng Kum Kam, the city founded by King Mengrai (prior to Chiang Mai), the ruins of which lay hidden for years just off the Old Lamphun Road.
Since it was officially “found” in 1984 – and began to attract archaeological and visitor interest – it has also become a cause for concern. Unauthorised buildings have encroached on the site, vendors have commercialised many parts of it, and there are concerns that some valuable artefacts have been removed.
At least one temple site (below) has flooded and become overgrown since it was excavated.
