1. The professional bodies, such as ICOMOS Thailand Association and the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage
2. Voluntary trusts, this is a group of private citizens who get together to achieve a purpose of cultural heritage conservation, without any making a profit from their activities such as Kon Luk Ang Thong Club and Kon Rak San Chao Rong Thong group
3. Industry pressure groups such as the World Travel and Tourism Council and UNESCO
4. Public pressure groups such as architectural heritage concern groups in Chiang Mai which support the activities that maintain the concept of architectural heritage conservation in Chiang Mai.
The role of professional bodies is to increase interest in the subject of cultural heritage conservation. For example, The Fine Arts Commission was established as a body working in conjunction with the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage in 1967. The objectives of the Fine Arts Commission are to continue the works as follows:
1. To propagate to the general public the importance of cultural heritage preservation.
2. To find ways and means to conserve wholesome urban and rural features such as public open spaces, canals, trees, parks, street fixtures and buildings of architectural or historical interest.
3. To consider and give advice on the suitability of locations and architectural standards for major buildings or structures, public or otherwise, in important areas which, if built, would affect the public environment considerably.
4. To make an inventory of places of significance or beauty, man-made or natural, as well as buildings or structures of architectural or historical interest.
As objectives mentioned above, the ASA Architectural Conservation Award was initialed to nominate conservation projects and people or organizations involved in conservation in 1982. The objectives of the award are as follows:
1. To promote and support the conservation of valuable architectural heritage which determines the nation’s cultural prosperity, for the sake of our descendants.
2. To announce prestigious awards and provide encouragement to those who own and maintain historic buildings.
3. To add social value in conservation and application of old buildings, instead of destroying them or supplanting them with new ones.
So, the objectives of establishment of The Fine Arts Commission conjunction with the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage and the ASA Architectural Conservation Award are aimed to increase interest in the subject of cultural heritage conservation in Thailand.
Voluntary trusts also play a positive role in the development of more sustainable forms of cultural heritage conservation. Their responsibilities should be included as follows:
1. Providing voluntary work to help with conservation projects.
2. Conserving cultural heritage sites and developing them as attractions, then spending the revenue generating to further their conservation projects on the sites.
3. Raising money to support conservation projects on the sites.
Figure 74 The member of Kon Rak San Chao Rong Thong group.
(Panot Asawachai, 2015.)
In Ang Thong itself, it is very interested in looking at a voluntary trust group which names Kon Rak San Chao Rong Thong group. This voluntary trust group has conserved the 100- years-old wooden market at San Chao Rong Thong market in Ang Thong. The whole market was
burnt in a fire in 2005, but with love and loyalty to their hometown, the people in the market which was led by Kon Rak San Chao Rong Thong group collobarating with the government reconstructed the market and buildings and determined to preserve the old culture and traditional architecture as much as they could. In 2007, the conservation of San Chao Rong Thong market was received the Architectural Conservation Award from the Association of Siamese Architects under Royal Patronage. This is a good example of voluntary trust group in Ang Thong.
The industry pressure groups can play an important role to a large amount of research on sustainability in cultural heritage conservation, providing necessary knowledge in cultural heritage conservation, and rewarding or incentivizing any organization that can make in heritage conservation. The organizations that relate with cultural heritage conservation might suffer from the excellent perception in cultural heritage conservation, most of the researches can help them in promoting the benefits of excellent perception in cultural heritage conservation.
For example, the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Awards for Cultural Heritage Conservation were established in 2000 to recognize excellent achievement in successfully conserving or restoring heritage buildings and properties in the region by the private sector or by public-private initiatives. This is because UNESCO seeks to encourage private sector involvement and public- private collaboration in conserving the region’s cultural heritage for the benefit of current and future generations.
By winning the top honors for the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Heritage Awards in 2013, the Award of Excellence, the conservation of Phra Borommathat Maha Chedi and Pharin Pariyattithammasala of Wat Prayurawongsawas, has clearly demonstrated exceptional achievement in all criteria of the awards and has empowered significant change both socially, technically and politically. Embodied within the jury citation, the project has catalyzed extensive social impact in the multicultural historic district of Kadeejeen, whilst the technical interventions, combining the latest in scientific advances with traditional construction techniques, help to convey a sense of antiquity and feeling of age. Of particular importance was the exemplary co- operation between the monks, specialists and local community members in developing a unique and enduring partnership. The success of the conservation project at Wat Prayurawongsawas will continue to motivate generations to come and to deepen their commitment and passion for sustaining Thailand’s rich cultural legacy in all its manifestations as we can see from eleven Thai
projects, such as Baan Luang Rajamaitri, Muang District, Chantaburi province, has been won of Award of Merit in 2015, have garnered an award , which collectively reflect the advancements that have been made in heritage conservation within Thailand.
Public pressure groups can play an important role as follows:
1. To promote and support the conservation of valuable architectural heritage to the locals for making them foreseeing the values of cultural heritage significances.
2. To add values in conservation and application of historical buildings to the locals for protecting them from destroying them or supplanting them with new ones.
The voluntary sector plays an important role as mentioned above. However, it should be noted that each type of voluntary organization has factors which limit its potential contribution.
Chapter 5