More Thai antiques got back from US

BANGKOK, January 17 (TNA) - A new set of almost 50 pieces of Thailand's pre-historic antiques has been returned home from the United States and will be kept for a public display at a museum as national treasures. Culture Minister Vira Rojpojchanarat presided over an event, held at the National Library of Thailand in Bangkok on Thursday, when the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' Department of Information, Ruyaporn Sukontasap, delivered the new set of 46 pieces of Thai antiques to the Deputy Director-General of the Ministry of Culture's Fine Arts Department, Arunsak Kingmanee. Washington's return of the new set of Thailand's pre-historic antiques followed the close coordination between Thailand's Ministries of Culture and Foreign Affairs, as well as the Thai Embassy to Washington and the Thai Consulate General in Chicago, based on the sound and long time relationship between the United States and Thailand. The new set of 46 pieces of antiques, comprising mostly of Ban Chiang pottery and bracelets dates back 1,800-4,000 years, was returned to the Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs in December 2018, two months after Washington returned the first set of 12 pieces of Thai antiques to Bangkok. According to the Thai authorities, the Fine Arts Department will then have the returned antiques officially-registered as national treasures, after having them thoroughly checked and fixed, and will keep them at the Golden Jubilee National Geological Museum in Khlong Luang area of the capital's neighboring Pathum Thani Province. (TNA)