Thailand’s Department Confirms Ammonite Fossils Found Near Bangkok Mall Are Genuine

BANGKOK, April 29 (Bernama) -- Thailand’s Department of Mineral Resources confirmed that the ammonite fossils found embedded in the pedestrian walkways near a shopping mall in Bangkok were genuine. In a statement, the Department’s director-general Poongboon Pongthong said a team of geologists from the Fossil Protection Division had examined the fossils near Siam Square shopping mall after photos of the fossils were widely shared on social media earlier this week. He said the ammonite fossils were believed to have been added to the terrazzo flooring. “After inspection, the geologists found the ammonite fossils were genuine. The team found a total of 77 pieces of the fossils in various size, between 2 to 12 cm, scattered along the 400 metres pedestrian walkway at Siam Square Soi 7,” he said. He added that the ammonite fossils, up to hundreds of millions of years old, were sourced from many countries – but mostly from Madagascar. He said the fossils believed to be laid by contractors and subcontractors hired by Chulalongkorn University in 2020 when renovating the pedestrian walkways. “It is believed the contractors and subcontractors used the fossils for decoration without knowing the origin of these fossils,” he said. On Sunday, a Facebook user posted photos of the ammonite fossils embedded into the terrazzo floor at the pedestrian walkway near the Siam Square shopping mall. Meanwhile, a senior expert on mineral resource management Suwit Kosuwan told Thai PBS that it is not uncommon to find fossils in construction materials. He believed that the contractor bought the fossils online and added to the terrazzo. -- BERNAMA