THE Thai Fine Arts Department has received four ancient bronze sculptures, three of them Bodhisattvas and one the Buddha, that had been smuggled to US by an unscrupulous art dealer and officially returned by San Francisco Museum of Asian Art on Dec. 8, Naewna newspaper said today (Jan. 6).
Villagers living around Khao Plai Bat temple, Chalerm Phra Kiat district, Buriram province, are overjoyed that the over 1,300 years old Prachonchai Group sculptures had returned to their homeland with the handover ceremony taking place at the National Museum at 2.00 p.m. today. They are so called because this district was previously named Prachonchai.
The artifacts, which were housed at this temple, were illegally smuggled out of Thailand over 60 years ago by the infamous antiquities dealer Douglas Latchford. Afterward, the four pieces were distributed among private collectors and various museums abroad, and most recently, they were on display at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.
The American museum said that a joint investigation conducted by the US Department of Homeland Security, in collaboration with Thai scholars and the museum’s curatorial team, confirmed the works’ connection to Latchford, who was later indicted for illicit trafficking in antiquities.
After the confirmation, museum staff and the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office recommended cooperation with Thai authorities. The Asian Art Commission, the museum’s governing body, unanimously approved the return through a two-stage voting process, first in September 2024 and then on April 22, 2025, at the end of the mandatory six-month review period.
Mr. Buaphan Dokbua, 72, a villager who lives near the Buriram temple from where the sculptures were stolen, recounted that when he was a child, this temple was very beautiful, and he used to play there often. However, it deteriorated rapidly due to extensive illegal treasure hunting with people dismantling stones to excavate for valuables, causing it to collapse.
“Personally, I want the temple to be restored to its former beauty. As for the returned sculptures, they shouldn’t be kept in their original location because we fear repeat theft,” he said.
Meanwhile, Phra Chokthawee Anavilo, 55, a monk at Khao Plai Bat temple, commented that he would like the recovered sculptures to be stored at Phanom Rung temple, as it is more closely guarded and safer. As for Khao Plai Bat temple itself, he wants relevant agencies to seriously undertake restoration work, as currently staff only come to trim the grass once a month.
CAPTIONS:
The four ancient sculptures returned to Thailand. Above photo – Naewna, first below – Government PR
Second below – Mr. Buaphan Dokbua. Photo – Naewna
Third below – Phra Chokthawee Anavilo. Photo – Naewna
Fourth and fifth below – Khao Plai Bat temple. Photos – Naewna
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