Aekenan (Khun Kee) Sukinsee poses on scaffolding at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
“On arrival at Wat Chai I was given a new name,” said photographer Boulos Isaac. “Thai people often have several nicknames, shortened versions of their formal names, for events connected to their lives or endearing reminders from family and friends of their ideas about themselves. As Boulos is Arabic for ‘Paul’, I was given the name ‘Khun Paul’ for the week.”
Conservator Banjong (Khun Peng) Sawang-arom poses on scaffolding at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Conservator Banjong (Khun Peng) Sawang-arom poses on scaffolding at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Somkhit (Khun Nu) Kaeomani with the central prang on right, and merus on left at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Somkhit (Khun Nu) Kaeomani with the central prang on right, and merus on left at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Lengee (Pi Lengee) Phumma poses with Wat Chaiwatthanaram’s central prang in the background.
Lengee (Pi Lengee) Phumma poses with Wat Chaiwatthanaram’s central prang in the background.
Sutap (Khun Tee) poses on scaffolding at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Sutap (Khun Tee) poses on scaffolding at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Conservator Banjong (Khun Peng) Sawang-arom working on the brick joint at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
“Maneuvering twelve stories of scaffolding wearing a hardhat and camera gear took getting used to—initially I kept banging my head,” said Isaac. “To avoid headaches (and the new nickname ‘Khun Fall’), I quickly learned to keep in a perpetual hunched position. It’s a haul to get to the top while standing stooped, but the views were amazing.”
Aekenan (Khun Kee) Sukinsee working on the brick joint at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Aekenan (Khun Kee) Sukinsee working on the brick joint at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Chief mason Mali (Pi Mali) Choomchooboon works on the brick.
Chief mason Mali (Pi Mali) Choomchooboon works on the brick.
Khun Nu, Khun Peng, and Pi Mali on meru C3 performing masonry conservation techniques.
“On the scaffolding, the project team moves around effortlessly, as if it’s second nature, making themselves right at home with seat cushions, radios, snacks and given the hot weather, lots of iced drinks.”
Lengee (Pi Lengee) Phumma works on new brick jointing.
Lengee (Pi Lengee) Phumma works on new brick jointing.
Banjong (Khun Peng) Sawang-arom works on the joints.
Banjong (Khun Peng) Sawang-arom works on the joints.
Four new WMF conservators, from left to right: Khun Nan, Khun Notch, Khun Apple, and Khun Poom.
After identifying a gap in the higher education system regarding attitudes toward the care of monuments, World Monuments Fund launched a new program earlier this year to develop a crop of conservators without the benefit of previous experience. The “Fantastic Four” – the first group from this new program – are pictured here.
New conservator Nuttida (Khun Nan) Vanichayalai in meru C4.
New conservator Nuttida (Khun Nan) Vanichayalai in meru C4.
New conservator Sanpoom (Khun Poom) Phutong in the gallery.
New conservator Sanpoom (Khun Poom) Phutong in the gallery.
WMF technicians and conservators cleaning sand for mortar mixing at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
WMF technicians and conservators cleaning sand for mortar mixing at Wat Chaiwatthanaram.
Training for the Future
In Wat Chaiwatthanaram, as in any other WMF project around the globe, our hope is that the public has the opportunity to better understand and appreciate the history and legacy of a site, while enriching the lives of the local community around it.
WMF's long commitment to Wat Chaiwatthanaram is made possible thanks to support from the U.S. Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation, the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, and the Fine Arts Department of Thailand.
