On 14 November, in a ceremony held at the National Museum in Bangkok, the US Embassy returned a set of artifacts from the prehistoric Ban Chiang archaeological site to the Thai government.

The arifacts - a fired clay vessel, a bracelet, and two rollers - were returned to the Thai government on 14 November.

The artifacts consisted of a fired clay vessel, a bracelet, and two cylindrical rollers of undetermined use featuring the characteristic red-on-buff colour of pottery from Ban Chiang, a 3,500-year-old prehistoric human habitation and burial site in Udon Thani, which has been inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

The artefacts were given as a gift from the Thai government to an American soldier stationed at a US Air Force base in Udon Thani during the late 1960’s or early 1970’s and have been kept at the US Embassy ever since. In August 2024, the Embassy contacted the Ministry of Culture, asking that the Department of Fine Arts authenticate the artifacts. Upon learning that they were genuine Ban Chiang pottery, the Embassy requested that they be returned to the Thai government.

The Embassy has worked with both the Department of Fine Arts under the Ministry of Culture, as well as with UNESCO’s regional office in Bangkok to return the artifacts to the Thai government. The ceremony was held at the Isara Vinijchai Throne Hall in the National Museum, on the occasion of the International Day against Illicit Trafficking in Cultural Property.

US Ambassador to Thailand Robert F. Godec said in his speech at the ceremony that the US Embassy is delighted to announce the repatriation of these artefacts. He noted that the Embassy has kept the artefacts in a “carefully maintained” environment, but that it is now time for them to be returned, particularly as the US has made “significant steps” in recent years to return cultural objects around the world to their rightful owners.

“We hope the items will contribute to the further study and understanding of one of Southeast Asia’s most important prehistoric societies,” said Godec.

Godec said that the US Embassy in Bangkok will continue to actively support the repatriation of major cultural artifacts from Thailand, noting that earlier this year, the US returned the “Golden Boy” and “Kneeling Female” statues from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York to the Thai government. Both statues are now on displayed at the National Museum.

Phanombootra Chandrajoti, Director-General of the Department of Fine Arts, noted that Golden Boy, which was returned to Thailand in May 2024, attracted a large number of visitors. The Department of Fine Arts has now signed an MOU with the Metropolitan Museum of Art, he said, which would facilitate the transfer of knowledge and artifact loans between the two countries and provide a good opportunity for research and knowledge sharing.

Phanombootra said that although cultural artifacts are considered the heritage of humanity, it is best if they are returned to their country of origin. He noted that there are still many artifacts that were exported from Thailand in the past, and that the longer they have been away, the harder it is to track them down. Thailand cannot track down its artifacts on its own, he said, thanking the US for notifying the Thai authorities about the artifacts and returning them.

Golden Boy, a bronze statute from around the 11th century believed to be either an image of the god Shiva or that of a deified King, was returned from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York in May 2024 and is now on displayed in the National Museum's Lopburi gallery. The Kneeling Female statute is displayed in the same room.

Minister of Culture Sudawan Wangsupakitkosol, meanwhile, said that the repatriation of these Ban Chiang artifacts not only shows the emphasis that is placed on the original locations of ancient artifacts but also strengthens the cultural ties between Thailand and the US. She hopes that the panel discussion following the ceremony will help raise awareness about the importance of preserving Thailand’s cultural heritage and promote an understanding of legal mechanisms to combat illicit trafficking of cultural property.

Soohyun Kim, Director of the UNESCO Regional Office in Bangkok, commended the collaboration between the US Embassy and the Department of Fine Arts in authenticating the artifacts, noting that it is rare to see earthenware of this age fully intact.

“These artifacts are not merely remnants of the past; they are bridges to our shared heritage,” said Kim, noting that, during a time of growing divisions, cultural artifacts can serve as connections to “a common human story that transcends borders and generations.”

Kim said that one of the key ways in which UNESCO can support countries in protecting their cultural property is through the 1970 Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property, which can help protect cultural heritage. However, she noted that the 1970 Convention has a low ratification rate in Southeast Asia. 

In ASEAN, Cambodia, Myanmar and Viet Nam have ratified and Lao PDR has accepted the Convention. Thailand has neither ratified or accepted the Convention.

Representatives of the US Embassy, the Thai government, and UNESCO pose for a photo with the artifacts.

When asked during the press conference about Thailand’s measures for tracking down cultural property, Sudawan said that the Ministry of Culture has set up an artifact repatriation committee, made up of representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Thai Police and the Department of Fine Arts. The committee is responsible for authentication of artifacts and coordinating their repatriation.

Phanombootra added that the committee now meets once every three months. He said that the Thai authorities have also been notified of two artifacts, believed to be Hindu religious figures from Thailand. The current owners of the two figures have requested their repatriation, he said, and the Department is now in the process of authenticating them.

The Ban Chiang artifacts will go on display at the National Museum. Sudawan said that it remains to be discussed whether the artifacts will be returned to the Ban Chiang site in the future.