Research & Article

The Rattanakosin Charter has at least four main clauses, which are interrelated and which collectively define what kinds of historical memory, including cultural heritage of any kind, should be considered valuable and worthy of preservation, and what kinds have no value and can be erased.These principles are not written into any international charter of conservation. Each principle is an indicator of the power relations in Thai society at the present day.  Understanding  this  charter  not  only  helps  us  to  understand  the  practice  of  conservation in Thailand, but also helps to clarify the structure of relations between various groups in Thai society.