Tourists quickly swamped 1,500-year-old ruins in Thailand after they were named a UNESCO site, prompting anger and talk of a ban
- Si Thep, an ancient town in Thailand, was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage Sites this month.
- After the designation, 20,000 tourists descended on the site, the South China Morning Post reported.
Tourists descended on an ancient town in Thailand this week after UNESCO named it a world heritage site, prompting officials to consider banning visitors from climbing the 1,500-year-old ruins.
Si Thep, a complex of temples, monuments, and other buildings, showcases the culture, traditions, and religions of the Dvaravati Empire, which existed in Central Thailand from the 6th to 10th centuries, according the UNESCO. One of the primary attractions at the site today is the Khao Klang Nok ancient monument.
During the latest World Heritage Committee session that ended Monday, Si Thep was among 42 other sites that were added to its list.
But the new designation prompted 20,000 tourists to swarm the ancient town, many of whom were climbing on top of Khao Klang Nok, according to the South China Morning Post. The outlet said the chaos upset locals who view the site as sacred.
Now local officials are considering banning anyone from climbing on top of the monuments.
"Personally, a ban would make this ancient place more valuable. Going up to the top [of the hill] is nothing. People just want to take pictures of the scenery. There's not much of a benefit," Weerawat Wattanawongphreuk, the Si Thep district chief, told the Post.
Immediately following the designation, experts warned that the site would not be ready to accommodate the subsequent influx of tourists, AFP reported.
Phacha Phanomvan, a history and heritage lecturer at Chulalongkorn University, told the outlet the site lacked basic infrastructure, such as parking lots and waste management. She also said she was concerned about artifacts being looted, adding that Si Thep was already heavily looted in the 1970s and 80s.
AFP reported last week that the looting disrupted archeologists' work and that Thailand has been on the hunt for the missing treasures.
Also added to the UNESCO World Heritage list this month was the Hopewell Ceremonial Earthworks, a group of ancient mounds built by Indigenous groups in what is now the US state of Ohio.