Development guidelines for conservation and restoration of the Cultural World Heritage Site of Ayutthaya Historical Park

Abstract

         The purposes of this research were to study the current situation and problems and guidelines for the development of conservation and restoration of world heritage sites of Ayutthaya Historical Park.  The study was a qualitative and quantitative research. Quantitative research ask government officials, entrepreneurial, community leaders’, citizens and tourists, 400 samples, by using questionnaire were analyzed by using statistics for data analysis, percentage, standard deviation. The qualitative, interview, government officials, private representatives/ entrepreneurial, and Community representative, 15 people. The analyzed by means of content analysis. The findings were as follows:

         Current situation and problem causes indicated that Ayutthaya Historical Park has been maintained by related agencies. Although it has been supervised by government agencies but still experiencing the deterioration of the ancient sites. The cause of the ancient sites at Ayutthaya Historical Park were declined, lost and damaged as follows: 1) It was caused by human actions both directly and indirectly. 2) The city of Ayutthaya is a new city overlapping the old city. 3) World heritage Management. 4) There were many enforcements of laws based on the missions of various agencies. 5) The ancient ruins were declined, lost and damaged by the structure and materials used to create deterioration and 6) The operation of most ancient sites that focused on empowering the central government would be ignored the importance of the role of historic sites to local communities or societies.

         Development guidelines for conservation and restoration of the World Cultural Heritage Sites were found that, in generally, the top priority was physical and environmental, followed by management, participation, services and tourist activities respectively. When it was considered in the top 5 items as follows: Strict implementation of the master plan to control of land use, being continuous budget allocation for maintaining historic sites and surrounding areas, preservation or protection of world heritage sites and surrounding areas according to the World Heritage Convention and the Ancient Antiquities Act, promoting the development of community potential to support tourism, and create incentives for tourists to conservation tourism. The operation must have a short-term plan, medium-term plan and long-term plan.