Don't Smuggle Bhuddist Items

[Gaybutton]

Some of you might not be aware that it is a crime, under Thai law, to take certain religious items out of Thailand without permission from the Fine Arts Department. If you are caught doing so, then fines and imprisonment can be the result.

 

Many are not certain what is illegal and what is acceptable. For clarification on this matter, click the following link:

 

http://www.expatsingapore.com/buddha.htm

 

You might be interested in the following article from THE NATION:

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'Priceless' Buddha Images Seized En Route to the US

 

A container carrying more than 100 Buddha images and artefacts that were about to be smuggled to the United States was impounded yesterday.

 

Makkasan railway police officers and Bangkok customs officers broke open a container carrying the artefacts belonging to 45-year old Jack David Porter, said Customs Department director-general Sathit Limpongpan.

 

Inside the container, officers found 58 Buddha images, two Buddha head images, 63 images of Buddha's great disciples, 14 images of Thai traditional guardian angels, three sacred bookcases and a bag of holy beads, which were hidden among furniture and home decoration items, Sathit said.

 

The investigation found that the items - allegedly bought from the North and Bangkok by Porter - were falsely declared as jewellery boxes, lamps and dolls that were to be transported by ship to the US.

 

Sathit said an initial examination by the Fine Arts Department showed the items were authentic, adding that ancient Buddha images - be they authentic or copies - were prohibited from being exported without permission from the Fine Arts Department.

 

Since the items were wrongfully declared, authorities had seized all the property, said Sathit, adding that the items were priceless.

 

Smuggling prohibited items out of Thailand is punishable with a fine worth four times the item's value, or up to 10 years in jail.

[TotallyOz]

Some of you might not be aware that it is a crime, under Thai law, to take certain religious items out of Thailand without permission from the Fine Arts Department.

 

Thanks for the article. I appreciate it. I have been a collector of Buddha for 3 years now and have built up a nice collection. I lend many of them to Libraries and schools for exhibit and education purposes.

 

I was told that the above law relates to Thai Buddha's. If they come from outside of Thailand, the law is different. There are several well-known shops I but at in Chiang Mai and they come with authenticity documents and I have had several shipped over to my home and never had problem with them. I find many of them the most beautiful objects and I have learned a great deal about the religion by talking to the antiques dealers.

 

Does anyone know of some really trustworthy antiques dealers in Pattaya?

 

Thanks GayButton for the article.