Repatriated ‘Golden Boy’ statue lands safely in Bangkok

Two stolen artefacts from the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York were returned to Thailand on Tuesday morning.

The repatriated artefacts are a bronze statue of the Hindu god Shiva adorned in regalia, also known as the “Golden Boy”, and a bronze statue of a seated woman with hands raised above her head.

These artefacts, both dating back 900 to 1,000 years, are among several others that have been taken from Thailand unlawfully.

Their return to Thailand has been facilitated by the collaboration between Met and the Fine Arts Department since December, with the artefacts arriving at Suvarnabhumi Airport at 7am today.

They were taken through customs procedures, with the Office of the National Museum director Nittaya Kanokmongkol also taking part in the examination.

The artefacts were subsequently moved to the National Museum Bangkok in Phra Nakhon district by air-conditioned truck, where Fine Arts Department director-general Phanombut Chantarachot examined them for a second time.

The ceremony to mark the repatriation of the artefacts will be held at the museum this afternoon.