Bangkok’s own leaning tower no threat to Temple of Dawn, say officials
The tilting prang at Bangkok’s famed Temple of Dawn, Wat Arun, is nothing to worry about and may have existed, unnoticed, ever since its construction, the Fine Arts Department has revealed.
Officials detected the tilt in the south prang (spire) during a 3D-imaging survey of the Bangkok landmark, which rises from the west bank of the Chao Phraya River.
The south prang, one of four satellite spires, was found to be leaning inwards slightly towards the central prang.
However, Fine Arts Dept director Phanombootra Chandrajoti said the leaning tower does not threaten the structural integrity of the historical site, though it will be monitored every three, six or 12 months as a baseline for future preservation efforts.
The 3D scan was conducted as part of a project utilising cutting-edge technology in efforts to preserve national heritage. The tilt was discovered using Terrestrial Laser Scanning (TLS) and photogrammetry techniques.
Phanombootra offered three possible reasons for the tilting:
1. Initial construction: The tilt may have been present since the initial construction of the prang.
2. Subsequent restoration: The tilt could have been influenced by repair and restoration works carried out in the past.
3. Soil characteristics in Bangkok: The nature of the soil in Bangkok could also contribute to the tilting of structures.
The current prang was built in the 1820s under the reign of Rama II to replace temple structures dating back to the Ayutthaya period (1351-1767).
