Statue removed to museum after residents blame it for Mae Sai floods

A sculpture inspired by a northern ethnic woman was moved to Chiang Rai Contemporary Art Museum (CCAM) in Mueang district last week following a spate of social media posts holding the statue responsible for the severe flooding in Mae Sai district.

The “Angel of Maesai” sculpted by Thai artist Kraiwut Donjuk, previously stood in front of the Thailand-Myanmar border checkpoint in Mae Sai district as part of efforts to improve the landscape.

However, several netizens with strong beliefs in spirits and the supernatural, claimed that the statue was the cause of severe flooding in the district.

National Artist Chalermchai Kositpipat asked artists and the authorities to move the statue to CCAM on Sunday in a bid to prove that the statue’s curse does not exist.

Chalermchai said in a video clip posted on the Facebook fanpage that the claim of the “Angel of Maesai” bringing chaos to Mae Sai district made no sense.

He urged people not to blame or be afraid of the statue, stressing that artworks cannot trigger floods or other disasters.

Kraiwut said on his Facebook post that the statue was part of the parade to promote the Thailand biennale in Chiang Rai last year, adding that it took more than a year to complete this artwork.

After the parade, the statue was moved to a garden near Kok River and Chiang Rai International Airport, before being relocated to the Thailand-Myanmar border checkpoint, he explained.

“The statue served to boost Mae Sai district as an art city,” he wrote, adding that he hoped the flooding in the district would be resolved as soon as possible.

Another Thai artist Rawee Manoruang, who partnered with Kraiwut in creating the “Angel of Maesai”, also posted on Monday asking people not to blame the statue.

Instead, he invited people to witness the statue’s beauty at the CCAM.