The Fine Arts Department is to renovate the palace of Narathiwat's last ruler in Muang district after parts of the structure collapsed earlier this month.
Usanee Thuwachot, of the Narathiwat Culture Office, Chaovalit Suwannarat, a senior artisan of the 13th regional office of the Fine Arts Department, and archaeologist Chanathip Chaiyanukij, yesterday inspected Wang Phraya Ra-ngae Palace in Ban Kampong Tako in tambon Bang Nak to draw up a restoration plan.
The palace is jointly owned by five people who inherited it from relatives. The five are Surachat Sanitwathee, Yareetus Hayee-arun, Supaidas Rahimmula, Supu Waedee-oramae and Nihasgas Hamdalari.
The officials made a sketch of the 109-year-old palace which will be used to help seek funding for renovation work.
The five owners had earlier agreed to donate the palace to the state as a national treasure. It was to be transformed into a museum detailing the history of Narathiwat, one of the country's restive southernmost provinces.
The provincial office is in the process of drawing up the conditions for the transfer of ownership.
Parts of the palace collapsed on Sept 1 after being left unoccupied for more than 30 years.
After yesterday's inspection, Narathiwat governor Supanat Sirichana ordered officials to fence off the property to prevent people from entering the site on safety grounds.
Neither a time frame nor budget has been set for the renovation work, though it is expected to take some time since the whole residence was built from Hopea odorata, or ta-khian wood. New materials will also be needed to replace the old tiles.
Wang Phraya Ra-ngae was the residence of Narathiwat's last ruler Praya Phuphapakdi Srisuwanprathet Wisetwangsa, or Tuantuengo Samsuddin.
The two-storey structure built in the Malayu architectural style was also used as his office during the King Rama V period.