Navy allowed to keep, exhibit 12 old cannons
The Royal Thai Navy has been given permission to keep 12 old cannons unearthed from one of its dockyards for exhibition, Deputy Prime Minister Tanasak Patimapragorn said on Monday.
The cannons are believed to be more than 200 years old, from the Thon Buri kingdom period, and were unearthed at the Naval Dockyard Department’s ground on the Chao Phraya River bank. They were located some time ago, but were only officially dug up on Sunday.
There include two 10-feet-long and 10-inch wide cannons, weighing around five tonnes each, and they carry the mark of the UK monarchy.
Another cannon is eight-feet long and the rest are smaller. Academics said the cannons were sold to Thailand by the UK government.
Thanasak said the area where they were found used to be a fort, and it has a lot of old guns made in England and France.
Thanasak, who supervises the Culture Ministry, said the 12 cannons would be put on display at a naval museum.
