Antiques seized in raid on shop

PHUKET TOWN: Police this morning raided antiques store Tommy Vintage and Collectibles, on Thalang Rd, and seized two antique carved wooden doors and an ornate Buddhist prayer table, all believed to be about 100 years old. Thamrongsak Sukhajiradej, the store’s Manager, was charged with selling antiques without a proper license. He told the Gazette that the antiques belonged his father. “Those antiques were displayed at my father’s hotel, the Chiang Mai Plaza Hotel. After he sold the hotel, he brought them to the shop to put on display,” he said. However, Thamrongsak admitted that the doors – though not the table – were for sale at 200,000 baht each. Weerasit Chusangthong, Director of the Ministry of Culture’s Regional Office of Fine Arts, who was invited by police to inspect the merchandise at the store, said, “By law, people selling antiques more than 50 years old must have a license from the Ministry of Culture for each item.” “I believe the three antiques [in question] are about 100 years old,” he said. Pol Capt Chertsak Chewprecha, Sub Inspector at Phuket Town Police Station, said, “The antiques will be handed over to the Ministry of Culture until the case is heard in court.” In the meantime, the store is permitted to trade as usual.