On December 8, 2025, Dr. Suriya Chindawongse, Ambassador of Thailand to the United States of America and Mr. Tor Saralamba, Consul-General of Thailand in Los Angeles attended the handover ceremony of four Thai antiquities from the Prakhon Chai group to be returned to Thailand, which include (1) Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, (2) Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara, (3) Bodhisattva, and (4) Standing Buddha sculptures at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco. Ms. Nitaya Kanokmongkol, Executive Director, Office of National Museums at the Fine Arts Department of Thailand, was the Thai representative to receive the sculptures from Dr. Soyoung Lee, Director of the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco.

The antiquities, three Bodhisattva statues and one Buddha statue, are part of a larger collection originally discovered in the Prakhon Chai District, Buriram Province. Since 2018, Thailand’s Committee for the Repatriation of Thai Antiquities Abroad has been working with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) to secure the return of the four Prakhon Chai group sculptures as well as other Thai artifacts that were illegally exported out of Thailand and have been on display at various museums in the United States.

In April 2025, the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco completed the deaccessioning of these four sculptures of the Prakhon Chai group, and coordinated with the Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles to proceed with the return of these sculptures to Thailand.

The return of the four sculptures of the Prakhon Chai group marks a significant milestone in Thailand’s ongoing efforts to repatriate artifacts back to Thailand. It also shows the importance of preserving historical artifacts to honor Thailand’s cultural past and reflects the commitment between Thailand and the United States in working together to repatriate artifacts back to their country of origin. The Royal Thai Consulate-General in Los Angeles would like to express our sincere appreciation to Homeland Security Investigations and the Asian Art Museum, San Francisco, for their cooperation and assistance in the return of the four sculptures to Thailand.