Preserving cultural treasures worldwide
Wat Chaiwatthanaram, located within the ancient city of Ayutthaya, is one Thailand’s most iconic landmarks. The 17th-century Buddhist temple complex, with five majestic spires, or prangs — the highest standing 35 meters — was a ceremonial center for 100 years. Today the site, 80 kilometers north of Bangkok, draws thousands of tourists each week and remains a cultural and economic center for Thailand.
Yet time and nature have taken their tolls. Paintings and carvings inside the temple depicting the life of the Buddha have faded or been reduced to fragments.
After severe flooding in 2011 damaged the stability of the temple complex, requiring structural repairs, the U.S. Department of State’s Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation stepped in. Since 2012, the fund has invested $1.8 million through a multi-phased project in partnership with the Fine Arts Department of Thailand and the World Monuments Fund. In addition to preserving murals and Buddha statues that had been damaged during the flood, the partnership created a water-management plan and floodwall design for the site and improved educational resources for visitors.
Founded in 2001, the Ambassadors Fund demonstrates U.S. commitment to the right of people everywhere to protect and celebrate their culture, heritage and identity. In its 23 years, the program has become a cornerstone of U.S. diplomacy. It has awarded $128 million for over 1,270 projects to preserve cultural heritage in 134 countries.
Many of the projects supported by the fund can be viewed on a dedicated Google Arts & Culture webpage, which launched in April 2022, thanks to a partnership with the State Department’s Cultural Heritage Center. Visitors to the Google platform can explore 1,100 projects, including archaeological sites, historic buildings, museum collections and other cultural artifacts.
While the Ambassadors Fund work at Wat Chaiwatthanaram ends in 2024, numerous other projects are underway. They range from conserving an underwater 19th-century slave ship recently discovered off the coast of Brazil, to documenting 16th- to-17th-century Mughal monuments along the Grand Trunk Road that crosses through India and Pakistan. One project connects generations in Zimbabwe through storytelling and the recording of folktales.
Ambassadors Fund projects promote good governance and cooperation among civil society groups, and advance political and economic stability. Projects have improved disaster preparedness, helped to rebuild heritage sites and healed communities after disasters. They expand economic opportunity by boosting tourism, preserving craftsmanship and investing in local history. What’s more, by sharing investment in cultural heritage, the U.S. builds relationships between its people and people in countries around the world.
The preservation of Wat Chaiwatthanaram has helped bring widespread attention to the popular site. In its “25 Best Places to Visit in 2025” list, National Geographic describes Wat Chaiwatthanaram as “a temple reborn.”
This long-term investment at Wat Chaiwatthanaram also created opportunity for cultural exchange with the local community. The U.S. Embassy in Bangkok organized events to teach Thai students about the temple’s restoration and produced videos documenting the project.
Meanwhile, the New York-based World Monuments Fund says the conservation partnership has better positioned the Fine Arts Department of Thailand for long-term stewardship of the temple complex and serves as a model for preservation of other cultural sites across Thailand.
— Learn about the Ambassadors Fund, including the 2025 award cycle, or contact the Ambassadors Fund Team at afcp@state.gov.