A long-standing row between the abbot of Wat Kalaya and the noble Pravitra family demonstrates loopholes in conservation laws and poor enforcement as several heritage places are being threatened in the name of development.
The row goes back to the early 2000s when the Pravitra family, of royal lineage since the early Rattanakosin era, filed a court complaint against the abbot for having a chedi (Buddhist stupa) holding relics of their ancestors.
