The nation (3/7/99)

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<center>   Information Sought From Burma

</center>

THE Fine Arts Department will help Burma restore the ancient palace of
the Hongsawadee kingdom in exchange for information about a sister of
Thailand's King Naresuan who was held hostage by the Burmese 400 years
ago, Deputy Education Minister Somsak Prissanananthakul said yesterday. 


Somsak said that the Burmese government would shoulder all the expenses
of the restoration except for the wages of Thai officials sent by the
Fine Arts Department to help with the project. 


Somsak said the Thai government would gain too from the project as Thai
officials would have an opportunity to study events surrounding the fate
of Phra Suphankalaya, King Naresuan's sister. 


She was believed to have been taken hostage by King Bayinnaung of Burma
when his Hongsawadee kingdom, later called Pegu, invaded Ayutthaya in
1569. When Thailand was hit by economic crisis two years ago, Supankalaya
became tevered by Thais who believed she had sacrificed herself so that
Naresuan could declare independence from Burma. 


The palace to be restored was King Bayinnaung's. 


The Nation