BANGKOK, Oct 12 – The Thai government has requested UNESCO, the world cultural body, to undertake a mission to the historic former capital of Siam, Ayutthaya, north of Thailand’s present capital of Bangkok, to assess the impact of flood damage to the World Heritage property.

The World Heritage property of Ayutthaya, which occupies the western half of the inner island of Ayutthaya, has been flooded for more than a week. Monuments and temples on the outside perimeter of the site (technically not part of the World Heritage property), such as Wat Chaiwattanaram on the opposite bank of the river, have also been inundated.

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