The Phrae provincial governor has ordered a probe into the demolition of a 127-year-old building that was once used by the British.
The demolition of the house provoked an uproar among local residents.
The building was an office that belonged to the Bombay Burmah Trading Company, which was granted a logging concession in the western Yom River in 1889. It is located in Ban Chetawan of Muang district.
The first storey was constructed out of cement and teak wood was used in the building of the upper floor, which was recently torn down as part of a restoration project for a forestry learning centre.
Residents and conservation groups were outraged by the demolition and demanded the parties responsible be brought to justice.
They said the building is part of the province's historical legacy. They said that the authorities in charge of taking care of the building should have repaired it instead of bringing down the entire structure.
Provincial governor Kanprempree Chitanont said he led an inspection into the demolition and ordered a fact-finding panel to be formed to look into the issue.
He said the office director issued an order to dismantle the building as part of the learning centre renovation project.
He had no idea how the project ended up with the building being brought to the ground.
