Bangkok's iconic "Giant Swing" has been closed to the public and is being surrounded by scaffolding as City Hall begins giving the ageing red, wooden structure a two-million-baht facelift.
A recent inspection found signs of wear, ranging from "colour peeling off and cracks to dirty marks", according to Sakchai Bunma, chief of the city's Department of City Planning, Naewna newspaper reported on Wednesday.
The damage is not serious, he said. The two 21.5-metre main poles were replaced 11 years ago and are still in good condition, but their colour and the wood's texture needs restoring.
Mr Sakchai expected the renovation will take about 300 days.
The ancient swing was built in 1784 and has survived a fire and other damage and been repaired several times. It was given major restoration in 2007 when six golden teak trees were used to replace the deteriorated main poles.
In the past, Brahmin priests held lo chingcha (swinging) ceremonies at the site, re-enacting the Hindu epic in which Shiva tested the stability of the Earth, which was shaken by Naga serpents. The swinging represents the shaking of the Earth.
The Giant Swing, which is in front of Wat Suthat in Bangkok's old area, was given national heritage listing by the Fine Arts Department on Nov 22, 1949.
