Four more Ramayana sculptures planned for Koh Racha Yai underwater site
Four sculptures depicting the Ramayana’s “Attack on Lanka” episode are expected to be installed in Siam Bay in November and December.
Four additional sculptures depicting the Ramayana’s “Attack on Lanka” episode are planned for the RAYA Underwater Art Museum off Koh Racha Yai in Phuket, with installation expected in November and December 2026.
The works are expected to be completed in September, according to information presented at a Phuket Arts Association seminar. They are scheduled to be placed in Siam Bay during calmer sea conditions.
The sculptures are Rama, designed by Prof Samrit Petchkong and sculpted by Panupat Wiboonrungruang; Ravana, designed by Prof Woraphop Tantinantakul and sculpted by Teerapong Pothisarn; The Road, designed by Prof Samrit Petchkong and sculpted by Prof Amnat Boonsnit; and Suphannamatcha, designed by Wisanupong Noonun.
The first sculpture, Hanuman, was installed in April after being donated by the Rotary Club of Mining. Once the additional works are in place, divers are expected to be able to visit the completed site from late 2026 or early 2027, subject to sea conditions and safety inspections.
The project suffered an early setback when part of the Hanuman structure collapsed during the southwest monsoon, less than a month after installation. Authorities issued a warning on 16 May telling dive operators, instructors, divemasters and divers to stay away from the site because strong currents and underwater waves had severely damaged and destabilised its right side.
The sculpture was removed for repairs and later reinstalled. Teunjai Panthong, director of the Racha Islands Protected Area Management Center in Phuket, said repairs had been completed and that Hanuman had been accessible to divers since the beginning of August. Officials regularly inspect the structure and continue to monitor its condition, she said.
The marine restoration project comprises 73 underwater elements installed at depths of 12 to 19 metres: 47 Hanuman-themed sculptures, 15 3D-printed fence structures and 11 artificial reef units intended to support coral growth and marine life.
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources has authorised the Ramayana sculptures to be installed across an area of more than one rai in Siam Bay. The Phuket Arts Association said the completed site would combine the sculptures with the existing artificial reef structures. The project was developed with Rotary Foundation districts in Thailand and South Korea, government agencies, private companies and local community groups.
