The conservation and management of Thailand's cultural heritage falls largely under the purview of the Fine Arts Department, under the framework of the Act on Ancient Monuments, Antiques, Objects of Art and National Museums, B.E.
Under the law, the department has authority to manage and protect architectural sites (referred to as "ancient monuments" (Thai: โบราณสถาน, RTGS: borannasathan)), antiques (โบราณวัตถุ, borannawatthu) and objets d'art (ศิลปวัตถุ, sinlapawatthu) of significant artistic, historical, or archaeological value.
[1] As of September 2015[update], the Department lists 5,678 ancient monuments, 2,087 of which have officially been registered (including 10 historical parks).
Other institutions are also involved in the field, including universities, professional organizations, and public and private museums.
The conservation of heritage sites is often a contentious issue in Thailand, especially in cases involving private or religious property.