An auction for watercolor painting by famous artists of Thailand has reached a two million Baht target. All the money will be given to the Hua Hin Municipality Executive Board as funding to decorate Damnern Kasem Road with beautiful and exotic sculptures.
According to the owner of the Hua Hin Artist Village Mr. Thawee Kesa-ngam, the auction, which took place at the Intercontinental Hua Hin, highlighted many paintings by nine well known Thai artists. The artists were Bancha Sriwongrat, Nukul Panyadee, Banlu Wiriyapornpraphas, Rungphan Buruschart, Chairit Srisa-ngasomboon, Direk Kingnok, Namchai Saensupha, Suchart Wongthong and Panya Phetchu. Most of the works depict scenic landscapes and traditional Thai activities. The works will be on display for one month.
At the gala dinner on the opening day, eight masterpiece paintings were auctioned. The highest bid was for a painting of the Klai Kangwon Royal Residence in Hua Hin by Bancha Sriwongrat. The winning bidder was the former Deputy Prime Minister Mr. Suwat Liptapanlop whose winning bid was 500,000 Baht. The eight paintings auctioned attracted bids totaling two million Baht.
Mr. Thawee added that the proceeds from the event were 1.2 million Baht, excluding other expenses. This would be donated to the Hua Hin Municipality via the Mayor Mr. Nopporn Wutthikul. The funds will later be used  for the project of decorating Damnern Kasem Road with beautiful sculptures.
As Hua Hin already has many paintings, the City now needs sculptures to upgrade it as an international tourist attraction. This is similar to Cities in Europe which use sculptures to promote visual aesthetics for visitors and tourists. The sculpture decorations on the road will be completed in 2014, said Mr. Thawee.
The former Deputy PM Mr. Suwat said that Hua Hin was very famous for European people thanks to its stunning coastline, comparable to the Riviera in France. Besides beautiful sandy beaches, the City also boasts artistic and sculptural works to attract foreigners.
Mr. Suwat agreed with the project of decorating Damnern Kasem Road with sculptures. He suggested that the size of the works should well suit the area and they should depict the unique style of Hua Hin. Sculptures should present the distinctive features of this beachfront City in a similar way to those found in France and Italy.
