And you thought peer review was rough . . .

A British academic is facing ritual curses, allegations of criminal defamation of two dead kings and demands for his deportation after he cast doubts on the authenticity of one of Thailand's most important cultural artefacts.

The 3ft-high stone obelisk, known as 'Inscription One' and engraved on each of its four sides, is said to have been carved on the orders of King Ramkhamkaeng in 1292. It describes an idyllic kingdom based in Sukhothai, the first capital of Siam.

The stone is officially recognised as the first ever use of the fiendishly complicated Thai script. Last year it was added to Unesco's Memory of the World register.

But Michael Wright, an author who has lived in Thailand for 45 years and lectures at Thammasat University, one of the country's top two educational institutions, believes it is a fake.

The stone was allegedly discovered in Sukhothai in 1833 by Prince Mongkut, who went on to become King Rama IV, the leader portrayed in the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical The King and I.

But Mr Wright accuses Prince Mongkut of having the stone carved to create a historical precedent for his reforming policies.

Posted by David on July 24, 2004 11:16 PM