Mr Prathip explained yesterday (Nov 4) that officers at the Fine Arts Office Region 12 office in Nakhon Sri Thammarat were informed of the cave paintings by national park officers and came to inspect the paintings on Oct 27-28.
The newly discovered cave paintings were found on Koh Thalu Nok, Koh Khaotao, Koh Khai, Koh Yang Daeng and in the Nok Krarian cave.
Officers currently estimate that the new paintings are about 3,000 to 5,000 years old, but experts have been called in to study them further, Mr Prathip said.
The new paintings have brought the number of locations of cave paintings in the national park to 11, he said.
“Officers have found 30 ancient paintings in areas along the Andaman coast,” he added.
“Most of them were painted in prehistoric times when humans had not yet invented any alphabet. The paintings express how people at that time lived and noted their knowledge,” he said.
The first ancient painting found in Phang Nga Bay was discovered by a group of Thai and foreign scholars in 1987, under the archaeological site survey project in the southern region, Mr Prathip explained.
Since 2014, officers of the Fine Arts Office have been continuously informed of new discoveries of cave paintings, he added.
“I already ordered officers to make a project to study, conserve, and systematically collect knowledge about the paintings, in order to show local people and create ecotourism in the areas,” Mr Prathip added.