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On Wednesday, a key member of the We Love Ya Mo group said someone had drilled holes in the statue's head, apparently to extract valuables. Others scraped her body to use the material in amulets.

Thao Suranaree - a great heroine in Thailand's history - is also widely known as Ya Mo.

"This is not true," Suthee said of the vandalism allegations. He said the statue had sustained weather damage.

"Restoration may not have been sufficient and untidy bits have been left. The scratches on the statue's body are likely to have come from cleaners rubbing too hard," Suthee said. He said the statue was cleaned every year.

Erected in 1934, the statue stands 1.85 metres in height and weighs 325 kilograms.

Suthee said he's contacted the Fine Arts Department to help with the statue.

Sakchai Pojnanwanich, who heads department's regional office, said the damage to the statue was likely weather damage.