Archaeological work at Ban Chiang did not end during that important series of excavations but expanded its scope of exploration to other sites in the Northeast and throughout Thailand. There was development both in data collecting techniques in the field, in forming hypotheses, and in conception and theories that inspired continued development in the academic field of Thai prehistoric archaeology to the present.
However, while Ban Chiang is somewhat representative of a prehistoric Thai community in the eyes of the world, digging and destruction of archaeological sites for antinqued to sell went on as archaeolgists continued their excavations so much so that the underground cultural heritage of Ban Chiang experienced an inestimable loss.
In 1992 Ban Chiang was granted World Cultural Heritage status according to a criterion that the World Heritage Committee deemed fitting of Ban Chiang's qualities-the third-that it should show a culture or civilisation that was once flourishing and had been lost. Therefore, it is quite ironic that Ban Chiang is as if it is once again' lost' through the threat of uncaring people of today.