Suchart Pushes Wat Phra Mahathat Chiang Mai Lanna Towards UNESCO World Heritage Status in Talks with New UNESCO Director-General
Thailand's environment minister discussed elevating Wat Phra Mahathat Chiang Mai to UNESCO World Heritage status with the new UNESCO director-general, while exploring broader cooperation on marine conservation, geoparks, and sustainable tou
On May 15, 2026, at 4:30 PM, Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin, along with Permanent Secretary Dr. Raveewan Puridej and senior officials, welcomed UNESCO Director-General Khaled Ahmed El-Enany Ali Ezz and his delegation during their official visit to Thailand at the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. The meeting focused on cooperation in four key areas: World Heritage sites, the Man and the Biosphere Programme (MAB), UNESCO Global Geoparks, and marine science collaboration under the IOC/WESTPAC framework, including ocean management, biodiversity conservation, and heritage impact assessments.
Minister Suchart emphasized Thailand's readiness to lead regional marine cooperation through research, marine biodiversity assessment technology, disaster preparedness, and climate change adaptation. He highlighted marine conservation projects under the royal initiative of Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana, which promote youth participation in marine conservation, zero-waste management, and sustainable coastal ecosystem restoration.
Thailand also requested UNESCO support to elevate its national geoparks to international standards, seeking to promote Khon Kaen Geopark and Ubon Ratchathani Geopark as new UNESCO Global Geoparks, following the existing Satun and Khorat Geoparks. Suchart also discussed Thailand's "High-Value Tourism" policy, which combines quality tourism with natural resource conservation, citing the closure of Andaman marine national parks during monsoon season to restore ecosystems and maintain ecological balance.
Permanent Secretary Dr. Raveewan noted that Thailand currently has eight World Heritage sites and continues pursuing new designations. In 2026, Thailand will propose Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn for World Heritage inscription at the 48th UNESCO World Heritage Committee meeting in South Korea, while the "Monuments, Sites and Cultural Landscape of Chiang Mai, Capital of Lanna" will undergo technical evaluation for consideration in 2027. Dr. Raveewan emphasized the importance of Heritage Impact Assessments, citing the case of the high-speed rail project near Ayutthaya's historic city, where the government reduced the project's scale and height to preserve the heritage site's values while supporting balanced economic development.
The UNESCO Director-General praised Thailand's policies and sustainable tourism management approach to preserve natural resources for future generations. Both parties celebrated decades of cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to expanding collaboration across all dimensions to advance global sustainable development goals.
