Thailand Celebrates Two New UNESCO World Heritage Sites
Thailand's Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat earned UNESCO World Heritage status on July 25, marking the country's first southern heritage site and ninth overall. Nearly 1,000 Nora dancers celebrated the designation by
Following UNESCO's 48th ordinary World Heritage Committee meeting held in Busan, South Korea, with unanimous approval on July 25, 2025, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat was designated a cultural World Heritage Site. This marks Thailand's sixth cultural heritage site, ninth overall, and the first for Southern Thailand.
People of Nakhon Si Thammarat and across Thailand held a major celebration, with the provincial administration organizing a grand ceremony featuring nearly 1,000 Nora dancers performing ancient Nora movements. The event united a previously recognized UNESCO heritage—Nora, traditional southern Thai performing art—with Thailand's newest World Heritage designation.
Following the recitation of Buddhist chanting, the ceremony continued with nearly 1,000 Nora dancers performing twelve classical movements: Mae Lai (opening movement mimicking Thai crane grace), Rahu Catching the Moon (buffalo horn posture), Kinnaree (fairy-like undulating), Catching the Dance, Descending, Small Descent, Phala hand turn, Lotus Bud (closed hands), Lotus Bloom (fingers unfurling), Lotus Petal (continuous hand movements), Lotus Smile (partially opening petals), and Spider Weaving (alternating finger movements at chest level).
Nora is a southern Thai classical dance, particularly from Nakhon Si Thammarat and Phatthalung, forming the sacred heritage that marked the temple's UNESCO World Heritage status as a treasure of all humanity.
Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn covers 34.43 acres in rectangular form, surrounded by brick walls enclosing stupas centered on the main golden chedi. The complex features one large main stupa on a raised square base, four directional chedis at corners, and 120 smaller chedis arranged in three square tiers. The stupa's spire rises 10.89 meters, gilded with 800 measures (approximately 216 kilograms) of pure gold—the origin of Nakhon Si Thammarat's motto 'Golden Stupa.'
A key tradition linked to the temple is the Cloth Draping Festival, where townspeople collectively donate thousands of yards of fabric to ceremonially drape the main stupa on religious occasions—a custom unique to Nakhon Si Thammarat.
Due to its historical, architectural, and cross-religious significance as a faith center across generations, Thailand nominated Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn for World Heritage status, achieving preliminary listing in 2013.
