Thailand Hosts First UNESCO Creative Cities Network Forum
Thailand held its first UNESCO Creative Cities Network Forum in Bangkok, bringing together nine Thai cities and four international creative cities to share knowledge on sustainable urban development and creative economies. The event showcas
Bangkok and the Special Areas Development Administration for Sustainable Tourism (SADT) have jointly opened the Thailand Creative Cities Network (TCCN) Forum 2026 at Bangkok Railway Station with five key network partners participating in the launch.
The forum seeks to establish a model platform bringing together network partners to advance creative cities through knowledge exchange and experience sharing in urban development, using cultural capital and creative thinking to elevate cities, foster creative economies, and promote sustainable tourism in practical ways.
The event was attended by Wanida Pansoad, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, along with executives and representatives from seven organizations including Suntree Serinsukhsamriddhi, Deputy Director of Bangkok's Urban Planning and Development Division; Rani Ittharat, Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Culture; Ms. Soohyun Kim, Regional Director of UNESCO's Regional Office in Bangkok; Ekkasit Sittiwekhin, Vice Governor of the State Railway of Thailand; Pichit Veerangkabut, Deputy Director of the Office of Creative Economy Promotion; Surathasanu Thongmee, Deputy Director of the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau; and Siripakorn Chiewsamutchorn, Director of SADT. Representatives from UNESCO's Creative Cities Network from Thailand and 13 cities worldwide participated.
This marks the first UNESCO Creative Cities Network forum held in Thailand and represents an important opportunity to exchange knowledge and advance global sustainable development through the creative cities network.
Siripakorn Chiewsamutchorn, SADT Director, stated that the TCCN Forum 2026, organized jointly with Bangkok, invited 13 creative cities from Thailand and internationally to build awareness of urban development under UNESCO's Creative Cities Network concept. The event showcases Thailand's progress in developing the UNESCO creative cities network and serves as a platform for exchanging ideas and perspectives on creative city development from experts and representatives from Thai and international creative cities under the theme "Creative Cities Connect: Connecting People-Culture-Creativity-Sustainability."
The 13 participating cities will exchange concepts and factors that enhance urban competitiveness, making cities more livable and attractive to tourists, with exhibitions from each city featuring:
– Nine Thai creative cities across four categories: Gastronomy Cities (Phuket, Phetchaburi, and Songkhla); Crafts and Folk Art Cities (Chiang Mai, Sukhothai, and Nan); Design Cities (Bangkok and Chiang Rai); and Music City (Suphan Buri), with SADT supporting six of these cities: Sukhothai, Nan, Songkhla, Chiang Rai, Suphan Buri, and Phetchaburi.
– Four international creative cities from three categories participating in this event, including Design City Berlin, Germany.
