UNESCO Heritage Site Took Five Governments, Minister Urges Maturity
Nakhon Si Thammarat's Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn has been approved as Thailand's newest UNESCO World Heritage Site after five governments pursued the recognition since 2019. The minister urged Thais to celebrate the achievement withou
Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin on July 27 announced that UNESCO's World Heritage Committee unanimously approved the registration of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahaviharn in Nakhon Si Thammarat as a new cultural world heritage site. He emphasized this represents a major cultural achievement for Thailand, achieved after deliberation by a global committee of representatives.
Chomklin attended the meeting in Busan, South Korea, where he represented Thailand alongside Culture Minister Sabida Thaiset and related agencies. He noted the application process spanned five governments starting in 2019 under General Prayut Chan-o-cha, then Srettha Thavisin, Yingluck Shinawatra, and finally Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul's administrations.
The minister stressed that the success reflects 1,500 years of cultural heritage and 32,000 ancient artifacts that required UNESCO documentation. He urged critics to approach the achievement with maturity rather than politicizing Thailand's cultural pride, noting the approval required community and local leader cooperation. Chomklin added that Thailand plans to propose seven temples around Chiang Mai's ancient walls as a heritage site next, similar to Luang Prabang in Laos. He appealed to media to highlight this positive news, pointing out that UNESCO recognition has boosted visitor numbers from 30,000 to 200,000 during major festivals.
