The centuries-old temple’s nomination will be considered by the World Heritage Committee in July, potentially securing a landmark cultural designation for Southern Thailand.
BANGKOK, Thailand – Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat is on track to become Thailand’s newest UNESCO World Heritage Site after an advisory body to the World Heritage Committee recommended its inscription as a cultural property. The nomination will be considered during the 48th Session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, Republic of Korea, scheduled for July 24-26. Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin said the recommendation recognizes the temple’s outstanding universal value and its role as a center of religious beliefs and spiritual traditions that have endured for more than 1,500 years.
According to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Raweewan Bhuridej, the nomination is the result of more than a decade of cooperation among government agencies and local authorities. The Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment, and related agencies have undertaken research, conservation, and site management in line with international standards. If approved, Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan would become Thailand’s ninth World Heritage Site, the country’s sixth cultural World Heritage Site, and the first cultural World Heritage Site in Southern Thailand. Officials said the inscription would also support tourism, local economic development, and the long-term preservation of one of the nation’s most treasured cultural landmarks. (NNT)
