BUSAN, South Korea – Thailand has secured UNESCO World Heritage status for Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat province, making it the country’s sixth Cultural World Heritage Site, ninth World Heritage Site overall, and the first in southern Thailand. The inscription was approved during the 48th session of the World Heritage Committee in Busan, South Korea, under Criteria (ii) and (vi). Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin said the recognition followed years of work by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning (ONEP) and other agencies that prepared Thailand’s nomination and presented its case to the World Heritage Committee.
UNESCO recognized the temple for its Outstanding Universal Value as a cultural landscape influenced by more than 1,500 years of religious traditions, artistic exchange, and cultural connections across Maritime Asia. The site also remains an active center of Buddhist worship, where local customs and religious practices continue today. Suchart said the ONEP, the Ministry of Culture, and related agencies will continue managing the site to preserve its Outstanding Universal Value and support sustainable tourism in Nakhon Si Thammarat and the surrounding communities. (NNT)
