Thailand Celebrates Ninth World Heritage Site: Wat Phra Mahathat in Nakhon Si Thammarat

Thailand celebrated a major cultural milestone on Saturday as the Unesco World Heritage Committee approved the inscription of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat as a World Cultural Heritage site. The inscription, announced at a meeting in Busan, South Korea, makes the historic temple Thailand’s ninth World Heritage site and the first in the country’s southern region. Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised, who attended the meeting, welcomed Unesco’s decision, saying the designation recognised Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan not only as a treasure of Thailand but as a cultural asset of humanity. She said the listing affirmed the enduring significance of local identity, wisdom and traditions passed down through generations. “The temple is not merely a heritage site belonging to Thailand, but a cultural legacy with value to all humanity,” she said. “Its inscription is both a source of pride and a shared responsibility to ensure its preservation for future generations.” She invited Thais nationwide to join the celebrations and visit the temple to experience the site’s outstanding cultural value firsthand. To mark the occasion, the Fine Arts Department has opened, for the first time, a permanent exhibition dedicated to the Phra Mahathat of Nakhon Si Thammarat at the National Museum in the southern province. (Story continues below) Khian Vihara interior. (Photo ©Wannasarn Noonsuk) Reclining Buddha image and museum inside the Pho Langka Vihara (Photo: ©Wannasarn Noonsuk) The World Heritage Committee inscribed the temple under the framework for Outstanding Universal Value established by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. The site was recognised as evidence of the historic fusion of Brahmanical, Hindu, Mahayana Buddhist and Theravada Buddhist traditions across Central and Southeast Asia. The committee noted its influence on regional religious architecture, artistic expression and cultural traditions. The temple also demonstrated the interchange of religious and artistic influences derived from the Pala tradition of Nalanda in India, Central Java, Sri Lanka and Mon culture from southern Myanmar. These influences later spread to religious monuments in Thailand, Malaysia and other parts of the region. As well, the temple was acknowledged as a living testimony to diverse belief systems and as the spiritual centre of Nakhon Si Thammarat. Unesco noted its continuing role in religious traditions and its association with artistic and literary heritage, including the famed Nora dance tradition and local legends. “The site exemplifies the enduring relationship between sacred places and surrounding communities and has served as a source of inspiration for religious centres across Thailand and beyond,” it said. (Story continues below) Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin (centre) and Culture Minister Sabeeda Thaised (left) join members of the Thai delegation at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan, South Korea, in celebrating the inscription of Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat on the Unesco World Heritage List as a cultural site on Saturday. (Photo: Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment) At Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan, celebrations were held to commemorate the Unesco designation. The ceremony was chaired by Kraisorn Wisitwong, adviser to Deputy Prime Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. Attendees included Phra Dhammavajirakorn, the abbot of the temple; Phnombootra Chandrajoti, director-general of the Fine Arts Department; senior government officials, students and local residents. The Thai delegation attending the World Heritage Committee meeting in Busan was led by Ms Sabeeda and Natural Resources and Environment Minister Suchart Chomklin. Joining them were representatives from the Fine Arts Department, the Office of Natural Resources and Environmental Policy and Planning, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education and Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Information source: Bangkok Post