Thailand aims to have the Andaman Sea Natural Reserves listed on the UNESCO World Heritage list by 2025.
The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) has convinced the World Heritage Committee to accept its nomination and is planning to submit its full report to the committee after receiving cabinet approval for the bid next year.
The proposed area, which features a buffer zone of 175,845 hectares, covers a total of 115,955 hectares and includes six national parks and conservation zones along the Andaman coast in Ranong, Phang-nga and Phuket provinces. The DNP has also reduced the area being submitted for nomination to minimize conflicts with local communities.
The Andaman Sea Natural Reserves are home to a diverse range of plant and animal species, including endangered species such as the Sunda Pangolin and Giant Manta Ray. Confident in its nomination, the DNP strongly believes that the Andaman Sea Natural Reserves are deserving of international recognition as a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Should the nomination prove successful, it would be a significant milestone for Thailand, further enhancing its reputation as a premier tourist destination in the region. (NNT)
